06/05/2024-06/12/2024 New PHP Vulnerability, Microsoft Issues Patches for 51 Flaws, Hackers Target Python Developers And More.

1. New PHP Vulnerability Exposes Windows Servers to Remote Code Execution

A critical security flaw, CVE-2024-4577, has been discovered in PHP on Windows, allowing remote code execution. This CGI argument injection vulnerability bypasses protections from CVE-2012-1823 due to an encoding conversion feature in Windows, as noted by DEVCORE’s Orange Tsai. A fix was released on May 7, 2024, in PHP versions 8.3.8, 8.2.20, and 8.1.29. DEVCORE warns that XAMPP installations using Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese locales are particularly vulnerable.

Administrators are advised to switch to more secure solutions like Mod-PHP, FastCGI, or PHP-FPM. Exploitation attempts have already been detected by the Shadowserver Foundation, highlighting the urgency for users to apply the latest patches quickly.
 

2. Microsoft Issues Patches for 51 Flaws, Including Critical MSMQ Vulnerability

Microsoft’s June 2024 Patch Tuesday addressed 51 security flaws, including one Critical and 50 Important. Additionally, 17 vulnerabilities in the Chromium-based Edge browser were fixed.

None of these flaws have been actively exploited, but one, CVE-2023-50868 (CVSS 7.5), is publicly known. This denial-of-service issue, affecting DNSSEC validation, can cause CPU exhaustion on a DNSSEC-validating resolver. It was reported by researchers from ATHENE in February. The most critical flaw, CVE-2024-30080 (CVSS 9.8), affects the Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) service and allows remote code execution via a specially crafted MSMQ packet.

Several other vulnerabilities, including those in Microsoft Outlook (CVE-2024-30103), Windows Wi-Fi Driver (CVE-2024-30078), and various Windows subsystems, were also addressed. Morphisec highlighted the Outlook flaw’s potential for exploitation without user interaction, posing a significant risk. In addition to Microsoft, security updates have also been released by other vendors over the past several weeks to rectify several vulnerabilities.
 

3. Commando Cat Cryptojacking Attacks Target Misconfigured Docker Instances

The threat actor Commando Cat is exploiting insecure Docker instances to deploy cryptocurrency miners. Using the cmd.cat/chattr Docker image, the attackers download a payload from their command-and-control (C&C) server. First identified by Cado Security, these attacks target misconfigured Docker remote API servers, using the chroot command to break out of the container and access the host system. The miner binary is retrieved via curl or wget from a C&C server.

Trend Micro researchers highlighted the use of Docker images to evade security detection. Additionally, Akamai reported that old vulnerabilities in ThinkPHP applications (CVE-2018-20062, CVE-2019-9082) are being exploited by a Chinese-speaking threat actor to deploy a persistent web shell named Dama, capable of advanced system manipulation and data gathering.

4. Hackers Target Python Developers with Fake “Crytic-Compilers” Package on PyPI

Researchers found a malicious Python package on PyPI, named crytic-compilers, designed to deliver the Lumma information stealer. This typosquatted version of the legitimate crytic-compile package was downloaded 441 times before removal.

Sonatype’s Ax Sharma noted the counterfeit package mimicked the legitimate library’s versioning to appear genuine. While earlier versions installed the real package, the latest version targeted Windows systems to launch a malicious executable fetching Lumma Stealer, a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) tool. Additionally, over 300 WordPress sites were compromised with fake Google Chrome update pop-ups. Attackers used the legitimate Hustle plugin to display these pop-ups, which install information stealers and remote access trojans. This highlights a trend of hackers exploiting legitimate plugins to evade detection.

5. JetBrains Warns of IntelliJ IDE Bug Exposing GitHub Access Tokens

 JetBrains urges users to patch a critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-37051) in IntelliJ IDEs that exposes GitHub access tokens. The flaw, reported on May 29, 2024, affects all IntelliJ-based IDEs from version 2023.1 onwards with the GitHub plugin enabled. Malicious content in pull requests could exploit this flaw.

JetBrains has released updates for the affected versions and removed vulnerable plugin versions from its marketplace. Users are strongly advised to update to the latest versions and revoke GitHub tokens used by the plugin to prevent unauthorized access. The GitHub plugin may not work correctly in older IDE versions due to mitigation measures.

In February, JetBrains also disclosed a critical vulnerability in TeamCity On-Premises servers, highlighting the importance of timely updates.
 

6. Arm Warns of Actively Exploited Flaw in Mali GPU Kernel Drivers

Arm has issued a security bulletin about a use-after-free vulnerability (CVE-2024-4610) in Bifrost and Valhall GPU kernel drivers, exploited in the wild. This flaw affects all versions from r34p0 to r40p0 and can lead to information disclosure and arbitrary code execution.

“A local non-privileged user can exploit GPU memory processing to access freed memory,” Arm explains. The vulnerability was fixed in version r41p0, released on November 24, 2022, with the latest driver version being r49p0. Arm advises users to upgrade if impacted. Due to the complex Android supply chain, patches may reach end users with delays. Some older devices might no longer receive updates, affecting various smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, and embedded systems using Bifrost and Valhall GPUs.