THN Cybersecurity Recap: Top Threats, Tools and News (Oct 21

A vulnerability in the SSH subsystem of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute operating system commands as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting crafted input when executing remote CLI commands over SSH. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges. An attacker with limited user privileges could use this vulnerability to gain complete control over the system.

A vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software for Cisco Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, and 4200 Series could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to access an affected system using static credentials. This vulnerability is due to the presence of static accounts with hard-coded passwords on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the CLI of an affected device with these credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access the affected system and retrieve sensitive information, perform limited troubleshooting actions, modify some configuration options, or render the device unable to boot to the operating system, requiring a reimage of the device.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software, formerly Firepower Management Center Software, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the web-based management interface of an affected device and then sending a crafted HTTP request to the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root permissions on the underlying operating system of the Cisco FMC device or to execute commands on managed Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (Read Only).

CVE-2024-20481 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the Remote Access VPN (RAVPN) service of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software, caused by resource exhaustion (CWE-772). An unauthenticated, remote attacker can trigger it by sending a large number of VPN authentication requests to an affected device, consistent with the large-scale VPN brute-force activity Cisco Talos has documented. A successful attack exhausts device resources and causes a denial of service of the RAVPN service, potentially requiring a device reload to restore VPN service, though non-VPN functionality is unaffected. Only ASA and FTD devices with the RAVPN service enabled are affected. The flaw is under active exploitation: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-10-24, and trade press reports Cisco issued urgent fixes for this actively exploited bug.

Do: Apply the fixed ASA/FTD Software releases specified in Cisco's advisory for CVE-2024-20481, or apply Cisco's documented mitigations (such as rate-limiting/throttling VPN authentication attempts) if patching is not immediately possible. Check RAVPN devices for bursts of failed or unusual VPN authentication requests consistent with brute-forcing, and restrict or disable internet-exposed RAVPN where it is not needed. Per CISA KEV guidance, apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

CVE-2024-38094 is a deserialization of untrusted data flaw (CWE-502) in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server, rated 7.2 (high) on CVSS 3.1 and classified by Microsoft as a remote code execution vulnerability. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N) indicates the attack is network-reachable but requires an attacker who already holds high-privileged access, such as site collection or farm administrator credentials, to submit maliciously crafted serialized data to the server. Successful exploitation yields remote code execution on the SharePoint server with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, giving attackers a foothold for follow-on activity such as ransomware deployment. Any organization running on-premises SharePoint Server is potentially affected, while SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365 is a separate cloud service. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-10-22 with known ransomware use, and the EPSS of 50.9% (99th percentile) signals a high probability of continued exploitation, although no public proof-of-concept is known.

Do: Apply Microsoft's vendor-supplied mitigations and security updates for SharePoint Server as soon as possible; CISA's required action is to apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Limit internet exposure of SharePoint front-ends, review high-privileged site and farm administrator accounts for compromise or unusual activity, and prioritize patching given the confirmed ransomware use. No public PoC is known, but the 50.9% EPSS and KEV listing indicate attackers are actively working this flaw.

VMware vCenter Server contains a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122/CWE-787) in its implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A remote attacker with network access to vCenter Server can trigger the flaw by sending a specially crafted network packet; no credentials, privileges, or user interaction are required (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). Successful exploitation can lead to remote code execution with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the vCenter host. Affected products are VMware vCenter Server and VMware Cloud Foundation deployments, with the exact vulnerable version ranges specified in the Broadcom/VMware advisory. The flaw is confirmed to be exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2024-11-20, EPSS estimates a 54.6% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile), and related reporting describes PRC hackers using the BRICKSTORM backdoor in campaigns involving actively exploited VMware vCenter flaws; no public proof-of-concept is known.

Do: Apply the patched vCenter Server / VMware Cloud Foundation releases issued by Broadcom per the vendor advisory, and because reporting indicates the fix was re-issued, verify the latest patched build is actually installed rather than an earlier, possibly incomplete one. Prioritize patching internet-facing vCenter instances and restrict network access to the vCenter management interface in the interim. Per the CISA KEV required action, apply vendor mitigations or discontinue use if mitigations are unavailable, and hunt for signs of post-exploitation (e.g., BRICKSTORM activity) given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

Wi-Fi Alliance wfa_dut (in Wi-Fi Test Suite) through 9.0.0 allows OS command injection via 802.11x frames because the system() library function is used. For example, on Arcadyan FMIMG51AX000J devices, this leads to wfaTGSendPing remote code execution as root via traffic to TCP port 8000 or 8080 on a LAN interface. On other devices, this may be exploitable over a WAN interface.

CVE-2024-47575 is a missing-authentication flaw (CWE-306) in Fortinet FortiManager and FortiManager Cloud, rated critical at CVSS 9.8. An unauthenticated remote attacker can send specially crafted requests to the affected management interface and execute arbitrary code or commands, with no credentials, privileges, or user interaction required. Every supported FortiManager branch from 6.2 through 7.6 and four FortiManager Cloud branches are affected, meaning any organization using these products as the central management plane for FortiGate firewalls is exposed, and compromise of the appliance can provide a foothold across the entire managed firewall estate. The flaw was exploited as a zero-day in an active campaign before patches were available, was added to CISA KEV on 2024-10-23 (ransomware use not yet confirmed), and carries a 95.1% EPSS probability of exploitation within 30 days.

Do: Upgrade FortiManager and FortiManager Cloud to the fixed releases listed in Fortinet advisory FG-IR-24-423 (FortiManager 7.6.1+, 7.4.5+, 7.2.8+, 7.0.13+, 6.4.15+, or 6.2.13+; Cloud 7.4.5+, 7.2.8+, 7.0.13+, or 6.4.8+), or apply the interim mitigations of restricting which IP addresses may connect to the fgfm service, disabling fgfm where it is not required, and applying the vendor's IPS signature. Hunt logs for signs of exploitation, such as unexpected fgfm requests, unknown IPs, or unexplained device registrations on the FortiManager. As a CISA KEV entry, federal agencies and other CISA-directed organizations must apply the mitigations or discontinue use of the product by the required deadline.

An command injection vulnerability in Trend Micro Cloud Edge could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected appliances. Please note: authentication is not required in order to exploit this vulnerability.

CVE-2024-4947 is a type-confusion flaw (CWE-843) in the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome, rated High by Chromium with a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.6. An attacker triggers it by luring a user to a crafted HTML page, causing V8 to misinterpret object types and enabling execution of arbitrary code inside the Chrome sandbox. Exploitation of the V8 bug alone keeps the attacker sandboxed, but it is a typical first stage of a browser exploit chain and can be paired with sandbox-escape techniques for broader system access. All Google Chrome installations prior to 125.0.6422.60 are affected, as are Fedora's packaged builds of Chrome/Chromium carrying the vulnerable V8 code. The vulnerability was added to CISA's KEV on 2024-05-20, has a public PoC referenced in Google's issue tracker, and public reporting ties its in-the-wild use to the North Korean Lazarus Group, which deployed the FudModule rootkit against infected Chrome users.

Do: Upgrade Google Chrome to 125.0.6422.60 or later on all endpoints, and install the updated chromium packages published for Fedora, prioritizing this patch because the flaw is CISA KEV-listed with a mandatory mitigation deadline. Because Lazarus Group is exploiting this in the wild via crafted web pages, review endpoint telemetry for suspicious browser-borne activity and warn users against opening links from untrusted or decoy game/job-lure sites.

A SMB force-authentication vulnerability exists in all versions of OPA for Windows prior to v0.68.0. The vulnerability exists because of improper input validation, allowing a user to pass an arbitrary SMB share instead of a Rego file as an argument to OPA CLI or to one of the OPA Go library’s functions.

ScienceLogic SL1 (formerly EM7), an enterprise IT infrastructure monitoring platform, is affected by a critical vulnerability (CVSS 4.0: 9.3) in an unspecified third-party component packaged with the product; technical details have not been publicly disclosed. The severity vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N) indicates it can be triggered remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker with no user interaction or special conditions. High impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability suggest full compromise of the SL1 appliance, giving attackers a foothold in the monitored environment. Any organization running SL1 versions prior to 12.1.3, 12.2.3, or 12.3 — including older 10.1.x through 11.3.x lines — is affected. CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-10-21 following reports of active zero-day exploitation; no public proof-of-concept is known, and whether ransomware groups are leveraging it is unconfirmed.

Do: Upgrade to SL1 12.1.3+, 12.2.3+, or 12.3+, or apply ScienceLogic's remediations for the 10.1.x–11.3.x lines; per CISA's KEV required action, apply vendor mitigations promptly or discontinue use if mitigations are unavailable. Inventory your SL1 deployments (including appliances managed on behalf of MSP customers), restrict internet exposure of SL1 management interfaces pending patching, and monitor for exploitation activity; ransomware association is not yet confirmed.