Microsoft Warns of Widescale Credential Stealing Attacks by Russian Hackers
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-12641 | Command Injection RCE in Roundcube Webmail (CVE-2020-12641) Roundcube Webmail versions before 1.4.4 contain an OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) in rcube_image.php: shell metacharacters in the im_convert_path or im_identify_path configuration settings are not escaped before the configured ImageMagick binaries are executed. When image processing is triggered, an attacker who can control those configuration values can append arbitrary shell commands that run with the privileges of the web server user, yielding full remote code execution on the mail server. Successful exploitation can expose stored email, mail credentials, and the underlying host; the flaw is scored 9.8 (critical), with no privileges or user interaction required per the CVSS vector. Any self-hosted Roundcube deployment older than 1.4.4 is affected, including Roundcube packages shipped by openSUSE Leap and openSUSE Backports for SUSE Linux Enterprise. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2023-06-22, EPSS puts the 30-day exploitation probability at ~84%, and headlines note APT28-linked activity targeting government Roundcube servers, including Ukrainian entities. Do: Upgrade Roundcube to 1.4.4 or later, or apply the vendor-patched openSUSE Leap / SLE backport packages, as required by the CISA KEV listing (added 2023-06-22). After patching, verify that im_convert_path and im_identify_path settings contain no unescaped metacharacters and review web server logs for injected command activity; given APT28's targeting of government Roundcube servers, prioritize public-sector mail infrastructure for patching and threat hunting. | 9.8 | 84% | KEV PoC |
| masstens of thousands of internet-exposed Roundcube instances; millions of end users via bundled/self-hosted deployments (estimate) | |
| CVE-2020-35730 | Cross-Site Scripting in Roundcube Webmail Plain-Text Email Link Handling Roundcube Webmail contains a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw (CWE-79) in the link-reference handling of rcube_string_replacer.php, where the linkref_addindex function mishandles JavaScript embedded in a link element of a plain-text email. An attacker triggers the flaw simply by sending a crafted plain-text message to a victim; when the message is processed/displayed in the Roundcube interface, the embedded script executes in the context of the victim's webmail session. Successful exploitation can lead to session hijacking, theft of webmail cookies or credentials, and arbitrary actions in the victim's mailbox. Any deployment of Roundcube Webmail is affected, which includes self-hosted instances and webmail offered by hosting providers, ISPs, and universities. Although no public proof-of-concept is known, CISA added this vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-06-22, confirming exploitation in the wild; ransomware association is unknown, and no CVSS score is yet available, though EPSS puts 30-day exploitation probability at 32.7% (98th percentile). Do: Apply the vendor's updated Roundcube release per CISA's required action (updates per vendor instructions); since no specific fixed versions appear in this data, install the latest patched release of your deployed 1.x branch and verify with the vendor advisory. Check webmail servers for processing of plain-text messages with link-reference elements and review logs for anomalous webmail sessions; treat KEV-listed status as evidence of active exploitation and prioritize internet-exposed Roundcube instances. | 6.1 | 33% | KEV |
| masslikely >1M users across tens of thousands of exposed instances (Roundcube is bundled as webmail in cPanel/Plesk and by many ISPs) | |
| CVE-2021-44026 | SQL Injection in Roundcube Webmail via Search Parameters Roundcube Webmail contains a SQL injection flaw (CWE-89) in which attacker-controlled 'search' or 'search_params' input is incorporated into database queries without sufficient sanitization. An attacker with access to the webmail search functionality (typically an authenticated mailbox user) can submit crafted parameters to execute arbitrary SQL against the Roundcube backend database, potentially reading or modifying stored mail account data. Any organization running Roundcube is affected, including self-hosted mail servers and customers of hosting providers that ship Roundcube as their bundled webmail client. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-06-22, indicating exploitation in the wild, and EPSS assigns a 41.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile). No public proof-of-concept is known, and CISA lists ransomware use as unknown. Do: Apply vendor updates per Roundcube's instructions by upgrading to the latest patched, supported release, prioritizing internet-facing webmail servers; federal agencies must remediate per the CISA KEV requirement. If Roundcube is managed by a hosting provider (e.g., via cPanel), coordinate patching with them. In the interim, restrict webmail exposure and review database and web logs for anomalous search-related queries that may indicate exploitation. | 9.8 | 42% | KEV |
| massmillions of users across tens of thousands of exposed Roundcube deployments (estimated) | |
| CVE-2023-23397 | Zero-Click Elevation of Privilege in Microsoft Outlook (Forced NTLM Credential Leak) CVE-2023-23397 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook caused by improper input validation (CWE-20) combined with authentication bypass via spoofed authentication data on the channel (CWE-294), allowing an attacker to force Outlook to authenticate to an attacker-controlled SMB/WebDAV server. It is triggered when Outlook processes a crafted email or calendar object — for example a meeting or task reminder whose sound property points to an attacker-supplied UNC path — and requires no user interaction. That authentication exchange leaks the victim's NTLM credential hash, which the attacker can crack offline or relay to authenticate as the victim and access resources such as Exchange mailboxes, effectively escalating privileges. Affected software spans Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Office (including the Long Term Servicing Channel), and Microsoft Outlook, which are deployed across enterprises, governments, and militaries worldwide. It is actively exploited in the wild — added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-03-14 with a 97.4% EPSS — and Microsoft has warned of exploitation by Russia-aligned threat actors in campaigns against government and military mail servers, with patches shipped in Microsoft's March 2023 security updates. Do: Apply Microsoft's March 2023 security updates to Microsoft 365 Apps, Office/LTSC, and Outlook immediately, per CISA's required action. As interim mitigation, enable Extended Protection for Authentication or add accounts to the Protected Users group to block the NTLM credential leak, and audit calendar and task reminder sound properties for UNC paths (Microsoft published an audit/cleanup script for this) while watching for unexpected outbound SMB/WebDAV connections from hosts running Outlook. | 9.8 | 97% | KEV |
| masson the order of hundreds of millions of users (Outlook ships with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365, the dominant enterprise and government email suite) |
Full article556 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananJun 26, 2023Cyber Threat / Password Security
Microsoft has disclosed that it's detected a spike in credential-stealing attacks conducted by the Russian state-affiliated hacker group known as Midnight Blizzard.
The intrusions, which make use of residential proxy services to obfuscate the source IP address of the attacks, target governments, IT service providers, NGOs, defense, and critical manufacturing sectors, the tech giant's threat intelligence team said.
Midnight Blizzard, formerly known as Nobelium, is also tracked under the monikers APT29, Cozy Bear, Iron Hemlock, and The Dukes.
The group, which drew worldwide attention for the SolarWinds supply chain compromise in December 2020, has continued to rely on unseen tooling in its targeted attacks aimed at foreign ministries and diplomatic entities.
It's a sign of how determined they are to keep their operations up and running despite being exposed, which makes them a particularly formidable actor in the espionage area.
"These credential attacks use a variety of password spray, brute-force, and token theft techniques," Microsoft said in a series of tweets, adding the actor "also conducted session replay attacks to gain initial access to cloud resources leveraging stolen sessions likely acquired via illicit sale."
The tech giant further called out APT29 for its use of residential proxy services to route malicious traffic in an attempt to obfuscate connections made using compromised credentials.
"The threat actor likely used these IP addresses for very short periods, which could make scoping and remediation challenging," the Windows maker said.
The development comes as Recorded Future detailed a new spear-phishing campaign orchestrated by APT28 (aka BlueDelta, Forest Blizzard, FROZENLAKE, Iron Twilight, and Fancy Bear) targeting government and military entities in Ukraine since November 2021.
The attacks leveraged emails bearing attachments exploiting multiple vulnerabilities in the open-source Roundcube webmail software (CVE-2020-12641, CVE-2020-35730, and CVE-2021-44026) to conduct reconnaissance and data gathering.
A successful breach enabled the Russian military intelligence hackers to deploy rogue JavaScript malware that redirected the incoming emails of targeted individuals to an email address under the attackers' control as well as steal their contact lists.
"The campaign displayed a high level of preparedness, quickly weaponizing news content into lures to exploit recipients," the cybersecurity company said. "The spear-phishing emails contained news themes related to Ukraine, with subject lines and content mirroring legitimate media sources."
More importantly, the activity is said to dovetail with another set of attacks weaponizing a then-zero-day flaw in Microsoft Outlook (CVE-2023-23397) that Microsoft disclosed as employed by Russia-based threat actors in "limited targeted attacks" against European organizations.
The privilege escalation vulnerability was addressed as part of Patch Tuesday updates rolled out in March 2023.
The findings demonstrate Russian threat actors' persistent efforts in harvesting valuable intelligence on various entities in Ukraine and across Europe, especially following the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The cyberwarfare operations aimed at Ukrainian targets have been notably marked by the widespread deployment of wiper malware designed to delete and destroy data, turning it into one of the earliest instances of large-scale hybrid conflict.
"BlueDelta will almost certainly continue to prioritize targeting Ukrainian government and private sector organizations to support wider Russian military efforts," Recorded Future concluded.
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