Ransomware. Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola . November 7, 2022 As ransomware attacks have grown in popularity recently, researchers have begun compiling an easy-to-follow list of vulnerabilities exploited by ransomware groups. Common attack vectors for ransomware exploits include: Ransomware attackers typically target unsuspecting employees by sending fake emails pretending to be senior employees or company partners. CVE-2021-20016 An employee clicked on a malicious link assuming it was a legitimate message from a renowned tour operator. This guide is a comprehensive resource detailing the observed common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) exploited, as well as the tools, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by LockBit affiliates. Top 15 Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities Table 1 shows the top 15 vulnerabilities U.S., Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK cybersecurity authorities observed malicious actors routinely exploiting in 2021, which include: CVE-2021-44228. Confluence Server and Data Center, versions 6.13.23, from version 6.14.0 before 7.4.11, from version 7.5.0 before 7.11.6, and from version 7.12.0 before 7.12.5. Fortinet VPN devices were encrypted in April by Cring ransomware targeting the above-mentioned unpatched vulnerability. CERT NZ's guide outlines ransomware attack pathways and illustrates what security controls can be set up to protect from or stop an attack. The Clop ransomware attack stands out for its scale, sophistication and adaptability. Whether the first six months of 2022 have felt interminable or fleetingor bothmassive hacks, data breaches, digital scams, and ransomware attacks continued apace throughout the first half of . This year alone, ransomware groups and affiliates have added multiple exploits to their arsenal, targeting actively exploited vulnerabilities. The Midwest has the highest number of ransomware exploitable exposures, followed by the West. This vulnerability was also exploited by the popular Qlocker ransomware. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Explained, Ransomware Explained. The study, 2023 Spotlight Report: Ransomware Through the Lens of Threat and Vulnerability Management,, identified 56 new vulnerabilities associated with ransomware threats among a total of 344 threats identified in 2022marking a 19% increase year-over-year. These vulnerabilities include multiple vulnerabilities affecting internet-facing systems, including Accellion File Transfer Appliance (FTA), Windows Print Spooler, and Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure. Official websites use .gov After a cost-benefit analysis, Colonial Pipelines paid $4 million in ransom money to obtain the decryption tool and regain control of their IT systems. Most of such attacks were orchestrated by exploiting inherent vulnerabilities of the tech stack. The program encrypts data in the background. All of the environment needs to be secured, immediately. All this started with a call to action made by Allan Liska, a member of Recorded Future's CSIRT (computer security incident response team), on Twitter over the weekend. She lurks on Twitter and Facebook, so if you are on Facebook with her, she really did read what you posted. While this can help in the prevention of threats related to yet-unpatched flaws, do adhere to intel shared by national cybersecurity authorities for further defensive measures. Configure access control under the concept of least privilege principle. More than 76% of vulnerabilities still being exploited by ransomware were discovered between 2010 and 2019. These unpatched vulnerabilities in remote access tools and Windows makes their job easier. In the last quarter of 2022, these groups used ransomware to exploit 21 of these vulnerabilities, according to a new report from Cyber Security Works (CSW), Ivanti, Cyware, and Securin. By Aaron Sandeen, CEO and co-founder of Cyber Security Works - for organizations hit by a ransomware attack; advice on, The New Zealand CERT team also has published. CVE-2023-34362, which was disclosed on May 31, was exploited in the wild by the CL0P ransomware gang. These statistics emphasize that if organizations rely solely . Our survey findings indicate that knowledge has not translated to power for many organizations, said Aaron Sandeen, CEO of CSW and Securin. Four APT groups: DEV-023, DEV-0504, DEV-0832, and DEV-0950, were newly associated with ransomware in Q4 2022 and mounted crippling attacks. Researchers identified 56 new vulnerabilities associated with ransomware threats among a total of 344 threats identified in 2022 - marking a 19% increase year-over-year. New Zealand organizations: report cyber security incidents to incidents@ncsc.govt.nz or call 04 498 7654. The South has the most CISA KEV exposures, followed by the Northeast. This vulnerability, known as Log4Shell, affects Apache's Log4j library, an open-source logging framework. WannaCry was a ransomware attack that spread to over 150 countries in 2017. CISA has added six new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. This advisory provides details on the top 15 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) routinely exploited by malicious cyber actors in 2021, as well as other CVEs frequently exploited. IT and security teams are being tripped up by open-source, old, and low-scoring vulnerabilities associated with ransomware. For more information, visit www.cyware.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. The Midwest has the most exploitable exposures, followed by the South. This document was developed by U.S., Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK cybersecurity authorities in furtherance of their respective cybersecurity missions, including their responsibilities to develop and issue cybersecurity specifications and mitigations. Regularly review, validate, or remove privileged accounts (annually at a minimum). The idea of compiling a list of widely-exploited vulnerabilities is indeed a great one and it will help organizations build strategies for preventing ransomware attacks. Security teams should perform regular vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and log audits to assess the deployments security posture. The Midwest has the most exploitable exposures, followed by the South. To a lesser extent, malicious cyber actors continued to exploit publicly known, dated software vulnerabilitiessome of which were also routinely exploited in 2020 or earlier. U.S. organizations: all organizations should report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA 24/7 Operations Center at report@cisa.gov or (888) 282-0870 and/or to the FBI via your local FBI field office or the FBIs 24/7 CyWatch at (855) 292-3937 or CyWatch@fbi.gov. Organizations that are unable to perform rapid scanning and patching of internet-facing systems should consider moving these services to mature, reputable cloud service providers (CSPs) or other managed service providers (MSPs). She has a SANS/GSEC certification in security and prefers Heavy Duty Reynolds wrap for her tinfoil hat. Joint Cybersecurity Advisory: 2021 top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities (pdf, 777kb). The platform also helps organizations identify common weaknesses and attack signatures for insecure design exploits through a few simple steps. In addition to the 15 vulnerabilities listed in table 1, U.S., Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK cybersecurity authorities identified vulnerabilities, listed in table 2, that were also routinely exploited by malicious cyber actors in 2021. Another Apache Log4j vulnerability, CVE-2021-45105, is present in 128 products from 11 vendors and is also exploited by AvosLocker ransomware. A new report from Cyber Security Works (CSW), Ivanti, Cyware, and Securin reveals the devastating toll that ransomware had on organizations globally in 2022. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The vulnerability, CVE-2023-34362, has been actively exploited since May 27, but the threat actors may have begun experimenting to compromise it as early as 2021. Ransomware silently installs on the system and locates the target data. Further analysis conducted by the Qualys research team on Conti ransomware confirms that adversaries are targeting known vulnerabilities such as Zerologon (CVE-2020-1472), PrintNightmare (CVE-2021-34527), and EternalBlue (a series of CVEs under MS17-010 exploit) for carrying out the attacks. Close Vulnerabilities. Segment networks to limit or block lateral movement by controlling access to applications, devices, and databases. Liska's and his contributors' exercise adds to an ongoing effort to fend off ransomware attacks that have plagued worldwide public and private sector organizations for years. When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact. In addition to phishing emails, infected websites and lateral movement are common ransomware distribution methods, as outlined in Preventing . Affiliates have attacked organizations of various sizes across an array of critical infrastructure sectors including financial services, food and agriculture, education, energy, government and emergency services, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. Securin passively scanned U.S. government assets exposed to the internet in all states. Its a project whose goal is to mitigate ransomware by defending the US critical infrastructure. CVE-2019-7481 This is the vulnerability found in SonicWall devices and exploited by HelloKitty ransomware during the month of July. The threat actor recently mass-exploited CVE-2023-0669, a critical vulnerability in a different file . 2014 - 2023 HEIMDAL SECURITY VAT NO. A recent study also observed that victims who paid ransom are susceptible to repeat attacks orchestrated through the exact attack vector. The study, 2023 Spotlight Report: Ransomware Through the Lens of Threat and Vulnerability Management,, identified 56 new vulnerabilities associated with ransomware threats among a total of 344 threats identified in 2022marking a 19% increase year-over-year. The West has the greatest attack surface, with the highest number of assets. United Kingdom organizations: report a significant cyber security incident: ncsc.gov.uk/report-an-incident (monitored 24 hours) or, for urgent assistance, call 03000 200 973. Ransomware Vulnerabilities that are not detected by scanners IoCs for new ransomware groups in Q2 & Q3 2022 Top vulnerabilities that could be exploited in the future List of ransomware vulnerabilities that are not present in CISA KEV Download Now 2440 Louisiana Blvd NE #560, Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-302-1113 info@securin.io As noted in a FireEye blog post, the Ragnarok ransomware attacks used the Citrix vulnerability to gain entry and then download a native tool used as part of Windows Certificate Services (categorized as Technique 11005 within MITREs ATT&CK framework). An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Security, HireVue Applicant Reasonable Accommodations Process, Reporting Employee and Contractor Misconduct, CISA and Partners Release Joint Advisory on Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit, DoS and DDoS Attacks against Multiple Sectors, 2023 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses, CISA Releases Nine Industrial Control Systems Advisories, CISA Adds Eight Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog, Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit. Systems that were unpatched against ProxyLogon vulnerabilities were the target of Black Kingdom ransomware and DearCry ransomware back in March, affecting Microsoft Exchange servers. To ensure that your Citrix Gateway appliances are not impacted by this vulnerability, download and use the FireEye/Citrix scanner tool located on GitHub. System Vulnerabilities: many varieties of malware are used to scan IP addresses to spot system vulnerabilities. In the Everywhere Workplace, employees use myriad devices to access IT applications and data over various networks to stay productive as they work from anywhere. Take the time to step back and review where you are now. The New Zealand Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT NZ) has also recently published aguide on ransomware protection for businesses. A ransomware attack is a malware attack in which the attacker prevents access to files or system data until the victim capitulates to the attackers ransom demands. It showcases the need to review patch management processes to ensure that you are patching for entry points and scanning for older vulnerabilities that patching tools might have missed. The so-known PrintNightmarewas exploited eventually by Magniber ransomware too. Attention: CVE Records now include product versions & more on the www.cve.org website. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Through the attack, attackers also obtained the UKG source code, which they threatened to sell if the company could not honor their ransom demands. To prevent malware from spreading beyond infected devices, Colonial Pipeline shut down its operations and reported federal agencies investigating the incident. Key findings include: IT and security teams working for the U.S. state government have the opportunity to practice good cyber hygiene and reduce their agencies attack surface, said Sandeen. The BBC was among the victims of the MOVEit hack. We recently updated our anonymous product survey; wed welcome your feedback. Here is how an average ransomware attack works: A user receives a phishing email and makes the mistake of clicking on a malicious link. To orchestrate the attack, attackers exploited an authentication bypass vulnerability to install and distribute the ransomware software on the host operating systems running the VSA software. By Sean Michael Kerner Cloudflare Ray ID: 7dfceccd3f1f469e Continuously monitor the attack surface and investigate abnormal activity that may indicate lateral movement of a threat actor or malware. Can you communicate better? Every CVE Record added to the list is assigned and published by a CNA. In the last quarter of 2022, these groups used ransomware to exploit 21 of these vulnerabilities. Such tools scan encrypted files and check within their databases if there is an available decryption key. June 30, 2023. Security researchers have compiled a list of vulnerabilities that are much often abused by ransomware groups and their partners. Within the first two hours of the attack, hackers obtained about 100 GB of sensitive data. Sign up for a free, 14-day trial to discover how Crashtest Securitys automated scanning helps prevent ransomware attacks proactively. 5884 Researchers at Cyber Security Works, Ivanti, and Cyware identify new vulnerabilities, blindspots in popular network scanners, and emerging Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups in a joint ransomware report. The Midwest has the highest number of exposed internal assets, while the Northeast has the greatest number of high-risk services. Access control flaws allow hackers to exploit public-facing applications by assuming the identities of recognized users, making it hard to detect intrusion until it is too late. Create policies that meet your exact needs; Full compliance and CVE/CVSS audit trail; Gain extensive vulnerability intelligence. This product is provided subject to thisNotificationand thisPrivacy & Usepolicy. All Rights Reserved. Today, CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and international partners released Understanding Ransomware Threat Actors: LockBit, a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to help organizations understand and defend against threat actors using LockBit, the most globally used and prolific Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) in 2022 and 2023. Australian organizations: visit cyber.gov.au or call 1300 292 371 (1300 CYBER 1) to report cybersecurity incidents and access alerts and advisories. CVE-2018-8453 is a 2018 vulnerability in the win32k.sys component of Windows. The hotel chain targeted a ransomware attack on 1st December 2021. Malware is an attack vector installed on a target machine to perform malicious activities over a corporate network and IT devices. This joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) was coauthored by cybersecurity authorities of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom: the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NZ NCSC), and United Kingdoms National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK). For the top vulnerabilities exploited in 2020, see joint CSA, For the top exploited vulnerabilities 2016 through 2019, see joint CSA. Have you increased telemetry and helpdesk processes to better be alerted to issues before they occur? Check Point reportedsimilar trends in remote access. U.S., Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and UK cybersecurity authorities assess, in 2021, malicious cyber actors aggressively targeted newly disclosed critical software vulnerabilities against broad target sets, including public and private sector organizations worldwide. Your results will be the relevant CVE Records. According to a cyber official, the hackers gained access to their systems 48 hours before the attack through phishing emails. Ransomware gangs are still breaching organizations around the globe fairly easily. External backups are also recommended to be hosted on-site or on the cloud. In March 2020, government and medical organizations were targeted with attacks trying to leverage this 2012 vulnerability by sending a rich text format (RTF) document named 20200323-sitrep-63-covid-19.doc, which, when opened, attempted to deliver EDA2 ransomware by exploiting a known buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2012-0158) in Microsofts ListView / TreeView ActiveX controls in MSCOMCTL.OCX library.. which may include a variety of ransomware. As a result, the web page can not be displayed. Ransomware attackers crippled the payroll administrator, resulting in many employees getting inaccurate pay while others failed to get any wages. The ISC has patched three vulnerabilities affecting multiple versions of the BIND 9 DNS software toolset. Most of the flaws have already been exploited and abused by various ransomware groups in previous and active attacks. They kept up this activity during the COVID-19 crisis, targeting MSPs and other targets like local governments.. The most aggressive forms of ransomware attacks exploit an existing vulnerability as a starting point. Combating ransomware has been placed at the top of the agenda for world leaders because of the rising toll being placed on organizations, communities and individuals. The exploitation of older vulnerabilities demonstrates the continued risk to organizations that fail to patch software in a timely manner or are using software that is no longer supported by a vendor. Use a centralized patch management system. Reputable MSPs can patch applicationssuch as webmail, file storage, file sharing, and chat and other employee collaboration toolsfor their customers. Clop, the ransomware gang responsible for exploiting a critical security vulnerability in a popular corporate file transfer tool, has begun listing victims of the mass-hacks, including a number of . CVE-2021-30116, CVE-2021-30119, and CVE-2021-30120 These are the vulnerabilities that let Kaseya's network to be breached by Revil Ransomware.