Week in review: 10 cybersecurity frameworks you need to know, exploited Chrome zero-day fixed

Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server contain an unauthenticated OGNL template injection vulnerability (CWE-74) in which attacker-controlled input is evaluated by the application as an OGNL expression. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can trigger the flaw by sending a crafted HTTP request that injects OGNL expressions, which the server then executes. Successful exploitation leads to remote code execution on the host running Confluence, giving the attacker control of the system without any credentials. Any organization running self-hosted Confluence Data Center or Server is potentially affected — the available data does not specify version ranges, so operators should consult Atlassian's advisory — with internet-facing instances at highest risk. Exploitation is active: the flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-24 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns it a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile).

Do: Patch to the fixed release specified in Atlassian's advisory immediately, prioritizing internet-exposed instances, since the flaw is in CISA's KEV with known ransomware use and carries a 100% EPSS. If patching is not immediately possible, apply the vendor's mitigations per the KEV required action — or discontinue/restrict use — for example by limiting unauthenticated access to Confluence from the internet. Review Confluence access and application logs for anomalous unauthenticated requests and indicators of command execution or ransomware activity.

Aria Automation contains a Missing Access Control vulnerability. An authenticated malicious actor may exploit this vulnerability leading to unauthorized access to remote organizations and workflows.

Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) and its predecessor MobileIron Core contain an improper authentication flaw (CWE-287) that allows an unauthorized user to bypass authentication and access restricted functionality or resources of the application. It is triggered by sending unauthenticated requests to the affected appliance, with no valid credentials or user interaction required. A successful attacker gains access to protected MDM functionality and resources on the server, which has been leveraged in broader intrusions, including ransomware operations. Any organization running EPMM or MobileIron Core, particularly with the management interface exposed to the internet, is affected. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-18 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns it a ~100% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile).

Do: Apply Ivanti's patched releases immediately per the vendor advisory, or discontinue use if mitigations are unavailable, as required by CISA's KEV listing. Because the flaw has known ransomware use, review EPMM/MobileIron Core logs for unauthenticated access to restricted functionality and hunt for signs of follow-on compromise. Prioritize patching internet-facing instances and limit exposure of the management interface until updates are applied.

CVE-2023-36025 is a security feature bypass in Windows SmartScreen in which a specially crafted file — exploited in the wild using Internet Shortcut (.url) files — evades the Mark-of-the-Web warning SmartScreen normally displays for content downloaded from the internet. The flaw is network-reachable and requires no authentication, but user interaction is required: it triggers when a user clicks the crafted file delivered via phishing email, chat, or a web download. By bypassing the SmartScreen prompt, the attacker removes a key user-facing defense that would otherwise flag or warn about the file, which facilitated delivery of malware in the observed DarkGate and Mispadu campaigns. Any unpatched Windows 10 (1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2, 23H2), or Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019 system is affected, which at the time of disclosure effectively meant the entire supported Windows installed base. It is confirmed exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2023-11-14, EPSS scores 30-day exploitation probability at 88.1% (100th percentile), though no public PoC is known.

Do: Apply Microsoft's November 2023 cumulative Windows security updates (the release containing the fix) on all affected Windows 10/11 and Windows Server systems; no configuration-based workaround is widely documented, so patching is the primary mitigation. Until patched, treat unexpected Internet Shortcut (.url) files arriving via email or chat with extra suspicion, since they can execute without the usual SmartScreen warning, and hunt for DarkGate/Mispadu indicators. Given the KEV listing and 88.1% EPSS, prioritize this fix in the current patch cycle; ransomware-associated use is reported as unknown.

Google Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine, in versions prior to 120.0.6099.224, contains an out-of-bounds memory access flaw (CWE-787 out-of-bounds write / CWE-125 out-of-bounds read) that is triggered when a user visits a specially crafted HTML page. A remote attacker who lures a victim to such a page can potentially corrupt the heap and execute code in the context of the browser. Successful exploitation could lead to exposure of sensitive information, data tampering, or denial of service (CVSS 3.1: 8.8 High; user interaction is required). Anyone running a vulnerable Chrome/Chromium build is affected, including downstream products that embed V8, such as Fedora's Chromium/Chrome packages and Couchbase Server. The flaw is being actively exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-17, and news coverage describes it as one of Google's actively exploited Chrome zero-days patched in January 2024.

Do: Update Google Chrome to 120.0.6099.224 or later (and restart the browser so the new version is fully loaded); verify fleet versions via Chrome's version reporting if managing enterprise deployments. Fedora users should install the updated chromium/chrome packages via the distribution's update channel, and Couchbase Server operators should apply the vendor's guidance. Because the flaw is on CISA's KEV catalog, federal and other regulated environments are required to apply vendor mitigations promptly; the only effective mitigation is patching, as no public PoC or alternate workaround is documented.

An Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in J-Web of Juniper Networks Junos OS on SRX Series and EX Series allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS), or Remote Code Execution (RCE) and obtain root privileges on the device. This issue is caused by use of an insecure function allowing an attacker to overwrite arbitrary memory. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS SRX Series and EX Series: * Junos OS versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9; * Junos OS 21.2 versions earlier than 21.2R3-S7; * Junos OS 21.3 versions earlier than 21.3R3-S5; * Junos OS 21.4 versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5; * Junos OS 22.1 versions earlier than 22.1R3-S4; * Junos OS 22.2 versions earlier than 22.2R3-S3; * Junos OS 22.3 versions earlier than 22.3R3-S2; * Junos OS 22.4 versions earlier than 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3.