Iranian Hackers Exploiting VMware RCE Bug to Deploy 'Core Impact' Backdoor
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2022-22954 | Server-Side Template Injection RCE in VMware Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager CVE-2022-22954 is a server-side template injection vulnerability (CWE-94) in VMware Workspace ONE Access and VMware Identity Manager that allows remote code execution on affected appliances. It is triggered when attacker-controlled input is passed into a server-side template engine, allowing injected template directives to be evaluated and executed as code on the server. A successful attacker gains the ability to run arbitrary code on the identity appliance, and CISA notes the flaw has been used in ransomware campaigns, so compromise can serve as an initial foothold for broader enterprise intrusion. Any organization running Workspace ONE Access or Identity Manager, including deployments where the Identity Manager component is bundled into VMware Horizon environments, is potentially affected, though the source data does not specify affected version ranges. The vulnerability was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-04-14 with ransomware use confirmed and a required action to apply vendor updates, and EPSS currently assigns it a 100% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile); no public PoC is known. Do: Apply the patches published in VMware advisory VMSA-2022-0011 (April 2022) to Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager appliances as required by the CISA KEV listing, prioritizing internet-facing instances, and restrict or remove public exposure until patched. Review appliance and web-server logs for template-injection probes and unexpected processes spawned by the identity service, and investigate any indications of compromise for follow-on ransomware or lateral-movement activity. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC |
| large≈ tens of thousands of internet-exposed Workspace ONE Access / Identity Manager instances (order-of-magnitude estimate; exact count unknown) |
Full article247 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananApr 26, 2022
An Iranian-linked threat actor known as Rocket Kitten has been observed actively exploiting a recently patched VMware vulnerability to gain initial access and deploy the Core Impact penetration testing tool on vulnerable systems.
Tracked as CVE-2022-22954 (CVSS score: 9.8), the critical issue concerns a case of remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting VMware Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager.
While the issue was patched by the virtualization services provider on April 6, 2022, the company cautioned users of confirmed exploitation of the flaw occurring in the wild a week later.
"A malicious actor exploiting this RCE vulnerability potentially gains an unlimited attack surface," researchers from Morphisec Labs said in a new report. "This means highest privileged access into any components of the virtualized host and guest environment."
Attack chains exploiting the flaw involve the distribution of a PowerShell-based stager, which is then used to download a next-stage payload called PowerTrash Loader that, in turn, injects the penetration testing tool, Core Impact, into memory for follow-on activities.
"The widespread use of VMWare identity access management combined with the unfettered remote access this attack provides is a recipe for devastating breaches across industries," the researchers said.
"VMWare customers should also review their VMware architecture to ensure the affected components are not accidentally published on the internet, which dramatically increases the exploitation risks."
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2022/04/iranian-hackers-exploiting-vmware-rce.html