Experts Reveals 29% Surge in Bugs Used by Ransomware Actors
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-30116 | Credential Disclosure via Unauthenticated Download Page in Kaseya VSA Kaseya VSA before 9.5.7 exposes an unauthenticated client download page (/dl.asp) that leaks agent credentials: the Windows agent stores an Agent_Guid and AgentPassword in KaseyaD.ini, and supplying these to dl.asp via GET parameters authenticates the requester and returns a sessionId cookie. That sessionId can then be used to bypass authentication against services not intended for agent use, and anyone who obtains KaseyaD.ini from a managed endpoint gains enough information to penetrate the VSA installation and its managed clients. On-premises VSA deployments are affected by default, since the vulnerable download page is part of the standard installation. The flaw was exploited in the wild in July 2021 as part of the REvil ransomware campaign against Kaseya VSA, is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03) with known ransomware use, and carries a very high EPSS of 85.7%. Do: Upgrade Kaseya VSA to 9.5.7 or later per vendor instructions, as required by CISA's KEV catalog. Restrict internet access to the VSA download page (/dl.asp) or disable the agent-login capability there until patched, and review logs for dl.asp GET requests carrying agent credentials (un/pw parameters) or sessionId-based access to services not intended for agent use. Given known ransomware use, treat any unpatched, internet-exposed VSA server as high risk and check managed endpoints for exposed KaseyaD.ini credential material. | 9.8 | 86% | KEV ransomware PoC |
| mass≈40,000 VSA deployments (Kaseya reported ~40,000 customers, mostly MSPs) managing millions of downstream endpoints | |
| CVE-2021-44228 | JNDI Injection Remote Code Execution in Apache Log4j2 (Log4Shell) Apache Log4j2, an extremely widely used Java logging library, fails to protect its JNDI lookup feature against attacker-controlled JNDI-related endpoints (CWE-20, CWE-502), so crafted text processed by the logger causes the Java runtime to fetch and load attacker-supplied objects, leading to remote code execution. The flaw is triggered whenever attacker-controlled input reaches the logging API and is parsed for JNDI lookups, a pattern common in web servers and enterprise Java applications that log user-supplied fields such as headers or form values. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the affected application, giving attackers a foothold for lateral movement, data theft, and ransomware deployment. Any Java application or product that ships or bundles an affected Apache Log4j2 release is exposed, making this one of the most broadly deployed vulnerabilities ever disclosed. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-12-10 with known ransomware use, and EPSS assigns a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days. Do: Inventory all Java applications and dependencies for Apache Log4j2 and apply the vendor's patched updates, or remove affected assets from the network, as required by CISA's KEV catalog. Where updates are not yet available, use the temporary mitigations in CISA's ED-22-02 recommended-mitigation guidance, such as disabling message lookups, only until patches are applied. Prioritize internet-facing and business-critical systems and hunt for exploitation activity given known ransomware use. | 10.0 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC ×9 |
| masshundreds of millions of Java applications/devices, with hundreds of thousands of internet-exposed services |
Full article394 words · extracted from infosecurity-magazine.com · click to collapse
There’s been a 29% increase in the number of vulnerabilities exploited by ransomware groups to compromise their targets over the past year, according to a new industry report.
The Ransomware Spotlight Year End Report was written by security vendors Ivanti and Cyware alongside CVE numbering authority Cyber Security Works. It’s compiled from multiple data sources, including Ivanti and CSW, publicly available threat databases and threat researchers and pen-testing teams.
The analysis revealed 65 new bugs associated with ransomware in 2021, totaling 288. Over a third (37%) of the newly added vulnerabilities were found trending on dark websites and subject to repeated exploitation as a result. Plus, over half (56%) of the older CVEs are still being regularly exploited, it said.
The report also highlighted that many zero-day vulnerabilities are being exploited before they’ve even had time to be published in the US National Vulnerability Database (NVD). These include ones used to compromise Kaseya (CVE-2021-30116) and the infamous Log4Shell bug (CVE-2021-44228).
The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model is helping to democratize this kind of activity across the cybercrime underground. Particularly dangerous are exploit-as-a-service offerings, which allow threat actors to rent zero-day exploits from developers, the report said.
Despite recent arrests in Russia, many of these cybercrime gangs continue to be sheltered by hostile states.
Illustrating just how thriving the industry still is, the report identified 32 new ransomware variants in 2021, a 26% year-on-year increase, which brings the total to 157.
“Ransomware groups are becoming more sophisticated, and their attacks more impactful. These threat actors are increasingly leveraging automated tool kits to exploit vulnerabilities and penetrate deeper into compromised networks. They are also expanding their targets and waging more attacks on critical sectors, disrupting daily lives and causing unprecedented damage,” argued Ivanti SVP of security products, Srinivas Mukkamala.
“Organizations need to be extra vigilant and patch weaponized vulnerabilities without delays. This requires leveraging a combination of risk-based vulnerability prioritization and automated patch intelligence to identify and prioritize vulnerability weaknesses and then accelerate remediation.”
However, vulnerabilities are still not the number one threat vector for ransomware, according to Coveware.
As of Q3 2021, RDP compromise stemming from misconfiguration, and email phishing, remained the main ways to penetrate victim networks, the vendor claimed.
However, it added that vulnerability exploits were gaining popularity as an initial threat vector “as common peripheral applications get targeted, and patching cadence by enterprises lags.”
Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/29-surge-bugs-used-ransomware/