Reading Time: 5 min Third-party cookies on your Mac can track your browsing and expose you to cybersecurity threats. Learn the risks and how to browse safely!

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A new survey, "Cyber Insurance and Cyber Defenses 2024: Lessons from IT and Cybersecurity Leaders," highlights the impact of cyber insurance on security investments. According to the report, 97% of organizations with a cyber policy enhanced their defenses to comply with insurance requirements. Among these, 76% stated that the improvements helped them qualify for coverage, 67% achieved better pricing, and 30% obtained improved policy terms. The survey, conducted by security company Sophos, also revealed that recovery costs from cyberattacks are outpacing insurance coverage. Only one percent of those that made a claim said that their carrier funded 100% of the costs incurred while remediating the incident.

Cyber Insurance and Cyber Defenses 2024

The most common reason for the policy not paying for the costs in full was because the total bill exceeded the policy limit. According to The State of Ransomware 2024 survey, recovery costs following a ransomware incident increased by 50% over the last year, reaching $2.73 million on average.  “The Sophos Active Adversary report has repeatedly shown that many of the cyber incidents companies face are the result of a failure to implement basic cybersecurity best practices, such as patching in a timely manner. In our most recent report, for example, compromised credentials were the number one root cause of attacks, yet 43% of companies didn’t have multi-factor authentication enabled,” said Chester Wisniewski, director, global Field CTO.   “The fact that 76% of companies invested in cyber defenses to qualify for cyber insurance shows that insurance is forcing organizations to implement some of these essential security measures. It’s making a difference, and it’s having a broader, more positive impact on companies overall. However, while cyber insurance is beneficial for companies, it is just one part of an effective risk mitigation strategy. Companies still need to work on hardening their defenses. A cyberattack can have profound impacts for a company from both an operational and a reputational standpoint, and having cyber insurance doesn’t change that.”  Across the 5,000 IT and cybersecurity leaders surveyed, 99% of companies that improved their defenses for insurance purposes said they had also gained broader security benefits beyond insurance coverage due to their investments, including improved protection, freed IT resources and fewer alerts.  “Investments in cyber defenses appear to have a ripple effect in terms of benefits, unlocking insurance savings that organizations can be diverted into other defenses to more broadly improve their security posture. As cyber insurance adoption continues, hopefully, companies’ security will continue to improve. Cyber insurance won’t make ransomware attacks disappear, but it could very well be part of the solution,” said Wisniewski.  Data for the Cyber Insurance and Cyber Defenses 2024: Lessons from IT and Cybersecurity Leaders report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 5,000 cybersecurity/IT leaders conducted between January and February 2024. Respondents were based in 14 countries across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Organizations surveyed had between 100 and 5,000 employees, and revenue ranged from less than $10 million to more than $5 billion.

Netflix is renowned for its diverse and engaging lineup of drama-filled shows that cater to a wide array of audiences. Among its extensive catalog, Netflix has also produced and curated a significant number of series that delve into the complex and often thrilling world of technology and cybersecurity. These shows not only entertain but also shed light on the intricate issues and challenges that define the digital age. In this article, we highlight some of the best cybersecurity-themed shows available on Netflix. These selections range from riveting docuseries that explore real-life cybercrimes and the people behind them, to fictional dramas that imagine high-stakes scenarios involving hacking, data breaches, and digital espionage. Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a cybersecurity professional, or simply someone who enjoys a good thriller, these shows offer a fascinating look at the digital world's darker side. Join us as we explore these top-notch series that bring the exciting and often perilous world of cybersecurity to your screen.

Best Cybersecurity Shows on Netflix

 7. The Great Hack 

The Great Hack is a 2019 Netflix documentary that explores the Cambridge Analytica scandal and its impact on privacy and democracy. The film discloses how the political consulting firm used personal data derived from Facebook to influence voter behaviors in various elections like the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit referendum. There are key figures from the actual events like data scientists and former Cambridge Analytica employees who share their thoughts on the ethical implications and societal impact of data exploitation.   This is one of those cybersecurity shows on Netflix that is a particularly great watch as it aims to share with the public the extent to which personal data can be manipulated to sway public opinion.  It also helps the audience critically evaluate the security and political climate of the world they’re living in as it raises questions about data privacy, corporate power, and the role of democracy in a digital world. 

6. The Billion Dollar Code 

The Billion Dollar Code is a 2021 German Netflix drama series that follows two young German computer enthusiasts who develop TerraVision in the 1990s. TerraVision was an innovative software that allowed users to virtually navigate the globe using satellite images, which is similar to what Google Earth does today. These initial idea and development phases lead to their eventual legal battle against Google, who accuse them of infringing on their creation of Google Earth.   This show consists of courtroom drama and flashbacks that cover the steps of innovation and the battles surrounding intellectual property in the tech industry. The movie provides insight into the moral dilemmas faced by inventors when working with or against powerful corporations. 

5. Connected 

Connected is a 2020 Netflix docuseries hosted by science journalist Latif Nasser, who explores the different ways in which aspects of our world are interconnected. Each episode dives into a different subject, ranging from surveillance to the human microbiome, and how they could be linked through hidden patterns and systems. Nasser meets with experts all over the globe and uncovers stories that reveal the science and history behind these connections. This is one of those cybersecurity shows that has a very broad concept, but there are specific episodes that explore technology-based matters. Weather forecasting devices, surveillance technology, and nuclear weapons are some of the topics they explore. It is a great educational show to look at how the cyberworld is intertwined with the physical world.

4. Cyber Hell: Exposing an Internet Horror 

Cyber Hell: Exposing an Internet Horror is a 2022 Netflix documentary that investigates the dark underbelly of the Internet. It focuses on a terrible case of digital exploitation in South Korea dubbed the "Nth Room" case. This case followed a network of online chat rooms where anonymous users exploited and blackmailed young women and minors into producing explicit content. These crimes utilised encrypted messaging apps which made it difficult for law enforcement to track down the perpetrators. This documentary follows victims’ advocates, journalists, and most notably, cybercrime experts, as they break down the web of digital abuse and try to successfully apprehend the offenders. It highlights the challenges of combating cybercrime in an age of increasing digital anonymity and highlights the dangerous need for stronger online protections. The film acts as a reminder of the real-world consequences of unchecked digital behavior. 

3. The Future Of 

The Future Of is a 2022 Netflix docuseries that explores how cutting-edge innovations and technologies might shape various aspects of our lives in the near future. Each episode focuses on a different topic, such as gaming, food, fashion, space exploration, and love. Through interviews with experts, futurists, and industry leaders, the series presents a blend of scientific predictions and creative speculation of where these topics may go.  It uses current advancements to create possible scenarios, highlighting the many possibilities but also the ethical dilemmas that come with extensive technological progress. This show inspires curiosity about what's to come but also probes viewers to think critically about the implications of technology on society. 

2. Love, Death + Robots. 

Love, Death + Robots is a Netflix animated anthology series that features a collection of short stories surrounding science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comedy. This show is known for its mix of animation styles, ranging from photorealistic CGI to traditional 2D animation. Each episode offers its own unique narratives that explore themes such as AI, dystopian futures, and extra-terrestrials. Love, Death + Robots differs from the other shows due to its fictional nature sports mature themes, and provides fresh and innovative takes on the development of technology through an animated form of storytelling.

1. Black Mirror 

"Black Mirror" is one of Netflix’s most popular series, it follows an anthology format where every episode explores a different dark and often dystopian side of technological advancements. Each standalone episode presents a story set in a near-future or alternate present, delving into the consequences of human beings’ relationship with technology. The series tackles themes like surveillance, virtual reality, social media, AI, and human consciousness.  Black Mirror forces viewers to confront the darker aspects of technological progress and its impact on human behavior and societal norms as it highlights the potential for misuse and ethical dilemmas. This show has garnered critical acclaim for its ability to provoke reflection on the potential future of humanity in an extensive digital world, even having an episode that criticizes its very own streaming service, Netflix.  We hope at least one of these may have triggered your interest. Especially as there’s a show in there for everybody. Whether you’re interested in learning about real-life cybersecurity events that have occurred, or curious about predictive storylines that address the dangers of advanced technology.  

AI promises considerable benefits however there’s still a lot of confusion surrounding the topic, particularly around the terms generative AI and predictive AI.

The post Generative AI vs. Predictive AI: A Cybersecurity Perspective appeared first on Security Boulevard.

For two decades or so now, web applications have been the backbone of many businesses, making their security paramount. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and penetration testing are crucial for identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities in web application security. While both aim to enhance application security, they differ significantly in their approach, execution, and outcomes. …

DAST Vs. Penetration Testing: Comprehensive Guide to Application Security Testing Read More »

The post DAST Vs. Penetration Testing: Comprehensive Guide to Application Security Testing appeared first on Security Boulevard.

NERC-CIP aims to secure and manage the security of the Bulk Electric System (BES) in North America. At the request of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), NERC completed an INSM study to analyze the risks associated with a lack…

The post How LogRhythm Helps You Comply with NERC CIP-015-01 appeared first on LogRhythm.

The post How LogRhythm Helps You Comply with NERC CIP-015-01 appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Weekly Threat Intelligence Report

Date: June 28, 2024

Prepared by: David Brunsdon, Threat Intelligence - Security Engineer, HYAS

Recently a Chinese company named Funnull purchased the domain (polyfill.io) and github of an open source javascript library used in over 100,000 websites.

https://sansec.io/research/polyfill-supply-chain-attack

Polyfill allows website creators to maintain support for a variety of older browser types, however its operation has changed to include redirecting mobile devices to sports betting using a fake google analytics domain (www.googie-anaiytics.com).

For users of HYAS Protect, HYAS disables DNS resolutions that would lead to these redirects and other potential compromises. DNS is the ideal place to block potentially malicious CDNs, like we have here. Other vendors, such as Cloudflare, have also responded by rewriting any Polyfill code to redirect to their own cached copy of the javascript library. Today, Namecheap, the provider of the domain, has taken it over and removed the A record and completely disabling the threat.

Oddly enough, Funnull has denied the existence of any supply chain attack, and has registered a new domain, polyfill[.]com which is described on the web page as “A free CDN for open source projects.”

Supply chain attacks through open source products remain a serious attack vector. In this situation the original maintainer sold control to another company that appears to have a malicious intent. Situations like these have the potential to impact a large number of individuals and organizations and this type of potential compromise should always be considered a part of an organization's threat model.

HYAS threat intelligence will continue to monitor the situation and will adapt our security solution as required.

Security analysts interested in researching their own network telemetry for compromise should focus on outbound connections to the following domains:

cdn.polyfill[.]io
www.googie-anaiytics[.]com
polyfill[.]com

The new domain, polyfill[.]com has not been known to be used with any malicious behavior but the concern remains about how it could be used in the future, as it’s still under the control of Funnull, who has denied the existence of the supply chain attack. 

As always, the HYAS Threat Intelligence team is at the ready. If you’d like to speak with one of our experts, please reach out to us, and we’d be happy to help. 

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Read past reports:
Tracking an Active Remcos Malware Campaign

Revealing LOTL Techniques Used by An Active Remcos Malware Campaign

Agent Tesla Unmasked: Revealing Interrelated Cyber Campaigns

Risepro Malware Campaign On the Rise

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Learn More About HYAS Insight

An efficient and expedient investigation is the best way to protect your enterprise. HYAS Insight provides threat and fraud response teams with unparalleled visibility into everything you need to know about the attack.This includes the origin, current infrastructure being used and any infrastructure.

Read how the HYAS Threat Intelligence team uncovered and mitigated a Russian-based cyber attack targeting financial organizations worldwide.

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Polymorphic Malware Is No Longer Theoretical: BlackMamba PoC.

Polymporphic, Intelligent and Fully Autonomous Malware: EyeSpy PoC.

Five Proven Techniques to Optimize Threat Intelligence

Leveraging ASNs and Pivoting to Uncover Malware Campaigns

Disclaimer: This Threat Intelligence Report is provided “as is” and for informational purposes only. HYAS disclaims all warranties, express or implied, regarding the report’s completeness, accuracy, or reliability. You are solely responsible for exercising your own due diligence when accessing and using this Report's information. The analyses expressed in this Report reflect our current understanding of available information based on our independent research using the HYAS Insight platform. The Report’s inclusion of any companies, organizations, or ASNs does not imply any wrongdoing on their part; it is simply an indication of where digital threat activities have been observed. HYAS reserves the right to update the Report as additional information is made known to us.

The post HYAS Protects Against Polyfill.io Supply Chain Attack with DNS Safeguards appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Crypto-Agility Required to Migrate to a New Certificate Authority (CA) Seamlessly and Highlights Need for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Readiness This week Google announced that the Google Chrome browser will no longer trust TLS certificates issued by the Entrust Certificate Authority (CA) starting November 1, 2024. Certificates issued by Entrust before October 31, 2024 will remain […]

The post Attention: Google To Distrust Entrust TLS Certificates appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Learn about the categories of threats that 'topped the charts' and the kinds of techniques that bad actors leveraged most commonly in the first half of this year.

Microsoft and Proximus Group have formally signed a 5-year strategic partnership, allowing both companies to strengthen their digital lead and accelerate their innovative offerings to business and residential customers in Belgium and abroad. Both Proximus and Microsoft will reinforce their leadership positions thanks to this partnership.  Microsoft will strengthen its use of the best-in-class products of Proximus' international affiliates BICS, Telesign and Route Mobile, while Proximus will benefit from Microsoft's Azure Cloud, leveraging all innovative AI & Data evolutions. The newly formed strategic partnership between Microsoft and Proximus, will allow both parties to leverage their respective expertise and product leadership, accelerated by the power and potential of AI-applications and solutions. It focuses on three key areas: 

• Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) and Digital Identity (DI) Collaboration: The partnership will focus on advancing communication platform services, enabling seamless customer engagement across multiple channels. Proximus Group's expertise in CPaaS and DI, with Telesign and Route Mobile enabled by BICS global networks and coverage will drive innovation in customer communication and security services even further thanks to this partnership. Both organizations will increase their collaboration to make the digital world a safer place, by ensuring trusted communication through Digital Identity and anti-fraud solutions. 

• Proximus joining forces with Microsoft for a strategic cloud transformation: Key platforms will be migrated to Azure cloud services, ensuring enhanced scalability, quicker market delivery, and strengthened security. The transformation will accelerate the integration of the newest generative AI technologies in customer service and operations. Additionally, it will provide Proximus engineers with a best-in-class development environment to build innovative products and experiences. 

• Enhanced Go-to-Market for Proximus: Microsoft will work closely with Proximus to optimize its go-to-market strategy, empowering Proximus to optimize its reseller role for Microsoft products and services in Belgium. This collaboration will strengthen Proximus' position as a top-tier Microsoft reseller in the region and will benefit all Proximus customers who are also users of Microsoft products and services. Another concrete example of this collaboration: the two partners are already working hand in hand to bring some particularly innovative sovereign cloud solutions to market. 

Microsoft and Proximus: Advancing Technology

The collaboration between Microsoft and Proximus underscores their shared commitment to drive technological advancement and deliver unparalleled value to customers across Belgium and abroad. Both companies are enthusiastic about the future possibilities and are eager to shape the technological landscape together. Marijke Schroos, General Manager of Microsoft Belux, stated, “This strategic partnership is a confirmation of the shared vision of Microsoft and Proximus when it comes to leveraging the power of innovation through cloud applications and AI innovation. Our combined strengths will create a true powerhouse of technological innovation to the benefit of our partners, customers and society as a whole.” Guillaume Boutin, CEO of Proximus, shared his excitement: “I'm particularly enthusiastic about this partnership, because when two leading companies join forces, the results are bound to be positive. Our international expansion strategy is bearing fruit, as it now puts us in the right position to sign relevant partnerships with the biggest players in the IT and digital sector, such as Microsoft. This strategic partnership represents excellent news for our business and residential customers, which will continue to benefit from cutting-edge technology and seamless connectivity.” Boutin also emphasized the benefits for Proximus: “It’s also good news for Proximus as a group, because it will lead Microsoft to strengthen its use of our best-in-class products suites of CPaaS & DI. This new strategic partnership with Microsoft, which will open up new frontiers in communication services, shows how Proximus Group is on track to further redefine customer experiences in Belgium and abroad thanks to the combined efforts of our international affiliates BICS, Telesign and Route Mobile.”

Internet of Things (IoT) devices—ranging from everyday sensors and smart gadgets to sophisticated appliances—have seamlessly integrated into our lives, enhancing convenience at the cost of increasing cybersecurity risks. IoT devices constantly communicate over the internet, making them potential gateways for unauthorized access and cyber threats. As the fabric of connectivity expands, the urgency to safeguard these devices becomes paramount. In this feature, we explore effective strategies to fortify your IoT devices against potential breaches and cyberattacks, ensuring that convenience does not compromise security.

IoT devices: Use of Insecure or Outdated Components 

Using insecure or outdated components in IoT devices poses cybersecurity risks as whether they’re hardware, firmware, or software, they’re able to contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. Manufacturers may not take initiative in updating older components to address newly discovered security flaws, which mean devices can be left exposed and can result in unauthorized access and data breaches.   Ensuring that all devices have regular updates and patches, is essential to mitigate vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security of IoT devices against cyber threats. Using components with built-in security features would further help in safeguarding against potential attacks. By avoiding insecure or outdated components, organizations can make it more challenging for cybercriminals to exploit weaknesses in their IoT infrastructure. 

Lack of Physical Barriers 

A lack of physical barriers in IoT devices can mean attackers can tamper with hardware to extract sensitive data or deploy malicious firmware. This is cause for concern in devices located in public or unmonitored locations. Implementing physical security measures is essential to protect IoT devices from such threats. This includes using tamper-evident seals, secure enclosures, and access controls to restrict physical access.   Additionally, devices with the ability to detect and respond to physical tampering by triggering alarms or disabling functionality would be helpful. Ensuring that physical security is integrated into the overall security strategy helps protect devices from things like hardware manipulation and data extraction. 

Installation of Insecure Network Services 

Installing insecure network service such as web interfaces, communication protocols, or management APIs, may be essential for device functionality, but can become entry points for attackers if not properly secured. Insecure network services may expose devices to risks such as unauthorized access, data breaches, and remote code execution. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to implement secure configurations, disable unnecessary services, and use strong authentication mechanisms.   Regular security assessments and vulnerability scans can help identify and address potential weaknesses in network services. Using secure communication protocols like TLS/SSL, and ensuring proper access controls, can further enhance the security of network services. By securing network services, organizations can protect IoT devices from exploitation, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain the integrity and availability of their IoT systems. 

Lack of Secure Update System 

A lack of a secure update system in IoT devices can leave them vulnerable to exploitation and compromise. Regular updates are essential for patching security vulnerabilities, adding new features, and improving overall device performance. Without a secure update mechanism, devices may remain exposed to known vulnerabilities, increasing the risk of cyber-attacks.   Implementing a secure update system involves using encrypted and authenticated update packages, ensuring that only legitimate updates are applied. Devices should be able to support over-the-air (OTA) updates to allow for timely and efficient patching. Regularly updating device firmware and software is crucial for maintaining the security and functionality of IoT devices.  

Insufficient Privacy Protection 

Insufficient privacy protection in IoT devices can lead to risks including unauthorized access and data breaches. IoT devices often collect and transmit vast amounts of personal data, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. Without the proper privacy measures, this data can be intercepted, accessed, or misused, compromising user confidentiality and trust. Ensuring privacy protection involves implementing strong encryption protocols, secure data storage, and strict access controls.   These measures help protect data both in transit and at rest, reducing the risk of exposure. Additionally, adhering to privacy-by-design principles during the development of IoT devices ensures that privacy considerations are integrated from the outset. This includes conducting regular privacy impact assessments and adopting transparency practices, such as clear user consent mechanisms and data anonymization techniques. By prioritizing privacy protection, organizations can enhance user trust, comply with regulatory requirements, and safeguard sensitive information from potential cyber threats. 

Google's Chrome browser is making a significant security move by distrusting certificates issued by Entrust, a prominent Certificate Authority (CA), beginning late 2024. This decision throws a wrench into the operations of numerous websites including those of major organizations like Bank of America, ESPN, and IRS.GOV, among others.

Digital certificates (SSL/TLS) play a vital role in ensuring secure connections between users and websites. These certificates issued by trusted CAs act as a security seal - more like a blue tick for websites - and helps users gauge the legitimacy of the website. It also ensures an encrypted communication to prevent data breaches.

However, Chrome is removing Entrust from its list of trusted CAs due to a concerning pattern of "compliance failures, unmet improvement commitments, and the absence of tangible, measurable progress" over the past six years. Entrust's repeated shortcomings in upholding security standards have led Google to lose confidence in their ability to act as a reliable CA.

"It is our opinion that Chrome’s continued trust in Entrust is no longer justified." - Google Chrome

This move also extends to AffirmTrust, a lesser-known provider acquired by Entrust. While these certificates account for only a small fraction (0.1%) compared to Let's Encrypt (49.7%), the impact is still significant considering organizations like Bank of America, BookMyShow, ESPN and even government websites like IRS.gov, which have high internet traffic volumes, are also certified by Entrust.

[caption id="attachment_79569" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Bank of America and IRS.gov certificates as displayed on Chrome Certificate Viewer[/caption]

What This Means for Users and Website Owners

Starting November 1, 2024, Chrome users encountering websites with distrusted Entrust certificates will be met with a full-page warning proclaiming the site as "not secure."

[caption id="attachment_79563" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sample of how Chrome will display warning for websites having a certificate from Entrust or AffirmTrust (Source: Google)[/caption]

This warning only applies to certificates issued after October 31, 2024, providing a grace period for websites with existing Entrust certificates. However, as certificates have lifespans, website owners must transition to a different CA before expiration. Considering its market share Let's Encrypt, a free and trusted option, comes highly recommended.

This shift is crucial for maintaining a secure web environment. When a CA fails to meet expectations, it jeopardizes the entire internet ecosystem. Chrome's decision prioritizes user protection by eliminating trust in potentially compromised certificates.

Website owners using impacted Entrust certificates should act swiftly to switch to a different CA. The Chrome Certificate Viewer can be used to identify certificates issued by Entrust. While this may seem inconvenient, it's necessary to ensure continued user access without security warnings.

Potential Workaround Only on Internal Networks

Large organizations managing internal networks have some leeway. Chrome allows enterprises to bypass these changes by installing the affected certificates as trusted on their local networks. This ensures internal websites using these certificates function normally.

The Entrust Controversy: A Deeper Look

Further context emerges from discussions on Mozilla's Bug Tracker (Bug 1890685). It reveals a critical issue – Entrust's failure to revoke a specific set of Extended Validation (EV) TLS certificates issued between March 18 and 21, 2024. This violated their own Certification Practice Statement (CPS).

Entrust opted against revoking the certificates, citing potential customer confusion and denying any security risks. However, this decision sparked outrage. Critics emphasized the importance of proper revocation procedures to uphold trust in the CA system. Entrust's prioritization of customer convenience over security raised concerns about their commitment to strict adherence to security best practices.

A detailed post on Google Groups by Mike Shaver sheds further light on the situation. Shaver expresses doubt in Entrust's ability to comply with WebPKI and Mozilla Root Store Program (MRSP) requirements. Despite attempts to address these concerns, Entrust's handling of certificate revocation, operational accountability, and transparency remain under scrutiny.

Shaver points out Entrust's tendency to prioritize customer convenience over strict adherence to security standards. He also criticizes the lack of detailed information regarding organizational changes and Entrust's failure to meet Mozilla's incident response requirements. Until Entrust demonstrates substantial improvements and transparency, continued trust in their certificates poses a significant risk to the overall web PKI and the security of internet users.

But this is not the end of it. In fact it is just the tip of the ice berg. Shaver's comments in the forum are in response to a host of compliance incidents between March and May related to Entrust. Ben Wilson summarized these recent incidents in a dedicated wiki page.

"In brief, these incidents arose out of certificate mis-issuance due to a misunderstanding of the EV Guidelines, followed by numerous mistakes in incident handling including a deliberate decision to continue mis-issuance," Wilson said.

This is a very serious shortcoming on Entrust's behalf considering the stringent norms and root store requirements, he added.

However, Chrome's decision to distrust Entrust certificates sends a strong message – prioritizing user safety requires holding CAs accountable for upholding the highest security standards.

Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Researchers from Austria's Graz University of Technology have uncovered a novel side-channel attack called SnailLoad that exploits network latency to infer user activity. SnailLoad is a non-invasive attack technique that could allow attackers to gather information about websites visited or videos watched by victims without needing direct access to their network traffic.

How The SnailLoad Exploit Works

SnailLoad takes advantage of the bandwidth bottleneck present in most internet connections. When a user's device communicates with a server, the last mile of the connection is typically slower than the server's connection. An attacker can measure delays in their own packets sent to the victim to deduce when the victim's connection is busy. [caption id="attachment_79548" align="alignnone" width="1287"] Source: snailload.com[/caption] The attack masquerades as a download of a file or any website component (like a style sheet, a font, an image or an advertisement). The attacking server sends out the file at a snail's pace, to monitor the connection latency over an extended period of time. The researchers decided to name the technique 'SnailLoad' as "apart from being slow, SnailLoad, just like a snail, leaves traces and is a little bit creepy." The attack requires no JavaScript or code execution on the victim's system. It simply involves the victim loading content from an attacker-controlled server that sends data at an extremely slow rate. By monitoring latency over time, the attacker can correlate patterns with specific online activities. The researchers have shared the conditions required to recreate the SnailLoad attack:

• Victim communicates with the attack server.
• Communicated server has a faster Internet connection than the victim's last mile connection.
• Attacker's packets sent to victim are delayed if the last mile is busy.
• Attacker infers website visited or video watched by victim through side-channel attack.

In the related user study detailed in the SnailLoad research paper, the researchers approached local undergraduate and graduate students who volunteered to run a measurement script that employs the SnailLoad attack technique. The researchers took steps to ensure that no personal information had been exposed to information leakage at any point. Furthermore, the researchers had planned to destroy collected traces after the paper had been published and offer students the option to directly request the deletion of traces or exclusion of their traces in the paper's results at any point. The researchers reported the attack technique to Google on March 9 under the responsible disclosure section of their paper, with Google acknowledging the severity of the issue. The tech giant also stated that it was investigating possible server-side mitigations for YouTube.  The researchers shared working proof of concept on GitHub along with instructions and an online demo.

SnailLoad Implications and Mitigation

In testing, SnailLoad was able to achieve up to 98% accuracy in identifying YouTube videos watched by victims. It also showed 62.8% accuracy in fingerprinting websites from the top 100 most visited list. While not currently observed in the wild, SnailLoad could potentially affect most internet connections. Mitigation is challenging, as the root cause stems from fundamental bandwidth differences in network infrastructure. The researchers stated that while adding random noise to the network can reduce the accuracy of the attack, it could impact performance and cause inconvenience to users. As online privacy concerns grow, SnailLoad highlights how even encrypted traffic could potentially be exploited to leak information through subtle timing differences. Further research could be required to develop effective countermeasures against this new class of remote side-channel attacks.

Cyble Research & Intelligence Labs (CRIL) analyzed 23 vulnerabilities in its weekly vulnerability report for June 19-25, including critical flaws in products from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, MOVEit and more. The report focuses on 10 vulnerabilities in particular: Three in Microsoft products – including a 7-year-old Office flaw facing new exploits – and one each in products from Adobe, MOVEit, VMware, Fortra, Phoenix Technologies, SolarWinds, and Themify. Thousands of new security vulnerabilities are discovered each year, yet only a small percentage of those are actively exploited by threat actors. To help security teams focus on the most important vulnerabilities and threats, The Cyber Express each week partners with Cyble’s highly skilled dark web and threat intelligence researchers to highlight security vulnerabilities that warrant particularly close attention.

The Week’s Top Vulnerabilities

These are the 10 high-severity and critical vulnerabilities Cyble researchers focused on this week.

CVE-2024-5276

Impact Analysis: This critical SQL Injection vulnerability in Fortra FileCatalyst Workflow, a web-based file transfer platform accelerating large file exchanges, allows an attacker to modify application data, with likely impacts including the creation of administrative users and deletion or modification of data in the application database. It is worth noting that data exfiltration via SQL injection is not possible by leveraging the vulnerability; further successful unauthenticated exploitation requires a Workflow system with anonymous access enabled; otherwise, an authenticated user is required. Internet Exposure? No Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-5806

Impact Analysis: This critical improper authentication vulnerability impacts Progress MOVEit Transfer (SFTP module), which can lead to authentication bypass in the secure managed file transfer application. With successful exploitation, an attacker could access sensitive data stored on the MOVEit Transfer server; upload, download, delete, or modify files; and intercept or tamper with file transfers. Within a day of the vendor disclosing the vulnerability, security researchers started to observe exploitation attempts targeting it due to its vast exposure and impact, Cyble researchers noted. Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-0762

Impact Analysis: This high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability impacts unsafe UEFI variable handling in Phoenix SecureCore, an advanced UEFI firmware solution developed for client PCs, notebooks, and IoT/embedded devices. The vulnerability could be exploited to execute code on vulnerable devices. Furthermore, given the enormous number of Intel CPUs that use this firmware, the vulnerability might affect hundreds of models from vendors, including Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and HP, Cyble researchers noted. Internet Exposure? No Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-34102

Impact Analysis: This critical improper restriction of XML external entity reference ('XXE') vulnerability impacts Adobe Commerce, a leading digital commerce solution for merchants and brands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted XML document that references external entities, leading to arbitrary code execution. Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-28995

Impact Analysis: The high severity directory transversal vulnerability impacts SolarWinds Serv-U, a secure managed file transfer (MFT) solution. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow threat actors access to read sensitive files on the host machine. Recently researchers have observed active exploitation of vulnerability leveraging publicly available proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits. Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2017-11882

Impact Analysis: The high-severity vulnerability impacts Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 3, Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Office 2013 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft Office 2016. It could allow an attacker to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user by failing to handle objects in memory properly. Recently, researchers uncovered that this 7-year-old vulnerability was leveraged in cyberespionage campaigns orchestrated by alleged state-sponsored groups. Internet Exposure? No Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-6027

Impact Analysis: The high-severity vulnerability impacts the Themify WooCommerce Product Filter plugin for WordPress, which could lead to time-based SQL Injection via the ‘conditions’ parameter. Exploiting the vulnerability makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database. Internet Exposure? Yes Patch Available? Yes – upgrade to version 1.5.0

CVE-2024-37079

Impact Analysis: Cyble also addressed this vulnerability in last week’s vulnerability report. The critical severity heap-overflow vulnerability impacts the VMware vCenter Server, a central management platform for VMware vSphere that enables the management of virtual machines and ESXi hosts. Given the global usage of the impacted product and the history of leveraging the flaws impacting vCenter, Cyble said there are possibilities that threat actors (TAs) could also leverage this critical vulnerability. Internet Exposure? Yes Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-30103

Impact Analysis: This high-severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability impacts Microsoft Outlook. Since the RCE flaw can be exploited simply by opening and previewing an email that contains a malicious payload in the body, requiring no further interaction from the user, there are high possibilities for TAs to weaponize the vulnerability in targeting government and private entities. Internet Exposure? No Patch Available? Yes

CVE-2024-30078

Impact Analysis: This high severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability impacts Windows Wi-Fi Driver. With the wide usage of Windows devices around the world and the ability to exploit without the need for any user interaction, TAs can leverage the flaw to gain initial access to the devices and later install malware and exfiltrate user data. Internet Exposure? No Patch Available? Yes

Dark Web Exploits

Cyble’s scans of customer environments found nearly a million exposed assets for just 7 vulnerabilities this week. Nearly 200,000 assets were exposed to the the VMware vCenter Server vulnerability, while a PHP vulnerability (CVE-2024-4577) reported two weeks ago continues to dominate, affecting nearly 600,000 exposed assets. Cyble researchers also observed five instances of alleged zero-day vulnerabilities being offered on sale on underground forums, plus a number of exploits/proof of concepts/custom scripts observed over underground forums. The full report available for clients covers all these vulnerabilities, along with details and discussion around exploits found on the dark web, industrial control system (ICS) vulnerability intelligence, and cybersecurity defenses.

Security experts have identified multiple vulnerabilities in widely used industrial gas chromatographs manufactured by Emerson Rosemount. These flaws could potentially allow malicious actors to access sensitive information, disrupt operations and execute unauthorized commands. Gas chromatographs are critical instruments used for analyzing chemical compounds across a range of industries, including environmental facilities, hospitals, and food processing companies. These devices are critical for ensuring the accuracy of gas measurements and the safety of the environment, patients, and consumers.

Flaws in Emerson Rosemount Gas Chromatographs

Operational technology security firm Claroty discovered the vulnerabilities, which include two command injection flaws and two authentication bypass issues. If exploited, these flaws could enable unauthenticated attackers to run arbitrary commands, access sensitive data and gain administrative control. [caption id="attachment_79530" align="alignnone" width="649"] Source: Wikipedia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_79525" align="alignnone" width="1476"] Emulated system (Source: claroty.com)[/caption] To study the Emerson Rosemount 370XA gas chromatograph, commonly used in industrial settings for gas analysis, the researchers took efforts to emulate the systems. This complex process was undertaken because the physical device could cost over $100,000 while the research was limited to a six-week project. The emulation process involved download and extraction of the device firmware from the official Emerson Rosemount website, and a search for an application that could implements its proprietary protocols. The researchers used the QEMU emulator to emulate the PowerPC architecture used by the gas chromatograph and run the extracted firmware. Upon investigation, the researchers were able to uncover four key vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2023-46687: Allows remote execution of root-level commands without authentication (CVSS score: 9.8)
• CVE-2023-49716: Enables authenticated users to run arbitrary commands remotely (CVSS score: 6.9)
• CVE-2023-51761: Permits unauthenticated users to bypass authentication and gain admin access by resetting passwords (CVSS score: 8.3)
• CVE-2023-43609: Allows unauthenticated users to access sensitive information or cause denial-of-service (CVSS score: 6.9)

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an advisory in January warning that successful attacks could lead to "denial-of-service conditions" and unauthorized system access. The affected models include GC370XA, GC700XA and GC1500XA running firmware versions 4.1.5 and earlier.

Industry Impact and Mitigation

Gas chromatographs play a crucial role in various sectors, from environmental monitoring to medical diagnostics. Compromised devices could have far-reaching consequences. In food processing, attacks on chromatographs might prevent accurate bacteria detection, halting production. In healthcare settings, disrupted blood sample analysis could impact patient care. Emerson has released updated firmware addressing these vulnerabilities. The Claroty researchers said they "appreciate Emerson for its swift response and cooperation, which demonstrates their dedication to our shared goal." Emerson advises customers to apply the patches and implement best practices in the cybersecurity industry according to current standards. The firm stated, "In addition, Emerson recommends end users continue to utilize current cybersecurity industry best practices and in the event such infrastructure is not implemented within an end user’s network, action should be taken to ensure the Affected Product is connected to a well-protected network and not connected to the Internet. In its advisory CISA shared the following recommendations for securing these systems:

• Minimize network exposure: Ensure that control system devices and/or systems,  are not publicly accessible from the internet.
• Locate control system networks:  Place remote devices behind firewalls and isolate them from business networks
• Secure Remote Access: Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to secure remote access. However, the agency also warned of potential inherent risks in VPNs, asking organizations and businesses to be aware of them.

CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures," the advisory stated.

A new squid species—of the Gonatidae family—was discovered. The video shows her holding a brood of very large eggs.

Research paper.

Despite warnings from Health-ISAC and the NCC Group, the remote access software maker says defense-in-depth kept customers' data safe from Midnight Blizzard.

A threat group dubbed Unfurling Hemlock infects targeted campaign with a single compressed file that, once executed, launches a 'cluster bomb' of as many as 10 pieces of malware that include loaders, stealers, and backdoors.

The post Unfurling Hemlock Tossing ‘Cluster Bombs’ of Malware appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The company is urging users running vulnerable versions to patch CVE-2024-5655 immediately, to avoid CI/CD malfeasance.

Our collection of the most relevant reporting and industry perspectives for those guiding cybersecurity strategies and focused on SecOps.

Authors/Presenters:Xinben Gao, Lan Zhang

Many thanks to USENIX for publishing their outstanding USENIX Security ’23 Presenter’s content, and the organizations strong commitment to Open Access.
Originating from the conference’s events situated at the Anaheim Marriott; and via the organizations YouTube channel.

The post USENIX Security ’23 – PCAT: Functionality and Data Stealing from Split Learning by Pseudo-Client Attack appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Episode 0x7A 4-peat 4-peat! Turns out this is actually habit forming. The weekly venting/ranting is excellent for the spirit! Hope you’re able to vent as well. Feel free to scream while listening – it’s not weird at all. Upcoming this week… Lots of News Breaches SCADA / Cyber, cyber… etc. finishing it off with DERPs/Mailbag […]

The post Liquidmatrix Security Digest Podcast – Episode 7A appeared first on Liquidmatrix Security Digest.

The post Liquidmatrix Security Digest Podcast – Episode 7A appeared first on Security Boulevard.

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Permalink

The post Randall Munroe’s XKCD ‘Situation’ appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Authors/Presenters:Nicholas Carlini, Jamie Hayes, DeepMind; Milad Nasr Matthew Jagielski, Vikash Sehwag, Florian Tramèr, Borja Balle, Daphne Ippolito, Eric Wallace

Many thanks to USENIX for publishing their outstanding USENIX Security ’23 Presenter’s content, and the organizations strong commitment to Open Access.
Originating from the conference’s events situated at the Anaheim Marriott; and via the organizations YouTube channel.

Permalink

The post USENIX Security ’23 – Extracting Training Data from Diffusion Models appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Unauthenticated Command Injection in Netis Router

This week's Metasploit release includes an exploit module for an unauthenticated command injection vulnerability in the Netis MW5360 router which is being tracked as CVE-2024-22729. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of the password parameter within the router's web interface which allows for command injection. Fortunately for attackers, the router's login page authorization can be bypassed by simply deleting the authorization header, leading to the vulnerability. All router firmware versions up to V1.0.1.3442 are vulnerable.

New module content (2)

MS-NRPC Domain Users Enumeration

Author: Haidar Kabibo https://x.com/haider_kabibo
Type: Auxiliary
Pull request: #19205 contributed by sud0Ru
Path: scanner/dcerpc/nrpc_enumusers

Description: This adds a new module that can enumerate accounts on a target Active Directory Domain Controller without authenticating to it; instead the module does so by issuing a DCERPC request and analyzing the returned error status.

Netis router MW5360 unauthenticated RCE.

Authors: Adhikara13 and h00die-gr3y h00die.gr3y@gmail.com
Type: Exploit
Pull request: #19188 contributed by h00die-gr3y
Path: linux/http/netis_unauth_rce_cve_2024_22729
AttackerKB reference: CVE-2024-22729

Description: This adds an exploit module that leverages CVE-2024-22729, a command injection vulnerability in Netis router MW5360 to achieve remote code execution as the user root. All router firmware versions up to V1.0.1.3442 are vulnerable.

Bugs fixed (3)

• #19259 from dledda-r7 - This updates Metasploit to check for a new flag that is sent as part of the encryption key negotiation with Meterpreter which indicates if Meterpreter had to use a weak source of entropy to generate the key.
• #19267 from zeroSteiner - Fixes a crash in the ldap_esc_vulnerable_cert_finder module when targeting an AD CS server that has a certificate template containing parenthesis.
• #19283 from adeherdt-r7 - Fixes the auxiliary/scanner/redis/redis_login module to correctly track the registered service name as redis - previously it was blank.

Documentation

You can find the latest Metasploit documentation on our docsite at docs.metasploit.com.

Get it

As always, you can update to the latest Metasploit Framework with msfupdate
and you can get more details on the changes since the last blog post from
GitHub:

• Pull Requests 6.4.14...6.4.15
• Full diff 6.4.14...6.4.15

If you are a git user, you can clone the Metasploit Framework repo (master branch) for the latest.
To install fresh without using git, you can use the open-source-only Nightly Installers or the
commercial edition Metasploit Pro

Chinese online shopping giant Temu is facing a lawsuit filed by State of Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, alleging that the retailer’s mobile app spies on users.

“Temu purports to be an online shopping platform, but it is dangerous malware, surreptitiously granting itself access to virtually all data on a user’s cellphone.”

Temu quickly denied the allegations.

In speaking with the outlet Ars Technica, a Temu spokesperson said “the allegations in the lawsuit are based on misinformation circulated online, primarily from a short-seller, and are totally unfounded.”

According to Baclinko statistics, Temu was the most downloaded shopping app worldwide in 2023, with 337.2 million downloads, 1.8x more than Amazon Shopping, and according to TechCrunch, Temu was the most downloaded free iPhone app in the US for 2023.

Temu is most popular today likely for its exceedingly low prices (a brief scan of its website shows a shoulder-sling backpack being sold for $2.97, and a broom-and-dust–pan combo for $12.47). How those low prices are achieved has been a mystery for some onlookers, but current theories include:

• Temu relies on the de minimis exception to ship goods directly to U.S. customers for a low price. A shipment below the de minimis value of $800 isn’t inspected or taxed by US Customs.
• The online webshop pressures manufacturers to lower their prices even further to appease discount-seeking customers, leaving those manufacturers with little to no profit in return.
• Most items sold on Temu are unbranded and manufactured en masse by manufacturers in China. Almost every tech product on Temu is a knockoff or “dupe” of a real, brand-name product.

But according to reporting last year from Wired, Temu’s low prices are easy to decipher—Temu itself is losing millions of dollars to break into the US market.

“An analysis of the company’s supply chain costs by WIRED—confirmed by a company insider—shows that Temu is losing an average of $30 per order as it throws money at trying to break into the American market.”

Attorney General Griffin seems determined that Temu baits users with misleading promises of discounted, quality goods and adds addictive features like wheels of fortune to keep users engaged to the app.

He called Temu “functionally malware and spyware,” adding that the app was “purposefully designed to gain unrestricted access to a user’s phone operating system.”

The lawsuit claims that Temu’s app can sneakily access “a user’s camera, specific location, contacts, text messages, documents, and other applications.” Further, the lawsuit alleges that Temu is capable of recompiling itself, changing properties, and overriding the data privacy settings set by the user. If true, this would make it almost impossible to detect, even by “sophisticated” users, the lawsuit said.

Some may suspect that this is another attempt to ban an app hailing from a “foreign adversarial country” like TikTok, but Attorney General Griffin is very clear about his reasons.

“Temu is not an online marketplace like Amazon or Walmart. It is a data-theft business that sells goods online as a means to an end.”

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We don’t just report on phone security—we provide it

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your mobile devices by downloading Malwarebytes for iOS, and Malwarebytes for Android today.

Shockwaves from the Russian government's hack of Microsoft's corporate infrastructure continue to spread as the victim pool widens.

The post Microsoft Alerts More Customers to Email Theft in Expanding Midnight Blizzard Hack appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Incubated for two years by Ballistic Ventures, GetReal Labs has launched to combat manipulated content and deepfakes.

The post GetReal Labs Emerges From Stealth to Tackle Deepfakes appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Permissions management technology startup AuthZed has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by General Catalyst.

The post AuthZed Raises $12 Million for Permissions Management Technology appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Despite more than 50% of all open source code being written in memory-unsafe languages like C++, we are unlikely to see a massive overhaul to code bases anytime soon.

Chinese fast-fashion-cum-junk retailer “is a data-theft business.”

The post Temu is Malware — It Sells Your Info, Accuses Ark. AG appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Though the Chicago-area hospital did not pay a ransom, a host of sensitive medical information is now at risk.

Microsoft details Skeleton Key, a new jailbreak technique in which a threat actor can convince an AI model to ignore its built-in safeguards and respond to requests for harmful, illegal, or offensive requests that might otherwise have been refused.

The post Skeleton Key the Latest Jailbreak Threat to AI Models: Microsoft appeared first on Security Boulevard.

If you’ve been part of a network segmentation or Zero Trust architecture planning project or a data center or application migration initiative, the following scenario probably rings true.

The post The Eureka Moment: Discovering Application Traffic Observability appeared first on Netography.

The post The Eureka Moment: Discovering Application Traffic Observability appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The ransomware group claimed it had breached the Federal Reserve, but the target now appears to have been an Arkansas-based bank, Evolve.

Get details on what ASPM is, the problems it solves, and what to look for.  

The post What Is Application Security Posture Management (ASPM): A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Explore insights from CloudNativeSecurityCon 2024, including securing machine identities, digesting SLSA and GUAC, and the impact of quality documentation.

The post Elevating Cloud Security: Highlights from CloudNativeSecurityCon 2024 appeared first on Security Boulevard.

There is an extreme lack of evidence of AI-related danger, and proposing or implementing limits on technological advancement isn't the answer.

Just because mainframes are old doesn't mean they're not in use. Mainframe Security Posture Management brings continuous monitoring and vigilance to the platform.

Responding to an incident quickly is important, but it shouldn't come at the expense of reporting it to the appropriate regulatory bodies.

Insight #1

The post Cybersecurity Insights with Contrast SVP of Cyber Strategy Tom Kellermann | 6/28 appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Progress Software released a security bulletin to address a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer. A cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability to take control of an affected system.

Users and administrators are encouraged to review the following bulletin and apply the necessary updates:

• MOVEit Transfer Critical Security Alert Bulletin – June 2024 – (CVE-2024-5806)

HashiCorp Vault is a robust and versatile open-source solution for comprehensive secrets management and data protection. At its core, HashiCorp Vault excels in securely storing and managing sensitive information, employing dynamic secrets to minimize the risk of long-lived credentials. Its flexible authentication methods, ranging from tokens and LDAP to username/password, empower organizations to implement strong […]

The post AppViewX AVX ONE Certificate Lifecycle Management Integration With HashiCorp Vault appeared first on Security Boulevard.

The implementation of DDoS attack alerting relies on setting alert thresholds. Setting the threshold too high may result in false negatives, while setting it too low may lead to a high number of false positives. Therefore, it is crucial to establish appropriate thresholds. NTA provides automatically learn, record, and analyze network traffic from the IP […]

The post Introduction to NTA Auto-learning Function appeared first on NSFOCUS, Inc., a global network and cyber security leader, protects enterprises and carriers from advanced cyber attacks..

The post Introduction to NTA Auto-learning Function appeared first on Security Boulevard.