US Warns Critical Sectors Against North Korean Ransomware Attacks
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-20038 | Unauthenticated Stack Buffer Overflow in SonicWall SMA 100 Appliances SonicWall SMA 100 series secure remote-access appliances contain an unauthenticated stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121) in the appliance's network-facing interface, triggered by crafted requests sent to the device without any credentials. A remote attacker who triggers the overflow can execute arbitrary code on the appliance with the privileges of the affected service, gaining a foothold on an internet-facing VPN gateway that typically sits at the network edge. Any organization running an SMA 100 series appliance is affected, and because these appliances provide remote access to corporate networks, compromise can expose entire internal environments. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the flaw was added to CISA KEV on 2022-01-28 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a 99.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile). No public proof-of-concept is catalogued in the provided data, but the KEV listing and EPSS score indicate active attacker interest. Do: Upgrade SMA 100 series appliances to firmware 10.0.7.2 or later per SonicWall's instructions, as required by the CISA KEV listing. Until patched, restrict internet exposure of the SMA portal and management interface to trusted sources where feasible. Because ransomware operators are known to exploit this flaw, review appliance logs for signs of compromise and monitor for unexpected account creation or traffic after patching. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC ×2 |
| largetens of thousands of internet-exposed SMA 100 appliances (order of magnitude ~10,000-50,000 devices), plus a larger installed base used internally | |
| CVE-2022-24990 | Unauthenticated RCE via Admin Password Leak in TerraMaster TOS 4.2.29 and earlier TerraMaster TOS (TerraMaster OS) versions 4.2.29 and earlier do not require authentication (CWE-306) on the mobile API endpoint module/api.php?mobile/webNasIPS, and a request presenting the User-Agent "TNAS" returns system information that includes the administrative account's password in the PWD field. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the NAS web interface can send this request and read the response, obtaining full administrative credentials. With those credentials an attacker controls the NAS, and public proof-of-concept exploits chain this flaw with a PHP object-instantiation bug to achieve unauthenticated remote command execution. Any TerraMaster NAS running TOS 4.2.29 or earlier is affected, with internet-exposed devices at the greatest risk. Exploitation is confirmed: the flaw is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (added 2023-02-10) with known ransomware use, carries an EPSS of roughly 84%, and CISA and press reports describe active attacks, including North Korean ransomware activity against healthcare and critical infrastructure. Do: Upgrade TerraMaster TOS to a release newer than 4.2.29 per the vendor's instructions, as required by the CISA KEV entry. If patching must wait, restrict the TOS web interface to trusted networks so unauthenticated users cannot reach module/api.php?mobile/webNasIPS. Check device logs for requests to the webNasIPS endpoint with a TNAS User-Agent and look for signs of post-compromise activity, since ransomware use of this flaw is known. | 7.5 | 84% | KEV ransomware PoC ×3 |
| largeon the order of tens of thousands of internet-exposed TerraMaster NAS devices (estimate, not a verified count) |
Full article370 words · extracted from infosecurity-magazine.com · click to collapse
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a new Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) on Thursday warning critical infrastructure sector entities against ongoing North Korean state-sponsored ransomware activity.
Part of the #StopRansomware campaign, the new advisory is a result of a collaboration between CISA, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Republic of Korea (ROK) National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the ROK Defense Security Agency (DSA).
The technical write-up builds on a July advisory, which provided an overview of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) state-sponsored ransomware groups.
The latest iteration of the document is now analyzing activity by the Maui and H0lyGh0st groups. Observable tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) mentioned in the CISA advisory include the acquisition of infrastructure, such as domains, personas and accounts, as well as the obfuscation of identities.
These DPRK threat actors reportedly purchased virtual private networks (VPNs) and virtual private servers (VPSs) or third-country IP addresses to hide their location. They used various exploits of common vulnerabilities to gain access and escalate network privileges. These include CVE 2021-44228, CVE-2021-20038 and CVE-2022-24990.
After obtaining initial access, these DPRK cyber actors were observed using staged payloads with customized malware to perform reconnaissance activities and execute shell commands, among other techniques. Privately developed ransomware has been deployed consistently during these campaigns, with ransom demands set in Bitcoin.
To protect against these threats, the CISA advisory advocates several mitigations, such as limiting access to data by authenticating and encrypting connections, utilizing concepts of least privilege in accounts and creating multi-layer defenses for networks and assets.
According to Roman Arutyunov, co-founder and SVP of products at Xage Security, critical infrastructure providers should embrace these changes despite the technical difficulties associated with such implementations.
“I do recognize that fears exist when it comes to the difficulty of making security architecture changes, but there are tools available to smooth the transition and enhance security and operations simultaneously,” Arutyunov told Infosecurity in an email.
“Ultimately, more threats will come, so it’s wise to start the process now.”
The CISA advisory comes weeks after Proofpoint researchers shed light on a new DPRK cyber actor called TA444.
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