Latest Chrome Update Highlights Numerous Vulnerabilities

Chrome, Ophtek, Updates, zero-day, , ,
30
Aug 2022

Chrome is the most popular web browser on the market by far, but its success is no guarantee of being free from vulnerabilities as a new update shows.

No piece of software is created perfectly, so there’s always a need to update and refine applications. In particular, security vulnerabilities are one of the most common issues which software designers find themselves needing to go back and solve. And this is because threat actors will use all their resources to discover even the tiniest chink in an application’s armor. Once this has been discovered, they’re presented with the opportunity to bypass security and exploit the software.

Chrome’s latest update comes packed full of functionality upgrades, but also 11 security fixes. As it’s likely your organization regularly works with Chrome, we’re going to look at what this patch offers you.

What is Chrome’s Latest Update?

The latest update from Chrome – details of how to install it are here – delivers a variety of fixes which include:

  • A zero-day vulnerability – tagged as CVE-2022-2856 – which has allowed hackers to take advantage of a flaw in Web Intents, a process which allows web apps to connect with web services.
  • Several ‘use-after-free’ vulnerabilities, these are flaws that are usually opened when an application fails to clear its memory when used. This scenario provides a foothold to threat actors looking to breach security.
  • A heap buffer overload vulnerability relating to downloads made through Chrome, a vulnerability which allows memory corruption to open a backdoor for threat actors.

t only takes one vulnerability to compromise a PC, so the need to patch 11 vulnerabilities strikes a major blow to Chrome’s reputation. To make matters worse, this is the fifth zero-day vulnerability Chrome have had to issue in 2022. Digging deeper into the contents of the update, it also becomes apparent that ‘use-after-free’ errors are a significant problem within Chrome at present.

Is Chrome Safe to Use?

Computer Keyboard with symbolic padlock key

Chrome will continue to work even without the latest update. However, the protection at its disposal will be lacking any substantial strength. There’s a chance, of course, you won’t fall victim to a cyber-attack which exploits these flaws, but do you really want to take a chance? The sensible answer is: NO! And, although Chrome haven’t released any specific details about these latest vulnerabilities, you can bet your bottom dollar that hackers will now be focusing their attention on Chrome.

Therefore, it’s crucial you install this latest Chrome update as soon as possible. Even if your organization’s preference is, for example, to use the Edge browser, you need to update Chrome if it’s present on your PCs. This is the only way to ensure that security gaps are plugged. Naturally, there will be further vulnerabilities which remain unidentified, but you can only deal with threats which are known. Chrome, on the whole, is a reputable and safe browser, you just need to make sure that automatic updates are activated.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Cuba Ransomware Collects Over $40 Million in Ransom Fees

Backup, Cuba ransomware, Ophtek, Phishing, Ransomware, Updates, , , , ,
23
Aug 2022

Using a new remote access trojan, threat actors behind the Cuba ransomware have amassed ransom payments estimated to be close to $44 million.

Over the past five years, countless headlines have been generated by the damage caused by ransomware attacks. Not only do they compromise access to your organization’s data, but they also have the potential to inflict painful financial damage. To make matters worse, these attacks are evolving to become more powerful and harder to prevent. In fact, on many occasions (and as we’ll see with the Cuba ransomware) these evolutions will take place over a matter of months.

Ransomware, therefore, is a very real threat to your organization’s IT network, so it’s important that you understand exactly how the Cuba ransomware operates.

What is the Cuba Ransomware?

Cuba was first detected in late 2019 before disappearing from the frontline and returning two years later in November 2021. Evidence of the Cuba ransomware has been detected in around 60 ransomware attacks, with 40 of these victims revealed to be US-based. Cuba is delivered to PCs through the Hancitor loader, a type of malware which is used to download and execute additional malware e.g. remote access trojans. Hancitor makes its way onto PCs through a variety of means such as phishing emails, stolen login credentials and software vulnerabilities.

Since Cuba first emerged onto the digital landscape, it has undergone a series of significant changes. The most notable changes have seen it terminating more processes before it locks files, widening the range of file types it encrypts and, believe it or not, enhancing its support options for victims wanting to pay. Cuba has also been observed operating a backdoor trojan called ROMCOM RAT, a piece of malware which deletes files and logs data to a remote server.

Protecting Yourself Against the Cuba Ransomware

With Cuba collecting ransom payments of over $40 million, it’s clear to see Cuba is a dangerously effective threat. It’s also important to point out there is currently no known decryption tool available to combat Cuba’s encryption methods. Accordingly, you need to be on your guard against this threat and any similar attacks. Therefore, make sure you practice the following:

  • Install updates: Cuba has the power to exploit software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to computer networks, so it’s crucial that you always install updates as soon as possible. The install process for updates can feel time consuming, but when you have the option to automate these installations, there’s no reason this shouldn’t take place.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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ZuoRAT Malware: A New Threat to Routers

malware, Ophtek, router, security, Trojans, Updates, ZuoRAT Malware, , , , , , ,
05
Jul 2022

Small businesses rely on routers to keep themselves and their customers connected. But this relationship could now be at risk due to the ZuoRAT malware.

For online communication to work, data needs to move from one computer network to another. And this is exactly what a router does. By directing traffic across the internet, a router can be used to deliver emails, transfer files and stream videos between PCs. Without a router, you simply won’t be able to send or receive data. So, as you can see, they’re an essential part of any small organization’s IT network. Unfortunately, this is the type of IT necessity which hackers love to interfere with. And the ZuoRAT malware does this with a disturbingly sophisticated ease.

The Lowdown on ZuoRAT

ZuoRAT is a strain of malware which takes advantage of vulnerabilities in routers produced by the popular manufacturers Cisco, Netgear, DrayTek and Asus. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, ZuoRAT can access local area networks (LAN) and harvest network traffic from the infected devices. This information is then transmitted to a remote ‘command and control’ server, so, for example, any login credentials which pass through your router will be transmitted to the hacker’s server.

However, ZuoRAT doesn’t stop at hijacking LAN traffic; it downloads additional malware in the form of two further remote access trojans (RAT). These RATs are used to infect devices connected to the network and facilitate the spread of the infection even further. This could, in theory, lead to the infected network being converted into a botnet or, worse still, allow the spread of ransomware across the network.

Although ZuoRAT is relatively new, it has been active in the digital wild since April 2020, and this has given it plenty of time to exploit a wide range of routers. It’s also important to point out that ZuoRAT made its debut at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that it targets SOHO (small office/home office) routers, ZuoRAT was perfectly placed to attack employees who were working at home with limited IT support. As a result, it has been presented with an opportunity to steal sensitive data with relative ease.

Protecting Your Network from ZuoRAT

Due to the way in which it was designed – a custom build through the complex MIPS architecture – ZuoRAT is not detected by conventional anti-malware software. Therefore, if you own a router made by the affected manufacturers, it’s crucial that you make sure the associated software is up-to-date and fully patched. As ever, monitoring network traffic is a smart move as this will allow you to flag up any suspicious activity.

Final Thoughts

Threats such as ZuoRAT present numerous problems to organizations, most notably due to their multi-pronged attack strategy and stealthy nature. However, it also demonstrates a perfect example of why you need to manage updates relating to your IT equipment. Implementing an upgrade strategy which takes advantage of automated processes has never been more important.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Email Threads Are Being Hijacked to Spread Malware

attachments, email links, fake emails, Hijacks, multi factor authentication, Ophtek, Updates, , , , , ,
12
Apr 2022

A new method for spreading malware online has been discovered, and it involves taking advantage of email threads to deploy malware loaders.

Email threads can quickly build, especially if there are more than two participants. As such, it can be difficult to keep up with who is saying what and, crucially, who is attaching files to the thread. Accordingly, this creates the perfect scenario for threat actors to get involved and turn the situation to their advantage. And, as a result of a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange servers, this is exactly what has been happening.

If you work in any modern organization, the chances are that you use email on, at least, an hourly basis to keep up to date with the rest of the world. Therefore, this new threat is one that you need to understand.

How Email Threads are Being Hijacked

This latest campaign is particularly deceptive and relies on the presence of unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers. This email service is commonly used by businesses to synchronize email between an Exchanger server and an email client e.g. Outlook. The vulnerability offered up by these unpatched servers allows hackers to harvest login credentials; the threat actors are then presented with the opportunity to illegally access specific email accounts. Once they are logged in, the hackers can view all the email threads that the account is involved with.

By viewing the various email threads, the hacker can then decide which is best to launch their attack through. All they have to do is choose an email thread and start replying to it. More crucially, they will also attach some infected attachments. These are packaged within a ZIP archive and comprise an ISO file which contains both a DLL file and an LNK file. Once the LNK file is activated, it will run the DLL file and activate the IcedID malware loader. IcedID is a well-known banking trojan which can steal financial information, login credentials and start the installation of further malware.

Protecting Your Emails

First and foremost, it’s vital that you install new updates as soon as they are available. This will instantly minimize the chances of vulnerabilities being exploited on your network. Fail to implement these upgrades, however, and you could fall victim to attacks such as the one we have been discussing. In addition to this, it also pays to take notice of the following:

  • Verify Any Email Attachments: if, in the middle of an email thread, a suspicious file attachment suddenly appears, verify it with the person it appears to have been sent by. However, do not do this over email; if the email account has been compromised then the hacker will simply confirm it is genuine. Instead, speak in-person or over the phone to the sender to get confirmation.
  • Use Multi-Factor Authentication: one of the simplest ways to reduce the impact of stolen login credentials is by strengthening the login procedure with multi-factor authentication. This approach will provide an extra layer of security and ensure that any threat actors will struggle to navigate their way through it.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Windows Update Being Used to Deliver Malware

anti malware, Lazarus, Ophtek, Security, spear phishing, Updates, , , , ,
08
Feb 2022

Updates are crucial for protecting your PC, so Windows Update is a useful ally in this objective. But what happens when it starts downloading malware?

News has emerged that hackers have exploited the Windows Update system to execute malicious code on users’ PCs. It’s an attack which is typical of hackers as it’s innovative, deceptive and dangerous. Currently, the perpetrators of the attack appear to be Lazarus, a hacking group who are backed by North Korea. Dozens of cyberattacks have been attributed to Lazarus – such as the ThreatNeedle hack – over the last decade, so it should come as no surprise that this latest attack is a serious threat.

At Ophtek, we’ve always advised you that updates are the best way to protect your PC. And this remains the case. However, this exploit of the Windows Update service provides a cautionary tale, so we’re going to take a closer look at it.

Why is Windows Update Downloading Malware?

Lazarus have chosen the Windows Update client as a facilitator in its attack as it’s a highly trusted piece of software. After all, the main consensus of updates is that they protect your PC, so why suspect Windows Update of anything else? However, it’s this type of assumption which leads to threats developing.

This latest attack employs a spear-phishing technique which uses infected Microsoft Word documents, these false email attachments claim to be offering job opportunities at the aerospace firm Lockheed Johnson. However, far from containing opportunities for the recipients, these infected documents only contain opportunities for Lazarus. Once the Word documents are opened, users are prompted to activate macros. And this allows Lazarus to automatically install a fake Windows Update link in the PCs startup folder as well as downloading a malicious .dll file.

This Windows Update link is then used to load the malicious .dll through the Windows Update client. The hackers use this approach as it’s innovative and won’t get picked up by anti-malware tools. Lazarus are then free to download as much malware as they like onto the infected PC.

How to Protect Your PCs Against this Threat

You may think that the simplest way to protect yourself is by turning off Windows Update, but we do not recommend this. The best approach involves ensuring that Windows Update can’t be exploited by Lazarus’ attack methods. And this requires you to understand the techniques involved in spear-phishing, so make sure you practice the following:

  • Awareness: the most important step you can take in tackling spear-phishing is by introducing awareness to your employees. Make sure that regular training is provided to educate your staff on what spear-phishing is and the ways in which it can manifest itself on a PC.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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