Date: 5/23/2022
CISA is releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to warn organizations that malicious cyber actors, likely advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, are exploiting CVE-2022-22954 and CVE-2022-22960 separately and in combination. These vulnerabilities affect certain versions of VMware Workspace ONE Access, VMware Identity Manager (vIDM), VMware vRealize Automation (vRA), VMware Cloud Foundation, and vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager
Exploiting these vulnerabilities permits malicious actors to trigger a server-side template injection that may result in remote code execution (RCE) (CVE-2022-22954) or escalation of privileges to root (CVE-2022-22960).
If administrators discover system compromise, CISA recommends they:
Immediately isolate affected systems.
Collect and review relevant logs, data, and artifacts.
Consider soliciting support from a third-party incident response organization to provide subject matter expertise, ensure the actor is eradicated from the network, and avoid residual issues that could enable follow-on exploitation.
Report incidents to CISA via CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center (report@cisa.gov or 888-282-0870)
CISA recommends organizations update impacted VMware products to the latest version or remove impacted versions from organizational networks. CISA does not endorse alternative mitigation options. As noted in ED 22-03 Mitigate VMware Vulnerabilities, CISA expects malicious cyber actors to quickly develop a capability to exploit newly released vulnerabilities CVE-2022-22972 and CVE-2022-22973 in the same impacted VMware products. ED 22-03 directs all Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies to enumerate all instances of impacted VMware products and deploy updates in VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0014 or to remove the affected software from the agency network until the updates can be applied.
Sources
https://us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/aa22-138b
ED 22-03 Mitigate VMware Vulnerabilities
VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0011
VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0014
RansomEXX is a ransomware variant that gained notoriety after a spate of attacks in 2020 and continues to be active today. Via security company Trend Micro, lets look at RansomEXX’s tactics, techniques, and procedures.
This marks the first time a major Windows ransomware strain has been ported to Linux to aid hackers in their targeted intrusions.
The ransomware has been used in attacks against the Texas Department of Transportation, Konica Minolta, US government contractor Tyler Technologies, Montreal’s public transportation system, and, most recently, against Brazil’s court system (STJ).
RansomEXX is what security researchers call a “big-game hunter” or “human-operated ransomware.” These two terms are used to describe ransomware groups that hunt large targets in search for big paydays, knowing that some companies or government agencies can’t afford to stay down while they recover their systems.
In recent months, in many incidents, some ransomware gangs haven’t bothered encrypting workstations, and have first and foremost, targeted crucial servers inside a company’s network, knowing that by taking down these systems first, companies wouldn’t be able to access their centralized data troves, even if workstations were unaffected.
The RansomEXX gang creating a Linux version of their Windows ransomware is in tune with how many companies operate today, with many firms running internal systems on Linux, and not always on Windows Server.
Configuring systems to detect RansomEXX Linux variants isn’t a solid strategy because of the way big-game hunter ransomware crews operate. By the time attackers deploy the ransomware, they already own most of a company’s network. The best strategy companies can take against these types of intrusions is to secure network perimeters by applying security patches to gateway devices and by making sure they are not misconfigured with weak or default credentials.
Further learning from this campaign indicates that users should only download files from trusted and legitimate sources to prevent the entry of malicious files into their system. Users should avoid enabling macros and should be wary of documents that prompt them to do so.
Sources
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/the-state-of-ransomware-2020-s-catch-22
https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-version-of-ransomexx-ransomware-discovered/
https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-profiles/gold-dupont
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/ransomware-spotlight/ransomware-spotlight-ransomexx
On May 17, 2022, the ShadowServer Foundation reported finding 380,000 Kubernetes API (Application Programming Interface) instances exposed on the internet. Kubernetes is a popular framework used to automate administration of cloud services. The Foundation stated that “it is likely that this level of access was not intended, and these instances are an unnecessarily exposed attack surface”.
The GreyCastle Security Incident Response Team (GCSIRT) often finds that attackers gain their initial foothold into victim networks through administrative portals exposed to the internet. In many cases, victims are unaware that these portals were exposed before attacks were underway.
Often, administrative APIs or portals are exposed to the internet in the course of service setup, configuration changes, or testing. For example, if an administrator is setting up a VPN tunnel between two firewalls, she might expose the administrative interfaces on these firewalls to the internet so that the VPN tunnel can be set up. After setup is finished, she should disable internet access to the firewall admin interfaces. Exposing an administrative API or portal to the internet should be a conscious decision. Whenever possible, services such as these should be kept on a private network, requiring a VPN connection to gain access. If administrative portals must be exposed to the internet, they should be protected by multi-factor authentication. Organizations should regularly scan all information assets for vulnerabilities, and review any informational findings, which should enumerate all exposed services.
Sources
Over 380 000 open Kubernetes API servers | The Shadowserver Foundation
QNAP devices exposed to the Internet are being targeted by threat actors deploying the Deadbolt variant of ransomware. This new wave of attacks is the third time since the beginning of 2022 that publicly accessible QNAP devices are being targeting by this variant.
Execution of Deadbolt ransomware will encrypt all files stored on the targeted QNAP device. There may also be crypto miners or backdoors dropped by the threat actors.
Targeted devices are TS-x51 series and TS-x53 series appliances running on QTS 4.3.6 and QTS 4.4.1. Customers are urged to check and update QTS to the latest version and avoid exposing the devices to the Internet.
Sources
https://thehackernews.com/2022/05/qnap-urges-users-to-update-nas-devices.html
For strategic clients, your vCISO will add this to your next Office Hours for further discussion. However, if you have an immediate need, concern, or question, please reach out to them directly.
For non-strategic clients, please reach out to your Advisor for further discussion.
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Ho Chin is Chief Financial Officer at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Ho leads Finance, HR, IT and Professional Development. As part of the executive leadership team, Ho works to establish the company’s overall strategy and ensure proper execution of the supporting initiatives pertaining to the above areas of responsibility.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Ho led finance and administrative functions at multiple private equity and venture-backed portfolio companies across multiple industries. Ho holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University in Centre County, Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Michael Stamas is an entrepreneur, board member, Vice President and a founder of GreyCastle Security. With more than two decades of experience in the technology sector, Mike pairs his management and business development skills with a deep understanding of cybersecurity. Mike brings a unique brand of risk-based advising to GreyCastle clients and prospects.
Mike holds certifications in numerous security and technology related areas, including the Department of Homeland Security and other security technologies like Symantec, Cisco and Microsoft.
Mike plays an active role in his community and serves as a board member and Vice President of InfraGard Albany as well as an advisory board position with the Capital Region YMCA.
Mike has been recognized for his numerous achievements through various honors including the Albany Business Review’s prestigious 40 Under 40 award.
Dan Kalil is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board Chairman at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Dan provides vision, leadership and strategies that drive GreyCastle Security’s position as an industry leader. With an emphasis on customer success, Dan’s profitable growth model leverages a customer-centric business approach that balances employee wellbeing and social responsibility.
Prior to becoming CEO, Dan served as the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, during which he supported multiple acquisitions and helped the organization achieve substantial sales growth. In addition to serving as CEO at GreyCastle Security, Dan continues to hold the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Assured information Security (AIS) in Rome, New York, a company he co-founded in 2001.
Over the course of the last 22 years, Dan has been committed to advancing the state of cybersecurity and has played an instrumental role in the identification and development of critical, next-generation cyber capabilities. He has held positions in almost every facet of cybersecurity, beginning as a computer forensic examiner and progressing through the management and executive leadership ranks. In addition to co-founding AIS, Dan has facilitated multiple cybersecurity startups, raised investment capital and has served in various lead and support roles toward the acquisition of five companies in the last eight years.
Dan has a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Utica College in Utica, New York.
Dan Maynard serves as GreyCastle Security’s Chief Operating Officer, where he currently leads Sales, Marketing and Legal.
Dan has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industry, during which time he has held various leadership positions for organizations such as Rochester Tel/RCI, Citizens Communications (Frontier), PAETEC Communications, IntegraOptics, tw telecom/Level3 and Centurylink.
In addition to various voice and data technology platforms, he possesses a strong background in leadership development, sales and marketing leadership, transformational leadership and strategic planning. Dan has a thirst for knowledge and as a committed lifelong learner, he encourages and supports professional development initiatives for his teams and continues his involvement with Vistage International.
Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he was selected as a member of their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
When not at work, Dan enjoys traveling, golfing, attending Utica Comets hockey games and relaxing in the Adirondacks on beautiful Canada Lake with family and friends.
Dan Didier is the Vice President of Solutions and board member at GreyCastle Security.
Dan has been a cybersecurity practitioner for more than 20 years and uses his knowledge and experience to develop cybersecurity solutions that ensure readiness and preparedness.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in Information Assurance from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
Our Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) have responded to hundreds of breaches, intrusions, malware infections, thefts, employee investigations, fraud cases and other incidents. Our highly-certified experts have extensive experience in command, coordination and correction of incidents in nearly every industry throughout North America, from local businesses to Fortune 500 international conglomerates.
800-403-8350Francesca LoPorto-Brandow is Director of Culture at GreyCastle Security. In this role, Francesca leads all social responsibility efforts and partnerships and develops effective strategies that promote organizational-wide behaviors and attitudes consistent with a culture of safety, inclusion, teamwork, motivation and high-performance.
Prior to this role, Francesca was Director of People & Culture at GreyCastle and with her leadership, the company’s culture has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Nationally recognized Best Workplace, Albany Business Review Best Places to Work and Albany Times Union Top Workplaces.
Before joining GreyCastle Security, Francesca worked as an OD consultant and focused on strategic culture change at The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Inc. for more than six years. There, she facilitated client education sessions, coached leaders and teams, developed and executed consulting interventions and served as strategy project leader on various client engagements. Her work has taken her into Fortune 100 companies and across borders including Panama, Singapore and beyond.
Francesca is a Lean Six Sigma–certified Green Belt, a proud YWCA-GCR board member and in 2013, she coordinated and emceed the inaugural TEDx Troy—a livestream of TEDCity 2.0. Since 2012, she has coordinated and emceed the Troy 100 Forum, a biannual forum for government, religious and community leaders to discuss issues vital to the future of Troy, New York.
Bilingual in English and Italian, Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Technology from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lally School of Management & Technology. She was awarded Cybersecurity Recruiter of the year North America in 2017 by the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.
Jamie Aiello is Senior Vice President of Services and Product Management at GreyCastle Security. In this position, Jamie is responsible for leading a high performing and well-balanced team that is ultimately responsible for the identification, selection, execution and successful performance of our company’s diverse portfolio of cybersecurity offerings.
Prior to joining GreyCastle Security, Jamie has held leadership positions with Annese and Associates, ConvergeOne and BlueSky IT Partners with a focus on delivering cost effective information technology solutions for companies across multiple verticals.
Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina and a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.
