Tag: vulnerability

Lenovo Discovers and Removes Backdoor In Networking Switches

An anonymous reader writes: Lenovo engineers have discovered a backdoor in the firmware of RackSwitch and BladeCenter networking switches. The company released firmware updates last week. The Chinese company said it found the backdoor after an internal security audit of firmware for products added to its portfolio following the acquisitions of other companies. Lenovo says the backdoor affects only RackSwitch and BladeCenter switches running ENOS (Enterprise Network Operating System). The backdoor was added to ENOS in 2004 when ENOS was maintained by Nortel’s Blade Server Switch Business Unit (BSSBU). Lenovo claims Nortel appears to have authorized the addition of the backdoor “at the request of a BSSBU OEM customer.” In a security advisory regarding this issue, Lenovo refers to the backdoor under the name of “HP backdoor.” The backdoor code appears to have remained in the firmware even after Nortel spun BSSBU off in 2006 as BLADE Network Technologies (BNT). The backdoor also remained in the code even after IBM acquired BNT in 2010. Lenovo bought IBM’s BNT portfolio in 2014. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Lenovo Discovers and Removes Backdoor In Networking Switches

AMD Is Releasing Spectre Firmware Updates To Fix CPU Vulnerabilities

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: AMD’s initial response to the Meltdown and Spectre CPU flaws made it clear “there is a near zero risk to AMD processors.” That zero risk doesn’t mean zero impact, as we’re starting to discover today. “We have defined additional steps through a combination of processor microcode updates and OS patches that we will make available to AMD customers and partners to further mitigate the threat, ” says Mark Papermaster, AMD’s chief technology officer. AMD is making firmware updates available for Ryzen and EPYC owners this week, and the company is planning to update older processors “over the coming weeks.” Like Intel, these firmware updates will be provided to PC makers, and it will be up to suppliers to ensure customers receive these. AMD isn’t saying whether there will be any performance impacts from applying these firmware updates, nor whether servers using EPYC processors will be greatly impacted or not. AMD is also revealing that its Radeon GPU architecture isn’t impacted by Meltdown or Spectre, simply because those GPUs “do not use speculative execution and thus are not susceptible to these threats.” AMD says it plans to issue further statements as it continues to develop security updates for its processors. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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AMD Is Releasing Spectre Firmware Updates To Fix CPU Vulnerabilities

Microsoft Disables Word DDE Feature To Prevent Further Malware Attacks

An anonymous reader writes: As part of the December 2017 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has shipped an Office update that disables the DDE feature in Word applications, after several malware campaigns have abused this feature to install malware. DDE stands for Dynamic Data Exchange, and this is an Office feature that allows an Office application to load data from other Office applications. For example, a Word file can update a table by pulling data from an Excel file every time the Word file is opened. DDE is an old feature, which Microsoft has superseded via the newer Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) toolkit, but DDE is still supported by Office applications. The December Patch Tuesday disables DDE only in Word, but not Excel or Outlook. The reason is that several cybercrime and spam groups have jumped on this technique, which is much more effective at running malicious code when compared to macros or OLE objects, as it requires minimal interaction with a UI popup that many users do not associate with malware. For Outlook and Excel, Microsoft has published instructions on how users can disable DDE on their own, if they don’t want this feature enabled. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Microsoft Disables Word DDE Feature To Prevent Further Malware Attacks

Russian hackers steal $10 million from ATMs through bank networks

The recent rash of bank system hacks goes deeper than you might have thought — it also includes stealing cash directly from ATMs. Researchers at Group-iB have published details of MoneyTaker, a group of Russian hackers that has stolen close to $10 million from American and Russian ATMs over the past 18 months. The attacks, which targeted 18 banks (15 of which were American), compromised interbank transfer systems to hijack payment orders — “money mules” would then withdraw the funds at machines. The first known attack was in the spring of 2016, when MoneyTaker hit First Data’s STAR network (the largest transfer messaging system for ATMs in the US). They also compromised Russia’s AW CRB network, and swiped documents for OceanSystems’ Fed Link system used by roughly 200 banks across the Americas. And in some cases, the group stuck around after the initial heist — at least one US bank’s documents were stolen twice, while the perpetrators kept spying on Russian bank networks. While it’s not clear who’s behind MoneyTaker, you’re only hearing about them now because they’re particularly clever. They’ve repeatedly switched their tools and methods to bypass software, and have taken care to erase their tracks. For instance, they’ve ‘borrowed’ security certificates from the US federal government, Bank of America, Microsoft and Yahoo. One Russian bank did manage to spot an attack and return some of the ill-gotten gains. This particular hack didn’t directly affect users, since it was more about intercepting bank-to-bank transfers than emptying personal accounts. However, it illustrates both the sophistication of modern bank hacks and the vulnerability of the banks themselves. While it would be difficult to completely prevent hacks, it’s clear that attackers are having a relatively easy time making off with funds and sensitive data. Via: Reuters Source: Group-iB (reg. required)

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Russian hackers steal $10 million from ATMs through bank networks

TorMoil Vulnerability Leaks Real IP Address From Tor Browser Users; Security Update Released

Catalin Cimpanu, reporting for BleepingComputer: The Tor Project has released a security update for the Tor Browser on Mac and Linux to fix a vulnerability that leaks users’ real IP addresses. The vulnerability was spotted by Filippo Cavallarin, CEO of We Are Segment, an Italian company specialized in cyber-security and ethical hacking. Cavallarin privately reported the issue — which he codenamed TorMoil — to the Tor Project last week. Tor Project developers worked with the Firefox team (Tor Browser is based on the Firefox browser) to release a fix. Today, the Tor team released version 7.0.9 to address the vulnerability. Tor Browser 7.0.9 is only available for Mac and Linux users. Tor Browser on Windows is not affected. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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TorMoil Vulnerability Leaks Real IP Address From Tor Browser Users; Security Update Released

Critical Flaws In Maritime Communications System Could Endanger Entire Ships

Orome1 shares a report from Help Net Security: IOActive security consultant Mario Ballano has discovered two critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities affecting Stratos Global’s AmosConnect communication shipboard platform. The platform works in conjunction with the ships’ satellite equipment, and integrates vessel and shore-based office applications, as well as provides services like Internet access for the crew, email, IM, position reporting, etc. The first vulnerability is a blind SQL injection in a login form. Attackers that successfully exploit it can retrieve credentials to log into the service and access sensitive information stored in it. The second one is a built-in backdoor account with full system privileges. “Among other things, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute commands with SYSTEM privileges on the remote system by abusing AmosConnect Task Manager, ” Bellano shared. The found flaws can be exploited only by an attacker that has access to the ship’s IT systems network, he noted, but on some ships the various networks might not be segmented, or AmosConnect might be exposed to one or more of them. The vulnerabilities were found in AmosConnect 8.4.0, and Stratos Global was notified a year ago. But Inmarsat won’t fix them, and has discontinued the 8.0 version of the platform in June 2017. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Critical Flaws In Maritime Communications System Could Endanger Entire Ships

Microsoft Has Already Fixed the Wi-Fi Attack Vulnerability; Android Will Be Patched Within Weeks

Microsoft says it has already fixed the problem for customers running supported versions of Windows. From a report: “We have released a security update to address this issue, ” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “Customers who apply the update, or have automatic updates enabled, will be protected. We continue to encourage customers to turn on automatic updates to help ensure they are protected.” Microsoft is planning to publish details of the update later today. While it looks like Android and Linux devices are affected by the worst part of the vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to manipulate websites, Google has promised a fix for affected devices “in the coming weeks.” Google’s own Pixel devices will be the first to receive fixes with security patch level of November 6, 2017, but most other handsets are still well behind even the latest updates. Security researchers claim 41 percent of Android devices are vulnerable to an “exceptionally devastating” variant of the Wi-Fi attack that involves manipulating traffic, and it will take time to patch older devices. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Microsoft Has Already Fixed the Wi-Fi Attack Vulnerability; Android Will Be Patched Within Weeks

Some phones and laptops are vulnerable to ‘BlueBorne’ exploit

Armis security has identified a new vulnerability in computers and mobile devices that leaves them susceptible to attack via Bluetooth. The exploit, dubbed “BlueBorne, ” doesn’t require user permission or to even pair with devices — it can simply connect over the air and access networks or install malware. Armis previously alerted most affected parties back in April, but as of today, it’s mostly Android devices that remain vulnerable to attack. There are technically several distinct attack vectors spread across current mobile operating systems. As Armis noted in its BlueBorne info page, Apple’s iOS beyond version 9.3.5 are vulnerable, but that vector was ironed out in iOS 10. Microsoft released an update today to all Windows versions that closes the vulnerability, with details listed here . Google’s Android, however, is spread across so much hardware that the onus to update falls on third-party manufacturers, who might not patch out the vulnerability in time. For its part, Google released protective patches for Nougat (7.0) and Marshmallow (6.0) as part of its September security update . “We have released security updates for these issues, and will continue working with other affected platforms across the industry to develop protections that help keep users safe, ” a Google spokesperson told Engadget. The other wildcard here: Linux-based devices. Armis informed Linux device operators of the vulnerability very late (last month, as opposed to back in April when it divulged to the other mobile OS providers). Accordingly, Armis wasn’t aware of patches for Linux operating systems, meaning anything running BlueZ are vulnerable to one of the vectors, while those with Linux version 3.3-rc1 can be attacked by another. This includes Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch, its smart TVs and family hub. While using Bluetooth is a canny way to automatically infiltrate user devices without permission, it means BlueBorne is bound by the signal frequency’s short range, and only affects devices with Bluetooth turned on. But since the exploit is so different to the typical attack vector, users wouldn’t even be alerted if their device gets compromised, leading to a hypothetical nightmare scenario (detailed in the video below) wherein a user spreads the “infection” to vulnerable phones and tablets simply by walking in their vicinity. Worried your device might be vulnerable? Check Armis’ page on the exploit along with the respective white paper (PDF) explaining BlueBorne in detail. Via: The Verge Source: Armis , US-CERT

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Some phones and laptops are vulnerable to ‘BlueBorne’ exploit

Hackers Have Penetrated Energy Grid, Symantec Warns

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Fortune: Hackers have been burrowing their way inside the critical infrastructure of energy and other companies in the U.S. and elsewhere, warns cybersecurity giant Symantec. In a new report, Symantec claims that the threat of cyberattack-induced power outages in the west has elevated from a theoretical concern to a legitimate one in recent months. “We’re talking about activity we’re seeing on actual operational networks that control the actual power grid, ” Eric Chien, technical director of security technology and response at Symantec, told Fortune on a call. Reports surfaced over the summer of hackers targeting staff at nuclear energy facilities with phishing attacks, designed to steal login credentials or install malware on machines. The extent of the campaign as well as the question of whether the attackers had breached operational IT networks, rather than merely administrative ones, was unclear at the time. Symantec is now erasing all doubt. “There are no more technical hurdles for them to cause some sort of disruption, ” Chien said of the hackers. “All that’s left is really motivation.” Symantec detailed its findings in a report released Wednesday morning. The paper tracks the exploits of a hacker group that Symantec has dubbed DragonFly 2.0, an outfit that the company says it has linked to an earlier series of attacks perpetrated between 2011 and 2014 by a group it dubbed DragonFly. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Hackers Have Penetrated Energy Grid, Symantec Warns

Vulnerability Discovered In Latest Ubuntu Distributions, Users Advised To Update

Celarent Darii writes: There is a vulnerability in the latest ubuntu distributions due to the DNS resolver included in systemd. The inclusion of the dns resolver was lamented by many on the mailing list, not without cause. All are advised to update their distribution. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Vulnerability Discovered In Latest Ubuntu Distributions, Users Advised To Update