02/07/2024-02/14/2024 Ivanti Vulnerability, CISA and OpenSSF Release Framework, New Ivanti Auth Bypass Flaw And More.

1. Ivanti Vulnerability Exploited to Install ‘DSLog’ Backdoor on 670+ IT Infrastructures

Threat actors are exploiting a recent security flaw in Ivanti Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and ZTA gateways to deploy a backdoor named DSLog. Orange Cyberdefense noted the exploitation of CVE-2024-21893 shortly after the proof-of-concept code was released. This vulnerability, disclosed alongside CVE-2024-21888, allows server-side request forgery (SSRF), potentially granting unauthorized access to restricted resources. Ivanti confirmed limited targeted attacks, but the scale remains uncertain. Shadowserver Foundation reported a surge in exploitation attempts from over 170 IP addresses. Compromises have been detected since February 3, with attackers injecting DSLog into a Perl file for persistent remote access. DSLog uses unique hashes per appliance, complicating detection. Attackers use the hash in HTTP requests to execute commands. They also erase “.access” logs to evade detection. Orange Cyberdefense identified 670 compromised assets initially, decreasing to 524 by February 7, by analyzing artifacts triggered by the SSRF vulnerability.

2. CISA and OpenSSF Release Framework for Package Repository Security

CISA is collaborating with the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) to release a framework named Principles for Package Repository Security. This framework, developed by OpenSSF’s Securing Software Repositories Working Group, aims to fortify package repositories and enhance security in open-source software ecosystems. It introduces four security maturity levels covering authentication, authorization, general capabilities, and command-line interface (CLI) tooling. The levels range from basic security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) to advanced protocols such as requiring MFA for all maintainers and supporting package build provenance. All package management ecosystems should strive for at least Level 1 security. The framework enables package repositories to assess their security maturity and implement necessary improvements over time to combat evolving security threats effectively. 

3. Warning: New Ivanti Auth Bypass Flaw Affects Connect Secure and ZTA Gateways

Ivanti warns of a critical security flaw (CVE-2024-22024) affecting Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and ZTA gateway devices, potentially enabling authentication bypass. The vulnerability, rated 8.3 out of 10 on the CVSS scale, stems from an XML external entity (XXE) issue in the SAML component. Versions affected include Connect Secure 9.x, 22.x, Policy Secure 9.x, 22.x, and ZTA 22.x. Patch updates are available for affected versions. While there’s no evidence of active exploitation, given the recent abuse of similar vulnerabilities, users are urged to apply patches promptly. The flaw was brought to Ivanti’s attention by cybersecurity firm watchTowr, highlighting potential impacts such as denial of service (DOS), local file read, and server-side request forgery (SSRF), contingent on available protocols.

4. Critical Patches Released for New Flaws in Cisco, Fortinet, VMware Products

Cisco, Fortinet, and VMware have issued security patches for various vulnerabilities, including critical ones enabling arbitrary actions on affected devices. Cisco disclosed three flaws (CVE-2024-20252, CVE-2024-20254, CVE-2024-20255) in Expressway Series, allowing CSRF attacks. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized actions, including modifying configurations. Fortinet addressed bypasses for a critical FortiSIEM supervisor flaw (CVE-2023-34992) with two new vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-23108, CVE-2024-23109), allowing remote code execution. VMware reported five moderate-to-important flaws in Aria Operations for Networks, involving local privilege escalation and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Upgrading to specified versions mitigates risks across all platforms.

5. DarkMe Malware Targets Traders Using Microsoft SmartScreen Zero-Day Vulnerability

A zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has been exploited by an advanced persistent threat group known as Water Hydra (aka DarkCasino), targeting financial traders. Trend Micro discovered the campaign in December 2023, involving CVE-2024-21412, a security bypass flaw in Internet Shortcut Files (.URL). This flaw bypasses SmartScreen to deliver the DarkMe malware. Microsoft patched it in February. The attack requires convincing the victim to click on a booby-trapped URL to download a malicious installer. The technique abuses the search: application protocol, delivering malware via layered internet shortcut files to evade SmartScreen. The end goal is to deploy DarkMe, a Visual Basic trojan, allowing remote control and data exfiltration. This trend of cybercrime groups exploiting zero-days reflects their increasing sophistication. Water Hydra demonstrates the capability to discover and exploit zero-days, indicating a merging of cybercrime and nation-state hacking tactics.

6.  Microsoft Rolls Out Patches for 73 Flaws, Including 2 Windows Zero-Days

Microsoft’s February Patch Tuesday addresses 73 security flaws, including two zero-days exploited by Water Hydra targeting financial traders. Notably, CVE-2024-21351 and CVE-2024-21412 allow code injection into SmartScreen and bypassing security checks, respectively. Successful exploitation requires convincing users to open malicious files. Water Hydra exploits CVE-2024-21412 in a zero-day attack chain. The update also covers five critical flaws, including remote code execution vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook. CVE-2023-50387, a 24-year-old design flaw in DNSSEC, is also patched, named KeyTrap, capable of causing denial-of-service attacks. Users are urged to apply patches promptly to mitigate risks.

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01/31/2024-02/07/2024 Critical JetBrains Security Flaw, New Flaws in Azure, Cloudflare Breach And More.

1. Critical JetBrains TeamCity On-Premises Flaw Exposes Servers to Takeover – Patch Now

JetBrains warns of a critical security flaw (CVE-2024-23917) in its TeamCity On-Premises software, scoring 9.8 out of 10 on the CVSS scale. This flaw could allow threat actors to seize control of vulnerable instances. Attackers with HTTP(S) access might bypass authentication and gain administrative control. The vulnerability affects versions from 2017.1 to 2023.11.2, fixed in 2023.11.3. Discovered by an external researcher on January 19, 2024, users can apply a security patch plugin if unable to update. JetBrains suggests temporarily blocking public access for servers unable to update immediately. While there’s no known exploitation, a similar flaw (CVE-2023-42793) saw active exploitation by ransomware gangs and state-sponsored groups after disclosure last year.

2. Experts Detail New Flaws in Azure HDInsight Spark, Kafka, and Hadoop Services

Three security vulnerabilities in Azure HDInsight’s Apache Hadoop, Kafka, and Spark services allow privilege escalation and a regular expression denial-of-service (ReDoS).

Orca security researcher Lidor Ben Shitrit reported the flaws, including:

• CVE-2023-36419 (CVSS: 8.8) – Apache Oozie XXE Injection Elevation of Privilege;
• CVE-2023-38156 (CVSS: 7.2) – Apache Ambari JDBC Injection Elevation of Privilege;
• Apache Oozie ReDoS Vulnerability.

Attackers could exploit privilege escalation flaws to gain administrator privileges by crafting network requests. The XXE flaw permits root-level file reading and privilege escalation, while the JDBC injection flaw facilitates obtaining a reverse shell as root. The ReDoS vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation, enabling attackers to trigger a denial-of-service by causing an intensive loop operation. Microsoft has released fixes on October 26, 2023, following responsible disclosure. Exploitation could disrupt system operations, degrade performance, and impact service availability and reliability.

3. Recent SSRF Flaw in Ivanti VPN Products Undergoes Mass Exploitation

The Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure products face mass exploitation of a disclosed SSRF vulnerability (CVE-2024-21893, CVSS: 8.2), allowing unauthorized access to restricted resources. Shadowserver Foundation noted over 170 IP addresses attempting to establish a reverse shell. The flaw, also affecting Neurons for ZTA, enables attackers to bypass authentication. Exploitation has surged since a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit by Rapid7. Combining it with a previously patched command injection flaw (CVE-2024-21887), unauthenticated remote code execution is achieved. Notably, CVE-2024-21893 (alias CVE-2023-36661) is in the Shibboleth XMLTooling library, fixed in June 2023. Additionally, Ivanti VPN appliances use outdated open-source components, exposing vulnerabilities. Ivanti has released a second mitigation and begun patching officially. Threat actors exploit CVE-2023-46805 and CVE-2024-21887 for deploying custom web shells named BUSHWALK, CHAINLINE, FRAMESTING, and LIGHTWIRE, as revealed by Mandiant.

4. Cloudflare Breach: Nation-State Hackers Access Source Code and Internal Docs

Cloudflare discloses a likely nation-state attack, revealing unauthorized access to its Atlassian server, leading to document and source code exposure between November 14 and 24, 2023. The sophisticated actor aimed to persistently infiltrate Cloudflare’s network. In response, Cloudflare rotated over 5,000 production credentials, segmented systems, and conducted forensic triage on 4,893 systems. During the four-day reconnaissance period, the attacker accessed Atlassian Confluence and Jira portals, then established persistent access, ultimately accessing 120 code repositories, of which 76 were exfiltrated. Repositories pertained to backups, network configuration, identity management, remote access, and infrastructure management tools. The attacker unsuccessfully tried to breach a console server in São Paulo. Stolen credentials from Okta’s support system, including AWS and Atlassian, facilitated the intrusion. Cloudflare failed to rotate these credentials promptly but terminated malicious connections on November 24, 2023, and engaged CrowdStrike for an independent assessment.

5. FritzFrog Returns with Log4Shell and PwnKit, Spreading Malware Inside Your Network

The FritzFrog threat actor has reemerged with a new variant utilizing the Log4Shell vulnerability to spread within compromised networks. Akamai reports brute-force exploitation targeting vulnerable Java applications. Initially focusing on weak SSH credentials, FritzFrog has expanded its targets to healthcare, education, and government sectors, deploying cryptocurrency miners. Unlike prior versions, the latest version targets internal hosts, leveraging unpatched systems. This shift exploits neglected internal machines, increasing infection risks. FritzFrog enhances its SSH brute-force tactic and utilizes CVE-2021-4034 for local privilege escalation. To evade detection, it avoids dropping files to disk, utilizing /dev/shm and memfd_create for memory-resident payloads. This strategy mirrors techniques used by other Linux-based malware.

6. Exposed Docker APIs Under Attack in ‘Commando Cat’ Cryptojacking Campaign

Docker API endpoints face a cryptojacking campaign named Commando Cat, deploying benign containers via the Commando project. Active since 2024, it’s the second such campaign within months. Targeting Docker hosts, it deploys XMRig and 9Hits Viewer. Commando Cat breaches Docker instances to execute payloads, including backdoors and miners. It checks for specific active services before proceeding. Payloads are delivered from the C2 server, adding SSH keys, creating rogue users, and exfiltrating credentials. Using curl or wget, payloads are fetched and executed, with /dev/shm used for evasion. Forensics are complicated as artifacts avoid disk touch. The attack concludes with a Base64-encoded script deploying XMRig after eliminating competing miners.

01/24/2024-01/31/2024 Upgrade GitLab, Urgent Junos OS Updates, Critical Jenkins Vulnerability, Malicious PyPI Packages And More.

1. URGENT: Upgrade GitLab – Critical Workspace Creation Flaw Allows File Overwrite

GitLab once again released fixes to address a critical security flaw in its Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) that could be exploited to write arbitrary files while creating a workspace. Tracked as CVE-2024-0402, the vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.9 out of a maximum of 10. The company also noted patches for the bug have been backported to 16.5.8, 16.6.6, 16.7.4, and 16.8.1. Also resolved by GitLab are four medium-severity flaws that could lead to a regular expression denial-of-service (ReDoS), HTML injection, and the disclosure of a user’s public email address via the tags RSS feed. The latest update arrives two weeks after the DevSecOps platform shipped fixes to close out two critical shortcomings, including one that could be exploited to take over accounts without requiring any user interaction (CVE-2023-7028, CVSS score: 10.0). Users are advised to upgrade the installations to a patched version as soon as possible to mitigate potential risks.

2. Juniper Networks Releases Urgent Junos OS Updates for High-Severity Flaws

Juniper Networks has issued critical updates for SRX Series and EX Series, targeting high-severity vulnerabilities in J-Web (CVE-2024-21619 and CVE-2024-21620). These flaws could empower threat actors to seize control of vulnerable systems. CVE-2024-21619 poses a moderate risk (CVSS score: 5.3) due to a missing authentication vulnerability, exposing sensitive configuration information. On the other hand, CVE-2024-21620 presents a higher risk (CVSS score: 8.8) as a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability, enabling the execution of arbitrary commands. As a temporary measure, Juniper advises users to disable J-Web or limit access to trusted hosts until the updates are implemented. Additionally, two earlier disclosed vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-36846 and CVE-2023-36851) were previously flagged as actively exploited.

3. Critical Jenkins Vulnerability Exposes Servers to RCE Attacks – Patch ASAP!

Jenkins, the open-source CI/CD automation software, has patched nine security flaws, including CVE-2024-23897, a critical bug allowing remote code execution through an arbitrary file read vulnerability in the CLI. Jenkins uses the args4j library for CLI command processing, enabling a feature (expandAtFiles) that replaces ‘@’ followed by a file path with the file’s content. This feature, active by default in Jenkins 2.441 and earlier, could be exploited by threat actors with “Overall/Read” permission to read entire files, potentially leading to various attacks, including remote code execution, XSS, and CSRF protection bypass. SonarSource researcher Yaniv Nizry discovered the flaw, fixed in Jenkins 2.442 and LTS 2.426.3 by disabling the command parser feature. While awaiting the patch, users are advised to disable CLI access as a temporary measure. Proof-of-concept exploits for CVE-2024-23897 have been published, emphasizing the urgency of updates.

4. Malicious PyPI Packages Slip WhiteSnake InfoStealer Malware onto Windows Machines

Researchers have detected malicious packages on the Python Package Index (PyPI), distributing WhiteSnake Stealer malware on Windows systems. These packages, uploaded by a threat actor named “WS,” include nigpal, figflix, telerer, seGMM, fbdebug, sGMM, myGens, NewGends, and TestLibs111. The packages embed Base64-encoded source code in their setup.py files, delivering the final payload upon installation based on the victim’s operating system. WhiteSnake, primarily targeting Windows, has an Anti-VM mechanism, communicates via Tor, and steals information from browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, and various applications. PYTA31, the threat actor tracked by Checkmarx, aims to exfiltrate sensitive and crypto wallet data. Some packages incorporate clipper functionality to replace clipboard content for unauthorized transactions. This discovery highlights the ability of a single malware author to disseminate multiple info-stealing packages into PyPI with distinct payload intricacies.

5. Researchers Uncover How Outlook Vulnerability Could Leak Your NTLM Passwords

A recently patched security flaw in Microsoft Outlook (CVE-2023-35636, CVSS score: 6.5) exposed NT LAN Manager (NTLM) v2 hashed passwords. This vulnerability, addressed in Microsoft’s December 2023 Patch Tuesday updates, allowed threat actors to access passwords when victims opened a specially crafted file. In email attacks, the attacker sends the file, while in web-based attacks, a malicious website hosts it. The flaw originates from the calendar-sharing function in Outlook, utilizing crafted headers. Varonis researcher Dolev Taler discovered the bug, highlighting the potential leakage of NTLM hashes via Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) and Windows File Explorer, yet these methods remain unpatched. This disclosure coincides with Check Point’s revelation of “forced authentication,” demonstrating the exploitation of NTLM tokens by tricking users into opening a rogue Microsoft Access file.

6. Critical Cisco Flaw Lets Hackers Remotely Take Over Unified Comms Systems

Cisco has issued patches for a critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-20253, CVSS score: 9.9) affecting Unified Communications and Contact Center Solutions. The flaw arises from improper processing of user-provided data, enabling a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target device. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary command execution with web services user privileges and potential root access. The affected products include Unified Communications Manager, Unified Communications Manager IM & Presence Service, Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition, Unified Contact Center Express, Unity Connection, and Virtualized Voice Browser. Synacktiv researcher Julien Egloff discovered the vulnerability. While no workarounds exist, Cisco recommends implementing access control lists (ACLs) as a temporary measure.