CISA Warns of Critical Vulnerabilities: CVE-2024-20481 and CVE-2024-37383 Require Immediate Attention

Overview

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued urgent advisories regarding two vulnerabilities that pose substantial risks to organizations: CVE-2024-20481, a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability affecting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD), and CVE-2024-37383, a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in RoundCube Webmail. Both vulnerabilities highlight the necessity for immediate action to safeguard against potential exploitation.

The relevant CVE IDs for these vulnerabilities are CVE-2024-37383 and CVE-2024-20481. The first vulnerability, CVE-2024-37383, affects Roundcube Webmail versions prior to 1.5.7 and 1.6.x before 1.6.7, while CVE-2024-20481 impacts Cisco products running a vulnerable release of Cisco ASA or FTD Software with the RAVPN service enabled. 

Even though patches are available for both vulnerabilities, with public exploits noted for CVE-2024-37383. Links to the respective patches for Roundcube Webmail and Cisco ASA or FTD Software are provided for reference.

New Vulnerability details: CVE-2024-37383 and CVE-2024-20481

CVE-2024-20481 retains a critical denial-of-service vulnerability found in Cisco ASA and FTD devices. The flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit the affected systems through a crafted HTTP request, which can lead to a system crash and a complete service outage.

This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSSv3.1 score of 9.8, categorizing it as critical. The implications of a successful exploit are severe, as it can have wide-ranging consequences, such as disrupting operations and compromising the availability of critical network security devices. Cisco ASA and FTD devices are essential for maintaining secure network infrastructures, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations that rely on these systems for their security posture.

The second vulnerability that was highlighted by CISA is CVE-2024-37383, which is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in RoundCube Webmail. This vulnerability allows attackers and APT groups to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, potentially leading to data theft, session hijacking, or other malicious activities.

CVE-2024-37383 has been rated with a CVSSv3.1 score of 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. However, the potential consequences of a successful XSS attack can be significant, especially in webmail applications where users may unwittingly expose sensitive information.

Recommendations and Mitigation Strategies

To address the risks posed by CVE-2024-37383 and CVE-2024-20481, organizations are advised to take the following actions:


Organizations should promptly apply updates and patches released for RoundCube to close this vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation.

Implementing strict input validation and sanitization practices can help mitigate the risks associated with XSS vulnerabilities. This involves ensuring that all user input is properly escaped and validated before being rendered on a web page(s).

Educating users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or opening unexpected emails can reduce the likelihood of falling victim to XSS attacks.

Deploying WAFs can provide an additional layer of security by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic to and from web applications, blocking malicious requests before they reach the application.

Organizations should apply the latest Cisco patches as soon as possible. This is essential to protect against potential exploitation of the vulnerability.

Implementing better monitoring and logging practices can help detect unusual activities that may indicate an attempted exploitation of the vulnerability.

Proper segmentation of networks can minimize the risk of a successful attack impacting the entire network infrastructure.

Firewalls and access controls should be employed to protect critical assets.

Conclusion

CISA’s advisories regarding CVE-2024-20481 and CVE-2024-37383 highlight the critical nature of addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Organizations that utilize Cisco ASA and FTD devices or RoundCube Webmail must take immediate action to mitigate the risks associated with these vulnerabilities.

Patches must be applied on time to maintain the integrity and availability of online systems. Organizations must prioritize these actions to protect their networks and sensitive information from potential exploitation.

The post CISA Warns of Critical Vulnerabilities: CVE-2024-20481 and CVE-2024-37383 Require Immediate Attention appeared first on Cyble.

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Cyble Sensors Detect New Attacks on CMS; IoT Exploits Continue

Overview

Cyble’s weekly sensor intelligence report detailed dozens of active attack campaigns against known vulnerabilities.

New to the list are attacks on a vulnerability in the SPIP open-source content management (CMS) and publishing system, while previously reported campaigns targeting vulnerabilities in PHP, Linux systems, Java and Python frameworks, and more have continued unabated.

Older vulnerabilities in IoT devices and embedded systems continue to be exploited at alarming rates. New to the report this week are exploits of vulnerabilities that may still be present in some Siemens products and network devices. As these vulnerabilities likely exist within some critical infrastructure environments, organizations with internet-facing IoT devices and embedded systems are advised to check for risk exposure and apply necessary mitigations.

Here are some of the details of the Oct. 16-22 sensor intelligence report sent to Cyble clients.

SPIP CMS Attacks Detected By Cyble

SPIP before versions 4.3.2, 4.2.16, and 4.1.18 is vulnerable to a command injection issue reported last month as CVE-2024-8517. A remote and unauthenticated attacker can execute arbitrary operating system commands by sending a crafted multipart file upload HTTP request.

As the vulnerability was found as part of a hacking challenge, multiple published PoCs (Proofs of Concept) have increased the odds that older versions of SPIP will be exploited. SPIP admins are advised to update as soon as possible.

IoT Device and Embedded Systems Attacks Persist

IoT device attacks detailed in last week’s report declined significantly, as Cyble honeypot sensors detected 31,000 attacks on CVE-2020-11899, a medium-severity Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in the Treck TCP/IP stack before 6.0.1.66. Last week, Cyble sensors had detected more than 411,000 attacks on the vulnerability attempting to gain administrator privileges.

CVE-2020-11899 is also part of the “Ripple20” series of Treck TCP/IP vulnerabilities that can lead to data theft, changes in device behavior or function, network intrusion, device takeover, and other malicious activities. Cyble sensors have detected nearly 1 million exploit attempts since August on CVE-2020-11899 and two other “Ripple20” vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-11900 and CVE-2020-11910), so owners of vulnerable internet-facing devices should assume compromise.

Also of concern for critical infrastructure are attacks on four vulnerabilities in the Wind River VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS) for embedded systems in versions before VxWorks 7 SR620: CVE-2019-12255, CVE-2019-12260, CVE-2019-12261 and CVE-2019-12263.

Cyble sensors typically detect 3,000 to 4,000 attacks a week on these vulnerabilities, and as they can be present in a number of older Siemens SIPROTEC 5, RUGGEDCOM Win, Power Meters and other devices, as well as a number of network devices from major IT companies, any exposure to these vulnerabilities should be considered critical.

Linux, Java, and Other Attacks Persist

Several other recent exploits observed by Cyble remain active:

Attacks against Linux systems and QNAP and Cisco devices detailed in our Oct. 7 report remain active, and CoinMiner, Mirai, and IRCBot attacks remain active threats against Linux systems.

Previously reported vulnerabilities in PHP (CVE-2024-4577), GeoServer (CVE-2024-36401), and AVTECH IP cameras (CVE-2024-7029) also remain under active attack by threat actors.

The Spring Java framework (CVE-2024-38816) remains a target of threat actors (TAs), and ValvePress WordPress plugins also continue to be targeted.

The Aiohttp client/server framework for asyncio and Python also continues to be exploited.

Phishing Scams Detected by Cyble

Cyble detected thousands of phishing scams this week, including 306 new phishing email addresses. Below is a table listing the email subject lines and deceptive email addresses used in six prominent cam campaigns.

E-mail Subject 
Scammers Email ID 
Scam Type 
Description 

Did you authorize anyone to claim your funds.    
Mr.Jecob.Philip@mail.com 
Claim Scam 
Fake refund against claims 

BMW INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY DEPARTMENT                                                          
ronnie_harrison@aliyun.com 
Lottery/Prize Scam 
Fake prize winnings to extort money or information 

My Donation 
test@cinematajrobi.ir 
Donation Scam 
Scammers posing as a Doner to donate money 

COOPERATION!! 
mrabdulm48@gmail.com 
Investment Scam 
Unrealistic investment offers to steal funds or data 

Re: Consignment Box 
info@hashtagamin.net 
Shipping Scam 
Unclaimed shipment trick to demand fees or details 

UN Compensation Fund 
info@usa.com 
Government Organization Scam 
Fake government compensation to collect financial details 

Brute-Force Attacks

Of the thousands of brute-force attacks detected by Cyble sensors in the most recent reporting period, here are the top 5 attacker countries and ports targeted:


Attacks originating from the United States targeting ports were aimed at ports 5900 (43%), 3389 (35%), 22 (15%), 23 (4%) and 80 (3%).

Attacks originating from Russia targeting ports attempted to exploit ports 5900 (75%), 1433 (11%), 445 (8%), 1080 (3%) and 3306 (3%).

The Netherlands, Greece, and Bulgaria primarily targeted ports 3389, 1433, 5900, and 443.

Security Analysts are advised to add security system blocks for the attacked ports (such as 22, 3389, 443, 445, 5900, 1433, 1080, and 3306).

Recommendations and Mitigations

Cyble researchers recommend the following security controls:


Blocking target hashes, URLs, and email info on security systems (Cyble clients received a separate IoC list).

Immediately patch all open vulnerabilities listed here and routinely monitor the top Suricata alerts in internal networks.

Constantly check for Attackers’ ASNs and IPs.

Block Brute Force attack IPs and the targeted ports listed.

Immediately reset default usernames and passwords to mitigate brute-force attacks and enforce periodic changes.

For servers, set up strong passwords that are difficult to guess.

Conclusion

With active threats against multiple systems highlighted, companies need to remain vigilant and responsive. The large number of brute-force attacks and phishing campaigns demonstrates the vulnerability crisis faced by organizations.

To protect their digital assets, organizations should address known vulnerabilities and implement recommended security controls, such as blocking malicious IPs and securing network ports. A proactive and layered security approach is key in protecting defenses against exploitation and data breaches.

The post Cyble Sensors Detect New Attacks on CMS; IoT Exploits Continue appeared first on Cyble.

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