Tag Archives: Emerging Threats

Attention to Privacy Issues Growing

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From the board room to main street, digital privacy is becoming more and more of a hot topic.

Organizations have been asking us to discuss it with steering committees and boards. Our intelligence team has been performing privacy-related recon and other testing engagements for the last several years. More and more of our security engagements are starting to include elements of privacy concerns from organizations and individuals alike.

In the mainstream media, you have articles being pushed heavily like this – which discusses supposedly stolen NSA technology for monitoring, to discussions of personal privacy from the likes of Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

As such, security teams should take the time to verse themselves in the privacy debate. It is likely that management and boards will be asking in the near future, if they aren’t already, for advice on the topic. This is a fantastic opportunity for security teams to engage in meaningful discussions with organizational leaders about a security-related topic on both a professional and personal scale. It might even be worth putting together a presentation, preemptively, and delivering it to the upper management and line managers around your company.

With so much attention to privacy these days, it’s a great chance to engage with people, teach basic infosec practices and have deep discussions about the changing digital world. That’s what your security team has been asking for, right? Now’s the time… 🙂 

Tips on Reducing Human Error Risks

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One of the largest risks that organizations face is human error. The outcome of human errors show themselves in security, architecture, business operations, IT & non-IT projects, etc. The list goes on and on. You can read more about the impacts of human error on infosec here and here.

It’s important to understand some of the reasons why these errors occur, especially when critical projects or changes are being considered.

Some of the high level things to think about:

  • Physical fatigue – this is likely the leading cause of human errors, workers may not be getting enough sleep or downtime, especially during critical projects when stress and demands may be high, not to speak of their personal lives – organizations should allow for key resources to have adequate downtime to reduce errors during critical projects
  • Decision fatigue – the more decisions that someone has to make, the worse their decisions get over time – just like physical fatigue, preserving their decision making capability should be a consideration during critical projects for key resources
  • Lack of time on task – in many organizations, critical project key personnel are often called to meeting after meeting to discuss, plan or execute parts of the project – when this minimizes their time on task to perform the research, work or development for the project then quality suffers – at the very least, it may aggravate the other problems of fatigue; organizations should focus key resources on time on task to up the quality of their work during critical projects
  • Lack of peer review – peer review is an essential control for human error, since it can catch such usual conditions as typos, missing words, simple mistakes in logic, etc. Critical projects should always include several layers of peer review to ensure higher quality of the process or outcome
  • Lack of preparation for failure – many critical projects suffer from this form of error as many people assume that their plans will be successful, but failure occurs often, and the more complex the systems or plans, the more likely it is to occur – have a contingency plan to prevent emotional decisions which can deeply impact quality and successful outcomes

There are many other issues around human error in critical projects and even more in day to day operations. But, these seem to be the most prevalent and immediate issues we see around critical projects with clients in the last few years. 

How does your team manage human errors? What controls have you implemented? Share with us on Twitter (@microsolved, @lbhuston) and we may write about it in future posts. As always, thanks for reading! 

Got MS DNS Servers? Get the Patch ASAP!

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If you run DNS on Microsoft Windows, pay careful attention to the MS-15-127 patch.

Microsoft rates this patch as critical for most Windows platforms running DNS services.

Remote exploits are possible, including remote code execution. Attackers exploiting this issue could obtain Local System context and privileges.

We are currently aware that reverse engineering of the patch has begun by researchers and exploit development is under way in the underground pertaining to this issue. A working exploit is likely to be made available soon, if it is not already in play, as you read this. 

Patch for MS15-034 RIGHT NOW!

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If you have exposed IIS servers or internal ones as well, pay attention to MS15-034.

Accelerate this patch to immediate. Don’t wait for patching windows, SLAs or maintenance periods. Test the patch, sure, but get it applied ASAP.

This is a remotely executable vulnerability without authentication. It affects a wide range of Windows systems. It offers trivial denial of service exploitation and the bad guys are hard at work building click and drool tools for remote code execution. The clock is ticking, so please, accelerate this patch if possible.

For any additional information or assistance, please contact your account executive or drop us a line via info@microsolved.com.

Thanks and stay safe out there! 

Lots of PHP Web Shells Still Circulating

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Many PHP-based web shells are still making the rounds, and while many of them are based on old code, mutations, customizations and updates abound. They are so common, that new variants and modified versions are often seen at the rate of about 10 a day in our TigerTrax Threat Intelligence systems and honeypots.

Variants exist for a wide variety of platforms and human languages, many with some very nasty features and even some cool ASCII art. There are many variants for attackers to choose from for just about any of the popular PHP-based content management platforms. From WordPress to Joomla and beyond to the far less common apps, there are easily used exploits and shell kits widely available.

If you run a PHP-based site or server, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the file system changes and watch closely for new files being uploaded or added. Pay particular attention to those using the “base64_decode” function, since it is so common among these tools.

Thanks for reading, and until next time, stay safe out there! 

Malware Can Hide in a LOT of Places

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This article about research showing how malware could be hidden in Blu-Ray disks should serve as a reminder to us all that a lot of those “smart” and “Internet-enabled” devices we are buying can also be a risk to our information. In the past, malware has used digital picture frames, vendor disks & CD’s, USB keys, smart “dongles” and a wide variety of other things that can plug into a computer or network as a transmission medium.

As the so called, Internet of Things (IoT), continues to grow in both substance and hype, more and more of these devices will be prevalent across homes and businesses everywhere. In a recent neighbor visit, I enumerated (with permission), more than 30 different computers, phones, tablets, smart TV’s and other miscellaneous devices on their home network. This family of 5 has smart radios, smart TVs and even a Wifi-connected set of toys that their kids play with. That’s a LOT of places for malware to hide…

I hope all of us can take a few minutes and just give that some thought. I am sure few of us really have a plan that includes such objects. Most families are lucky if they have a firewall and AV on all of their systems. Let alone a plan for “smart devices” and other network gook.

How will you handle this? What plans are you making? Ping us on Twitter (@lbhuston or @microsolved) and let us know your thoughts.

Pay Attention to this Samba Vulnerability

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We have a feeling that this recent Samba vulnerability should be at the top of your mind. We are seeing a lot of attention to this across a variety of platforms and we wanted to make sure you saw it. It should be patched as soon as possible, especially on highly sensitive data stores and critical systems.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Spike in HITME NTP Probes Following Recent Exploits

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For those of you that are unfamiliar with the HITME project, it is a set of deployed HoneyPoints that gather real-world, real-time attacker data from around the world. The sensors gather attack sources, frequency, targeting information, vulnerability patterns, exploits, malware and other crucial event data for the technical team at MSI to analyze. We frequently feed these attack signatures into our vulnerability management service to ensure that our customers are tested against the most current forms of attacks being used on the Internet.
 
On a monthly basis, we have been taking a step back and looking at our HITME data from a bird’s eye view to find common attack patterns.  Throughout December, we observed a significant increase in attacks against Port 123 (NTP).  This is due to the recent discovery of a vulnerability within NTP.
 
A majority of the attacks we observed against Port 123 appeared to originate out of the United States of America, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and China. 
 
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This vulnerability should be addressed as soon as possible as exploits are publicly available.  All NTP Version 4 releases prior to Version 4.2.8 are vulnerable and need to be updated to Version 4.2.8.  Do not hesitate to contact us at info@microsolved.com if you require any assistance in responding to this vulnerability.

This blog post by Adam Luck.

5 Ways My Medical Background Makes Me a Better Intelligence Analyst

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When I first started for MicroSolved, Inc.(MSI), I wasn’t sure what to think, but now that I have been here for nearly three months I feel I am starting to get the hang of  what it is to be an intelligence analyst. At least a little bit anyhow. Now mind you I am not your typical intelligence analyst, nor am I a new college graduate, but rather I am coming to MSI from the health care industry with over twenty years of work experience in that industry. This was a completely different mindset, with a whole host of new things for me to experience and learn. For me this was totally refreshing and exactly what I wanted and more importantly, needed! There are a few things that I have noticed in my short time here that could be considered pearls of wisdom rather than actual characteristics of a good employee that I feel make me a good intelligence analyst for MSI. Perhaps they are one and the same. At least that is my hope 😉

First, while I am not a seasoned IT professional like so many others that I work with, I am not naive to the fact that there are deadlines and expectations thrust upon all of us. This in my opinion is no different than in being in the hospital setting where people expect you to act quickly and in the best interests of your patient at all times. Couldn’t we say the same is true working for a company like MSI?  In that it is the expectation to be professional, performing your best at all times, and the like? I would like to think that is what I strive for.

After thinking a bit longer perhaps it is that we share a tenacity for getting to the bottom of whatever mystery that we are looking at. Whether it is a series of questions that we may be asking our patients in an effort to try to figure out what ailment they be suffering from. This is not unlike when we are looking for a key bit of code for an algorithm to help us do our work more efficiently. Regardless, it is this mentality of never giving up! To keep fighting, keep looking, to keep trying. Just keep chipping away at it. 

I think the next characteristic would have to be patience. Something that we all have often heard from our grandparents growing up as children. Something that in my mind and in my experience has played a provocative role in both my dealings with patients, their families and with challenging projects in the IT world. Now while as I previously stated in the above paragraph that tenacity plays a role, I also think having a measure of patience does too. There are times in the medical world where even the most experienced physician stands there for a moment and scratches his or her head and says “I don’t know”. Now to a patient that is the last thing that they want to here, but sometimes we truly have to “wait and see”. Sometimes grandma was right! There have been times while working on projects with MSI, where sitting back even if it’s just a few moments, allowed me to gain a better “bird’s eye view” of a given project and really helped me figure out what it was that I was looking for and ultimately aided the project.

Another area that I think gives me an edge would be that I am willing to go the extra mile and I am not afraid to work hard to attain my goals. It isn’t enough to just punch a clock or be mediocre! I have told this to my children, my patients and my friends. Never give up, always work your butt off for what you want in life! It may take time for what you want to come to fruition, but if you’re willing to put the time, energy and effort into it, then it will come!  It takes sacrifice to get to your goals. Others will recognize your efforts and aid you in your path. That’s what I feel MSI has done and is continuing to do for me!

Lastly, laugh! I have not laughed so hard in any of my previous work experiences as compared to working for MSI these past few months. Don’t get me wrong there were plenty of wonderful times, but here at MSI it is a whole new animal! Yes, we work hard, but I think having a healthy sense of humor and a desire to see others laugh is what really sets MSI apart. If you are down, they help pick you up! So often we spend our work lives with people that aren’t our family for hours on end. Shouldn’t we have some fun while we work? If you are lucky enough you do. Then, by choice those people that aren’t your family start to become them and find a place in your heart. Then, your work doesn’t seem like work anymore. 

Yes it’s true that I am new to the world of information technology as a career choice, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have some very real life experiences to draw upon. Remember, it is a combination of work ethic, tenacity, patience, a sense of humor and ultimately a willingness to never give up. These are the things that will make you successful, not only in your career path, but in life as well. These are my little pearls of wisdom, just a few tidbits of information to help you get to where you want to be in life. Who knows it might even be right here at MSI.

This post by Preston Kershner.

Heads Up, ICS & SCADA Folks, Especially!

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Remotely exploitable vulnerabilities have been identified & published in NTP (network time protocol). This is often a CRITICAL protocol/instance for ICS environments and can be widely located in many control networks. 

The fix currently appears to be an upgrade to 4.2.8 or later.

This should be considered a HIGH PRIORITY for critical infrastructure networks. Exploits are expected as this is an unauthenticated remotely triggered buffer overflow, which should be easily implemented into existing exploit kits.

Please let us know if we can assist you in any way. Stay safe out there! 

Update: 12/19/14 2pm Eastern – According to this article, exploits are now publicly available.