Author: blogmirnet

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its principal set of encryption algorithms designed to withstand cyberattacks from a quantum computer. 

Researchers around the world are racing to build quantum computers that would operate in radically different ways from ordinary computers and could break the current encryption that provides security and privacy for just about everything we do online. The algorithms announced today are specified in the first completed standards from NIST’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standardization project, and are ready for immediate use.

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Observed TA2725 Phishing Campaigns

Example of phishing email delivering Mispadu. Image Source: Proofpoint.

TA2725 is a financially motivated cyber threat actor that typically targets Latin America (LATAM) and some European countries. The group has its tactics and is now delivering Mispadu and Astaroth malware in phishing campaigns targeting the Garden State Network (GSN). TA2725 primarily targets finance, services, manufacturing, law firms, and commercial facilities and uses a multi-stage infection process. TA2725 historically exploited Windows SmartScreen vulnerabilities; however, their most recent campaign tactics include sending phishing emails with URLs that lead to malware download pages, distributing malware through zipped files (MSI, HTA, exe, etc.), and employing geofencing tactics. They typically target banking credentials, as well as credentials and payment data for popular consumer accounts such as Netflix and Amazon. Other banking malware distributed in past campaigns includes Ousaban Stealer and Grandoreiro trojans.

Example of phishing email delivering Astaroth. Image Source: Proofpoint.

Phishing emails observed in this campaign use banking transaction lures in Spanish that include links to a zip file containing an HTA file. The final malware payload is Mispadu, a LATAM malware loader that typically drops banking malware and remote access trojans. HTA stands for HTML Applications and executes media files; however, it can also be used for malicious purposes without a GUI. In phishing campaigns delivering Astaroth, TA2725 uses emails with Portuguese language lures related to CENPROT shared documents and tax lures containing a zipped LNK file that leads to the Astaroth malware.

Recommendations

Facilitate user awareness training to include these types of phishing-based techniques. Avoid clicking links and opening attachments in unsolicited emails. Confirm requests from senders via contact information obtained from verified and official sources. Review the Don’t Take the Bait! Phishing and Other Social Engineering Attacks NJCCIC product for more information on common phishing and social engineering attacks. Maintain robust and up-to-date endpoint detection tools on every endpoint. Consider leveraging behavior-based detection tools rather than signature-based tools. Phishing and other malicious cyber activity can be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC.

The NJCCIC observed an uptick in campaigns aiming to spread Formbook infostealing malware. Formbook is classified as malware-as-a-service (MaaS), though it was originally advertised as browser-logger software. Formbook can extract data from HTML forms and gain access to keystrokes, browsers auto-fill information, and clipboard data.

The email campaign spotted by Proofpoint included messages claiming to be Requests for Quotations (RFQ), purchasing orders, or invoices. The emails contained compressed executables that utilized Packager Shell Objects (OLE) to exploit vulnerabilities found in Equation Editor. After successful exploitation, LCG Kit downloads and installs Formbook, XLoader, Agent Tesla, and LokiBot. This is a new variation of a recurring campaign by the cyber threat group TA2536.

In May, security researchers discovered phishing attacks targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in Poland, Italy, and Romania. This campaign spread several malware types, including Formbook, Agent Tesla, and Remcos RAT . Threat actors imitated existing businesses and their employees to add legitimacy to their emails.

Recommendations

Avoid clicking links and opening attachments in unsolicited emails. Confirm requests from senders via contact information obtained from verified and official sources. Type official website URLs into browsers manually. Facilitate user awareness training to include these types of phishing-based techniques. Maintain robust and up-to-date endpoint detection tools on every endpoint. Consider leveraging behavior-based detection tools rather than signature-based tools.

The current state of heightened geopolitical unrest has led to nation-state threat actors launching cyberattacks to advance their political and economic agendas, thereby influencing and endangering critical information, as well as public safety and services. Recently exposed actions by advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and state-aligned hacking groups indicate an evolution in the cyber threat landscape and a fundamental shift in the goals and techniques of state-sponsored cyber operations. The main objectives of state-sponsored APT activities often involve strategic and industrial espionage, with their primary efforts focused on infiltrating systems to steal valuable data. However, recent changes in tactics, intensity, and expected outcomes were observed.

China

Increased tensions in the Asian Pacific region involving US allies like the Philippines and Taiwan have subsequently escalated cyber threat activity. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) modus operandi typically aims to position itself in systems to disrupt capabilities and could involve sabotaging critical infrastructure and industrial capacities, causing disruption and potential panic. A recent analysis report revealed that threat actors in the PRC-aligned cyberespionage ecosystem are engaging in an alarming trend of using ransomware as a final stage in their operations for financial gain, disruption, distraction, misattribution, or removal of evidence. Two clusters of activity involve ransomware or data encryption tooling – one linked to a suspected Chinese cyberespionage threat group, ChamelGang, and the second cluster resembling previous intrusions involving artifacts linked to suspected PRC and North Korean (DPRK) APT groups. Most affected organizations were primarily in the US, with manufacturing the most significantly impacted sector. Education, finance, healthcare, and legal sectors were also affected to a lesser degree. The use of ransomware by threat actors associated with the PRC and DPRK against government and critical infrastructure sectors denotes a shift in the intensity of cyber threats. Their dual objectives of financial gain and espionage underscore the need for heightened international cooperation and the implementation of robust defense strategies.

Another PRC State-sponsored cyber threat includes the hacking group Volt Typhoon, which has engaged in cyberespionage campaigns and aims to maintain a covert presence in networks while avoiding detection. There are concerns that the group is developing capabilities to disrupt critical infrastructure during future crises, posing a risk to various sectors, including communications, transportation, water and wastewater, energy, military, defense, and maritime in the US and its territories, such as Guam.

A joint international cybersecurity advisory from agencies and law enforcement across eight countries, including the US, warns of the recently observed tactics used by the PRC State-sponsored threat group APT40, also known as Kryptonite Panda and GINGHAM TYPHOON. This group conducts malicious cyber operations for the PRC Ministry of State Security (MSS) and is based in Haikou, Hainan Province, PRC.

Russia

Recorded Future analysts identified a likely Russian government-aligned influence network known as CopyCop has shifted its focus to the 2024 US elections. CopyCop creates and spreads political content using AI and inauthentic websites to disseminate targeted content through YouTube videos. In June, analysts discovered the network expanded its influential content sources to include mainstream news outlets in the US and UK, conservative-leaning US media, and Russian State-affiliated media. Within twenty-four hours of registering and posting the original articles, CopyCop scrapes, modifies, and disseminates content to US election-themed websites using over 1,000 fake journalist personas. Despite the content being generated rapidly, AI-generated content for this campaign was not observed being widely shared on social media platforms.

Earlier this year, Microsoft identified an ongoing cyberattack, cautioning that the Russian APT Midnight Blizzard (APT 29, Cozy Bear) continues to attempt to exploit various shared secrets for further attacks via email. Recent Microsoft notifications on social media reveal that the hack had a broader impact on the company’s customer base. Additionally, Midnight Blizzard was attributed to the recent cyberattack that breached the remote access software company TeamViewer. The company noted that the incident occurred on June 26 after their security team detected an irregularity in TeamViewer’s internal corporate IT environment.

The US intends to prohibit Kaspersky Labs antivirus software, a company headquartered in Moscow that serves 400 million users and 250,000 corporate customers globally, over national security concerns. The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) indicated that the ban will take effect on September 29. BIS reached this decision due to the potential influence of the Russian military and intelligence authorities on the company, which is subject to Russian Government jurisdiction. Individuals and businesses that continue to use existing Kaspersky products and services will not face legal penalties; however, any individual or business that continues to use Kaspersky products and services assumes all cybersecurity and associated risks, which could spell disaster with cyber insurance claims.

DPRK

Recently, American cybersecurity company KnowBe4 hired a Principal Software Engineer who was later discovered to be a DPRK State cyber threat actor who attempted to install information-stealing malware on the network. Despite passing background checks and interviews, the threat actor used a stolen identity and AI tools to deceive the hiring process. This type of impersonation and insider threat highlights the advanced tactics of DPRK nation-state threat actors’ attempts to infiltrate US companies.

A DPRK-linked cyberespionage group, now known as APT45, has expanded its operations to include financially motivated attacks involving ransomware. The group has used ransomware families known as SHATTEREDGLASS and Maui to target organizations in South Korea, Japan, and the US. This shift in focus emphasizes the importance of staying updated on threat intelligence to address current threats.

Kimsuky is a DPRK APT cyber threat group that conducts worldwide attacks to gather intelligence aligned with the DPRK government’s interest. Kimsuky’s primary focus is gathering intelligence on foreign policy, national security considerations regarding the Korean peninsula, and nuclear policy. A 2023 United Nations report revealed the involvement of DPRK State hackers in unprecedented levels of cryptocurrency theft in the previous year. The theft was estimated to be between $630 million and over $1 billion in 2022 alone, doubling Pyongyang’s illicit gains from cyber theft.

Iran

MuddyWater, an Iranian cyber threat group linked to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), has intensified cyberattacks on Israel and its allies during the Israeli-Hamas War. The group typically uses phishing campaigns and has recently introduced a new custom backdoor called BugSleep. They increasingly use English to target various sectors and regions using themes like webinars and online courses in phishing emails. Their malware can execute multiple commands and target a wide range of global entities, primarily focusing on Israeli and Saudi Arabian targets. MuddyWater targets various sectors, including telecommunications, government (IT services), and the oil industry. They have expanded their cyberespionage operations, focusing on governmental and defense institutions in Central and Southwest Asia and businesses in North America and Europe.

Recommendations:

Implement cybersecurity best practices to reduce risk and increase resiliency to cyber threats as detailed on the NJCCIC Guidance and Best Practices webpage, in addition to the following:

• Avoid clicking links, responding to, or otherwise acting on unsolicited text messages or emails.
• Use strong, unique passwords and enable MFA for all accounts where available, choosing authentication apps or hardware tokens over SMS text-based codes.
• Keep systems up to date and apply patches after appropriate testing.
• Utilize monitoring and detection solutions to identify suspicious login attempts and user behavior.
• Enforce the principle of least privilege, disable unused ports and services, and use web application firewalls (WAFs).
• Employ a comprehensive data backup plan and ensure operational technology (OT) environments are segmented from the information technology (IT) environments.
• Cyber incidents can be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC.

Cyberthreats are more sophisticated and frequent than ever, and the devastating impact of a breach is a reality that every organization must face. Join us at Microsoft Discovery Day: Building Cyberthreat Resilience to learn how Microsoft empowers security operations teams to protect, detect, and respond against these cyberthreats. During this free event, you’ll discover how to expedite your response by pairing extended detection and response (XDR) with security information and event management (SIEM). Gain a deeper perspective on the current state of cybersecurity and global threat intelligence and explore a roadmap for machine learning and AI at Microsoft. You’ll have the opportunity to:  Uncover the latest challenges and trends facing the cybersecurity world and what it means for your organization. Discover how to protect, detect, and respond to cyberthreats effectively by using XDR and SIEM together with Generative AI. Improve your security posture by learning how other business leaders have implemented comprehensive cyberthreat protection in their security strategies. Space is limited. Register for free today. Delivery language: English Closed captioning provided in: English Microsoft Teams delivers a rich, interactive experience that works best with the Teams app. We recommend downloading the app if you don’t have it, as not all browsers are supported. When you join this event, your name, email, or phone number may be viewable by other session participants in the attendee list. By joining this event, you’re agreeing to this experience. When: Thursday, August 22, 2024, 3:00 – 4:00 PM (GMT-04:00) Where: Online

Microsoft Discovery Hour: Building Cyberthreat Resilience

Register now >

Build the skills you need to create new opportunities and accelerate your understanding of Microsoft Cloud technologies at a free Microsoft Security Virtual Training Day from Microsoft Learn. Join us at Defend Against Threats with Extended Detection and Response to learn how to better protect apps and data in Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Microsoft Sentinel. You’ll get an in-depth view into attack disruption, incidents and alerts, and best practices for investigation and incident management. You will have the opportunity to: Learn how to investigate, respond to, and hunt for threats using Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel. Understand how integrating Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Sentinel enhances security and response time. Discover how to help mitigate threats across your entire infrastructure with Microsoft Security tools and solutions. Join us at an upcoming Defend Against Threats with Extended Detection and Response event: Delivery Language: English Closed Captioning Language(s): English
August 06, 2024 |  12:00 PM – 3:15 PM | (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)   August 20, 2024 |  12:00 PM – 3:15 PM | (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Visit the Microsoft Virtual Training Days website to learn more about other event opportunities.

The final version of NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-201, NIST Cloud Computing Forensic Reference Architecture, is now available. This document addresses the need to support a cloud system’s forensic readiness, which is the ability to collect digital forensic evidence quickly and effectively with minimal investigation costs by proactively addressing known challenges that could impact such data collection. Forensic readiness supports incident response processes and procedures, secure internal enterprise operations, and criminal justice and civil litigation system functions.

The document presents a reference architecture to help users understand the forensic challenges that might exist for an organization’s cloud system based on its architectural capabilities. The architecture identifies challenges that require mitigation strategies and how a forensic investigator would apply those strategies to a particular forensic investigation. The reference architecture is both a methodology and an initial implementation that can be used by cloud system architects, cloud engineers, forensic practitioners, and cloud consumers to analyze and review their cloud computing architectures for forensic readiness.

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The NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) is seeking public comment on Draft NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-36, Trusted Internet of Things (IoT) Device Network-Layer Onboarding and Lifecycle Management.

About the Project

Provisioning network credentials to IoT devices in an untrusted manner leaves networks vulnerable to having unauthorized IoT devices connect to them. It also leaves IoT devices vulnerable to being taken over by unauthorized networks. Instead, trusted, scalable, and automatic mechanisms are needed to safely manage IoT devices throughout their lifecycles, beginning with secure ways to provision devices with their network credentials —a process known as trusted network-layer onboarding. Trusted network-layer onboarding, in combination with additional device security capabilities, such as device attestation, application-layer onboarding, secure lifecycle management, and device intent enforcement, could improve the security of networks and IoT devices.

To help organizations protect both their IoT devices and their networks, the NCCoE collaborated with 11 IoT product and service providers. This joint effort resulted in the development of five functional technology solutions for trusted network-layer onboarding, as well as two factory provisioning builds, detailed in the practice guide. 

Submit Your Comments

The public comment period for the draft is open until 11:59 p.m. (ET) today, July 30, 2024. Visit the NCCoE IoT Onboarding project page for the draft publication and comment form.

Contribute

If you have expertise in IoT and/or network security and would like to help shape this or future projects, please consider joining the IoT Onboarding Community of Interest (COI). You can become a COI member by completing the sign-up form on our project page here.

Comment Now

OVERVIEW:
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Apple products, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.
THREAT INTELLEGENCE:
Apple is aware of a report that CVE-2024-23296 was exploited in the wild.
SYSTEMS AFFECTED:
• Safari versions prior to 17.6
• iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 17.6
• iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 16.7.9
• macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.6
• macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.6.8
• macOS Monterey versions prior to 12.7.6
• watchOS ersions prior to 10.6
• watchOS versions prior to tvOS 17.6
• visionOS versions prior to 1.3
RISK:
Government:
• Large and medium government entities: High
• Small government entities: Medium
Businesses:
• Large and medium business entities: High
• Small business entities: Medium
Home users: Low
TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Apple products, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Details of the vulnerabilities are as follows:
Tactic: Execution (TA0002):
Technique: Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203):
• An app with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. (CVE-2024-27878)
• An app may be able to overwrite arbitrary files. (CVE-2024-40827)
• A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution. (CVE-2024-6387)
• An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. (CVE-2024-27826)
Additional lower severity vulnerabilities include:
• Visiting a website that frames malicious content may lead to UI spoofing. (CVE-2024-40817)
• Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to an unexpected process crash. (CVE-2024-40776, CVE-2024-40782, CVE-2024-40779, CVE-2024-40780, CVE-2024-40789, CVE-2024-40799)
• Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to a cross site scripting attack. (CVE-2024-40785)
• Private Browsing tabs may be accessed without authentication. (CVE-2024-40794)
• An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences. (CVE-2024-40774, CVE-2024-40814)
• Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected app termination. (CVE-2024-40799, CVE-2024-40806, CVE-2024-40777, CVE-2024-40784, CVE-2024-27877)
• Processing a maliciously crafted video file may lead to unexpected app termination. (CVE-2024-27873)
• A malicious attacker with arbitrary read and write capability may be able to bypass Pointer Authentication. (CVE-2024-40815)
• An app may be able to read sensitive location information. (CVE-2024-40795)
• Processing an image may lead to a denial-of-service. (CVE-2023-6277, CVE-2023-52356)
• A local attacker may be able to determine kernel memory layout. (CVE-2024-27863)
• A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected system shutdown. (CVE-2024-40788)
• An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences. (CVE-2024-40805, CVE-2024-40824)
• An attacker with physical access may be able to use Siri to access sensitive user data. (CVE-2024-40813)
• Photos in the Hidden Photos Album may be viewed without authentication. (CVE-2024-40778)
• An app may be able to access protected user data. (CVE-2024-27871, CVE-2024-40793, CVE-2024-27872)
• A shortcut may be able to use sensitive data with certain actions without prompting the user. (CVE-2024-40833, CVE-2024-40835, CVE-2024-40836, CVE-2024-40807)
• A shortcut may be able to bypass Internet permission requirements. (CVE-2024-40809, CVE-2024-40812, CVE-2024-40787)
• An attacker may be able to view sensitive user information. (CVE-2024-40786)
• An attacker with physical access may be able to use Siri to access sensitive user data. (CVE-2024-40818)
• An attacker with physical access to a device may be able to access contacts from the lock screen. (CVE-2024-40822)
• An attacker may be able to view restricted content from the lock screen. (CVE-2024-40829)
• Private browsing may leak some browsing history. (CVE-2024-40796)
• An app may be able to read Safari’s browsing history. (CVE-2024-40798)
• A malicious application may be able to access private information. (CVE-2024-40804)
• Multiple issues in Apache. (CVE-2023-38709, CVE-2024-24795, CVE-2024-27316)
• A malicious application may be able to bypass Privacy preferences. (CVE-2024-40783)
• An app may be able to leak sensitive user information. (CVE-2024-40775, CVE-2024-40823)
• Multiple issues in curl. (CVE-2024-2004, CVE-2024-2379, CVE-2024-2398, CVE-2024-2466)
• A malicious attacker with arbitrary read and write capability may be able to bypass Pointer Authentication. (CVE-2024-40815)
• A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected system shutdown. (CVE-2024-40816)
• An attacker may be able to cause unexpected app termination. (CVE-2024-40803)
• An app may be able to view a contact’s phone number in system logs. (CVE-2024-40832)
• A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges. (CVE-2024-40781, CVE-2024-40782)
• An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system. (CVE-2024-27882, CVE-2024-27883, CVE-2024-40800)
• An app may bypass Gatekeeper checks. (CVE-2023-27952)
• An app may be able to access information about a user’s contacts. (CVE-2024-27881)
• Third party app extensions may not receive the correct sandbox restrictions. (CVE-2024-40821)
• Enabling Lockdown Mode while setting up a Mac may cause FileVault to become unexpectedly disabled. (CVE-2024-27862)
• A shortcut may be able to bypass sensitive Shortcuts app settings. (CVE-2024-40834)
• A malicious app may be able to gain root privileges. (CVE-2024-40828)
• An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system. (CVE-2024-40811)
• An attacker may be able to read information belonging to another user. (CVE-2024-23261)
• An attacker with arbitrary kernel read and write capability may be able to bypass kernel memory protections. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited. (CVE-2024-23296)
• An app may be able to cause unexpected system termination. (CVE-2024-27804)
• An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to spoof network packets. (CVE-2024-27823)
Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We recommend the following actions be taken:
• Apply the stable channel update provided by Apple to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
o Safeguard 7.1 : Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
o Safeguard 7.2 : Establish and Maintain a Remediation Process: Establish and maintain a risk-based remediation strategy documented in a remediation process, with monthly, or more frequent, reviews.
o Safeguard 7.6 : Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Externally-Exposed Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of externally-exposed enterprise assets using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool. Perform scans on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
o Safeguard 7.7 : Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
o Safeguard 16.13 Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.
o Safeguard 18.1 : Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program: Establish and maintain a penetration testing program appropriate to the size, complexity, and maturity of the enterprise. Penetration testing program characteristics include scope, such as network, web application, Application Programming Interface (API), hosted services, and physical premise controls; frequency; limitations, such as acceptable hours, and excluded attack types; point of contact information; remediation, such as how findings will be routed internally; and retrospective requirements.
o Safeguard 18.2 : Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests: Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. Penetration testing requires specialized skills and experience and must be conducted through a qualified party. The testing may be clear box or opaque box.
o Safeguard 18.3 : Remediate Penetration Test Findings: Remediate penetration test findings based on the enterprise’s policy for remediation scope and prioritization.

• Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
o Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
o Safeguard 5.4: Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts: Restrict administrator privileges to dedicated administrator accounts on enterprise assets. Conduct general computing activities, such as internet browsing, email, and productivity suite use, from the user’s primary, non-privileged account.

• Restrict use of certain websites, block downloads/attachments, block Javascript, restrict browser extensions, etc. (M1021: Restrict Web-Based Content)
o Safeguard 2.3: Address Unauthorized Software: Ensure that unauthorized software is either removed from use on enterprise assets or receives a documented exception. Review monthly, or more frequently.
o Safeguard 2.7: Allowlist Authorized Scripts: Use technical controls, such as digital signatures and version control, to ensure that only authorized scripts, such as specific .ps1, .py, etc., files, are allowed to execute. Block unauthorized scripts from executing. Reassessbi-annually, or more frequently.
o Safeguard 9.3: Maintain and Enforce Network-Based URL Filters: Enforce and update network-based URL filters to limit an enterprise asset from connecting to potentially malicious or unapproved websites. Example implementations include category-based filtering, reputation-based filtering, or through the use of block lists. Enforce filters for all enterprise assets.
o Safeguard 9.6: Block Unnecessary File Types: Block unnecessary file types attempting to enter the enterprise’s email gateway.

• Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
o Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.

• Block execution of code on a system through application control, and/or script blocking. (M1038: Execution Prevention)
o Safeguard 2.5 : Allowlist Authorized Software: Use technical controls, such as application allowlisting, to ensure that only authorized software can execute or be accessed. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
o Safeguard 2.6 : Allowlist Authorized Libraries: Use technical controls to ensure that only authorized software libraries, such as specific .dll, .ocx, .so, etc., files, are allowed to load into a system process. Block unauthorized libraries from loading into a system process. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.
o Safeguard 2.7 : Allowlist Authorized Scripts: Use technical controls, such as digital signatures and version control, to ensure that only authorized scripts, such as specific .ps1, .py, etc., files, are allowed to execute. Block unauthorized scripts from executing. Reassess bi-annually, or more frequently.

• Use capabilities to prevent suspicious behavior patterns from occurring on endpoint systems. This could include suspicious process, file, API call, etc. behavior. (M1040: Behavior Prevention on Endpoint)
o Safeguard 13.2 : Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Detection Solution: Deploy a host-based intrusion detection solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported.
o Safeguard 13.7 : Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Prevention Solution: Deploy a host-based intrusion prevention solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported. Example implementations include use of an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) client or host-based IPS agent.

REFERENCES:
Apple:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214121
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214117
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214116
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214119
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214120
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214118
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214124
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214122
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214123
CVE:
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-6277
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-27952
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-38709
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-52356
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-2004
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-2379
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-2398
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-2466
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-6387
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-23261
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-23296
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-24795
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27316
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27804
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27823
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27826
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27862
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27863
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27871
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27872
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27873
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27877
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27878
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27881
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27882
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-27883
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40774
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40775
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40776
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40777
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40778
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40779
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40780
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40781
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40782
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40783
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40784
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40785
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40786
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40787
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40788
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40789
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40793
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40794
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40795
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40796
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40798
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40799
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40800
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40803
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40804
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40805
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40806
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40807
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40809
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40811
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40812
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40813
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40814
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40815
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40816
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40817
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40818
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40821
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40822
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40823
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40824
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40827
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40828
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40829
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40832
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40833
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40834
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40835
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-40836

Example of deepfake video with QR code. Image Source: Bitdefender.

The NJCCIC recently received reports of cryptocurrency scams exploiting current events, similar to open-source reporting. Opportunistic cybercriminals are using the recent assassination attempt that targeted former President Donald Trump to lure unsuspecting victims into a new pig-butchering cryptocurrency investment scam. The scam involves hijacked YouTube channels that broadcast deepfake videos of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, promising to share insights into the attack. The compromised channels, many of which have millions of subscribers, are cleared of their original content and rebranded with attention-grabbing name-drops, such as “Tesla” and “Donald Trump Jr.”.

Image Source: Bitdefender.

These broadcasts feature a repeated deep fake video of Elon Musk urging followers and the crypto community to join a giveaway by scanning the embedded QR code. The QR codes direct users to fraudulent websites hosted on domains that imitate the impersonated brand or domains associated with Musk’s and Trump’s names. The cybercriminal attempts to convince the victim to invest in cryptocurrency to take advantage of the potential high-yield returns. After individuals have made multiple cryptocurrency investments through these fraudulent websites that promise significant returns, requests to withdraw or cash out their investments are denied for various reasons. The cybercriminal then cuts off contact with the victim and disappears with the invested money.

Recommendations

Exercise caution when encountering videos with click-bait titles and avoid scanning QR codes in YouTube videos promoting cryptocurrency giveaways. Verify investment claims that offer higher-than-average returns. Consider running recommendations by a third party or an investment professional with no stake in the investment. Inspect YouTube channels promoting cryptocurrency giveaways for suspicious activity and report any suspicious activity to the respective platform or authorities. Educate yourself and others regarding these types of scams. Additional recommendations can be found in the Bitdefender blog post. Maintain robust and up-to-date endpoint detection tools on every endpoint and consider using a comprehensive security solution that can block phishing attempts and fraudulent links. Cryptocurrency scams and other malicious activity may be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC.