Cybersecurity News Archives - Page 9 of 12

Facebook’s Health Data Sharing Practices Investigated by New York State Departments

Sensitive health data is collected by Facebook from third party apps, even if the user has not logged in via Facebook or doesn’t even own a Facebook account according to a recent analysis of Facebook’s data collection practices.

Private information such as heart rate data, blood pressure measurements, menstrual cycle data, and other health metrics are handed over to Facebook, often without the user’s knowing or any specific disclosure that data provided by users or collected directly by apps are shared with the social media platform.

The Wall Street Journal recently conducted an investigation which tested various health-related apps. Although it was known that some of those apps send data to Facebook about when they are used, just how much data sharing that was occurring was not well understood. It was revealed by the report that 11 popular smartphone apps have been handing over sensitive data to Facebook without any apparent consent obtained from users.

On one particular app, Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker, dates of a user’s last period are shared with Facebook and the predicted date when the user is ovulating. Similarly, the Instant Heart Rate: HR Monitor App in the Apple iOS store was discovered to send users’ heart rate information to Facebook right after it is recorded. Neither of these apps or any others that were found to be sharing sensitive data with Facebook appeared to offer users a way of opting out of having their data shared.

The WSJ report notes that while the data sent by these apps may be anonymous, Facebook have a method of matching the information with a particular Facebook user and use the data to target specific ads.

The WSJ made contact with Facebook in relation to the report and received a reply confirming that some of the apps cited in the report appeared to be violating its business terms and that the social media platform does not authorize app developers to share “health, financial information or other categories of sensitive information,” and that the responsibility lies with the app developers to be clear to their users about the information that is being shared. A Facebook spokesperson also spoke to Reuters, saying “we also take steps to detect and remove data that should not be shared with us.”

Investigation of Facebook Instructed by New York Governor

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued a press release on Friday, February 22, 2019, stating that he has instructed the Department of Financial Services and the Department of State to investigate how Facebook is acquiring health data and other sensitive information from developers of smartphone apps and the alleged breaches of Facebook’s own business terms and privacy violations.

Cuomo also said that if WSJ’s findings are correct, it amounts to “an outrageous abuse of privacy.”

Cuomo is determined to ensure companies are held responsible for upholding the law and ensuring the sensitive data of smartphone users is kept private and confidential. Personal data should not be shared with other companies without the clear consent of users.

HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey: Phishing and Legacy Systems Raise Serious Concerns

Each year, HIMSS carries out a survey to collect information about safety experiences and cybersecurity practices at healthcare companies. The survey provides insights into the situation of cybersecurity in healthcare and identifies attack tendencies and common security gaps.

Phishing Campaign Leverages Google Translate to Steal Google and Facebook Credentials

A phishing campaign has been spotted that misuses Google Translate to make the phishing webpage seem to be an official login page for Google.

The phishing emails in the campaign are similar to several other campaigns that have been run in the past. The messages have the subject “Security Alert” with a message body almost identical to the messages sent by Google when a user’s Google account has been accessed from an unknown device or place. The messages contain the Google logo and the text, “A user has just signed in to your Google Account from a new Windows appliance. We are transmitting you this electronic mail to confirm that it is you.”

Below the text is a clickable button with the text “Consult the activity.” Clicking the link will direct the user to a website that has a spoofed Google login box. If identifications are entered, they will be sent to the scammer.

The electronic mails are sent from a Hotmail account – facebook_secur@hotmail.com – which is the first warning sign that the electronic mail notification is a fraud. On desktop browsers, the URL that users are directed to is obviously not official. A further indication that this is a fraud.

Nevertheless, the scam will not be so clear to any user on a mobile appliance. If the button in the electronic mail is clicked, the user will be directed to a phishing webpage that is served through Google Translate. The visible part of the URL in the address bar begins with translate.googleusercontent.com/translate, which makes the URL seem genuine. The use of Google Translate may be adequate to see the electronic mails bypass mobile safety defenses and the evidently official Google domain is likely to fool a lot of users into thinking the webpage is genuine.

If the user enters their Google identifications in the login box, an electronic mail is generated which transmits the identifications to the attacker. The user is then redirected to a bogus Facebook login page where the attackers also try to get the user’s Facebook login identifications.

The second attempt to phish for login identifications is easier to identify as fake as an old login box for Facebook is used. However, but at that point, the user’s Google account will already have been compromised.

The scam was recognized by Larry Cashdollar at Akamai.

IDenticard PremiSys Access Control System Vulnerabilities Found

ICS-CERT has issued a warning in relation to three high severity weaknesses in the IDenticard PremiSys access control system. All varieties of PremiSys software before version 4.1 are affected by the flaws.

If the weaknesses are effectively targeted it might result in full access being obtained to the system with administrative rights, theft of confidential information included in backups, and access being gained to details. The weaknesses might be targeted from a distant place and require a low level of expertise to abuse. Details of the weaknesses have been publicly disclosed.

The maximum severity weakness CVE-2019-3906 is related to hard-coded identifications which allow complete admin access to the PremiSys WCF Service endpoint. If properly exploited the hacker could gain complete access to the system with administrative rights. The weakness has been given a CVSS v3 base score of 8.8.

User identifications and other confidential data saved in the system are encrypted; nevertheless, a weak method of encryption has been applied which could probably be cracked resulting in the disclosure and theft of information. The weakness (CVE-2019-3907) has been given a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5.

Backup files are saved by the system as encrypted zip files; nevertheless, the password needed to unlock the standbys is hard-coded and cannot be altered. There is a chance a hacker could get access to the backup files and view/steal information. The weakness (CVE-2019-3908) has been given a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5.

Tenable’s Jimi Sebree identified and reported the faults.

IDenticard has tackled the hard-coded identifications weakness (CVE-2019-3906). Users must run an update to bring the software up to date with type 4.1 to tackle the weakness. IDenticard is presently developing a solution for the other two faults. A software update tackling those weaknesses is due to be released in February 2019.

As a temporary measure mitigation, NCCIC advises limiting and checking access to Port 9003/TCP, placing the system behind a firewall and making sure the access control system can’t be logged onto the Internet. If distant access is possible, secure methods must be used for access, including an up-to-date VPN.

Office 365 Phishing Campaign Uses SharePoint Partnership Request as Bait

A solitary Office 365 username/password blend can provide a hacker access to a huge quantity of confidential information. The information detailed in electronic mails can be of big value to rivals, identity thieves, and other fraudsters.

Office 365 identifications also give hackers access to cloud storage sources that can have extremely confidential business information and compromised accounts can be utilized to disperse malware and carry out additional phishing campaigns on a company’s workers and business associates.

With the possible returns for a fruitful phishing attack so high, and a high proportion of companies using Office 365 (56% of all organizations internationally in 2018) it is no surprise that hackers are conducting targeted attacks on companies that use Office 365.

Office 365 Phishing Campaign Utilizes SharePoint Collaboration Request as Lire

A fresh report from Kaspersky Lab has emphasized an Office 365 phishing campaign that has confirmed to be highly effective. The campaign was first known in August 2018 and is still active. Kaspersky Lab approximates that as many as 10% of all companies using Office 365 have been targeted with the hack.

The campaign has been dubbed PhishPoint because it uses a SharePoint partnership request to lure workers into disclosing their Office 365 identifications. The electronic mails are reliable, the hyperlink seems to be genuine, the method used to get Office 365 login information is unlikely to stimulate doubt, and the campaign is able to sidestep Office 365 anti-phishing safeguards.

Electronic mails are transmitted to Office 365 users requesting partnership. The electronic mails have a genuine link to OneDrive for Business, which guides users to a document having an “Access Document” link at the bottom. As the hyperlink guides the user to a genuine document in OneDrive for Business, it is not recognized as a phishing electronic mail by Office 365.

If the user clicks the link he/she will be redirected to an Office 365 login page on a website managed by the attacker. The login page appears identical to the genuine login page utilized by Microsoft; however, any identifications entered on the site will be captured by the attacker.

Safeguarding Against Office 365 Phishing Attacks

Safeguarding against Office 365 phishing campaigns needs a defense in depth approach. Microsoft’s Advanced Threat Protection must be implemented to obstruct phishing electronic mails and avoid them from reaching inboxes, even though this campaign demonstrates that APT controls are not always effective. A better choice is to use a spam filtering/anti-phishing solution that looks deeper than the URL and examines the page/document where users are directed.

Endpoint safety solutions offer an additional safeguard against phishing attacks and web filters can be used to avoid users from visiting phishing websites. However, these technical solutions are not dependable.

New cheats are continuously being developed by cybercriminals that bypass anti-phishing defenses. Workers, therefore, need to be trained on how to identify phishing electronic mails and must be taught cybersecurity best practices. Through regular training, workers can be conditioned on how to react to electronic mail threats and can be changed into a robust last line of defense.

Latest Speedup Linux Backdoor Trojan Used in Widespread Attacks

Safety researchers at Check Point have recognized a new Trojan called Speedup which is being utilized in targeted attacks on Linux servers. The Speedup Linux backdoor Trojan can also be utilized to attack Mac appliances.

The Trojan is installed through abuses of weaknesses via six Linux distributions, including the recently identified ThinkPHP vulnerability, CVE-2018-20062.

The present campaign is targeting Linux appliances in the Philippines, China, India, and Latin America. The Trojan was first noticed in late December, but infections have risen substantially since January 22, 2019. Although the malware is now being acknowledged by numerous AV engines, at the time of analysis, the malware was not being noticed as malevolent.

As soon as fitted, the malware communicates with its C2 server and records the sufferer’s machine. The malware tries to spread laterally within the infected subnet through a variety of RCE weaknesses including CVE-2012-0874, CVE-2010-1871, CVE-2017-10271, CVE-2018-2894, CVE-2016-3088, the Hadoop YARN Resource Manager command implementation fault, and a JBoss AS 3/4/5/6 RCE weakness.

A Python script is included which checks for additional Linux servers within both internal and external subnets. Access is gained via brute force implies using a pre-defined list of usernames/passwords. Perseverance is achieved through cron and an internal mutex which makes sure only one occurrence remains active at any one time.

The Speedup Linux backdoor Trojan constantly communicates with its C2 and copies and runs a variety of different files, including an XMRig miner. The Trojan, under its C2 control, can run arbitrary code, download and execute files, stop running procedures on an infected host, uninstall programs, and update connected files.

Check Point scientists have attributed the Speakup Linux backdoor Trojan to a danger actor known as Zettabithf.

The complicated nature of the malware indicates it is likely that the objective of the attacker is not just to install cryptocurrency miners. When infected, any number of different malware payloads can be installed. Check Point proposes that more intrusive and aggressive campaigns are likely to be introduced.

Xvideos Sextortion Scam Threatens to Disclose Porn Viewing Habits

An xvideos sextortion cheat threatens to uncover users’ porn viewing habits to friends, family, and work partners.

The scammer announces to have recorded the user through the webcam while they viewed matter on the xvideos adult website. The electronic mail is made more credible by the addition of the user’s password in the message body.

The scammer announces to have gained access to the electronic mail receiver’s computer and installed a keylogger. The malware permitted information to be obtained from the appliance, including the websites that the user has visited. Moreover, the malware permitted access to be gained to the computer’s microphone and webcam.

The scammer announces to have recorded audio and video footage while the user visited the common adult website, xvideos. That footage was utilized to create a “double screen video” with one half of the screen displaying the webcam footage while the other displays the adult matter that was being seen at the time.

The user is told that the malware fitted on the computer permitted contacts to be harvested from Facebook, Messenger, and the user’s electronic mail account. The user is advised to make a payment of $969 in Bitcoin to avoid the video from being emailed to every contact.

The scammer proposes that proof that the video is actual can be obtained; however, requesting proof will see the video transmitted to 6 of the user’s contacts.

The Bitcoin address supplied in the electronic mail demonstrates that 11 people have made payments totaling 0.959 Bitcoin – Around $3,272 – therefore it is obvious that some people either trust the danger is actual or they are not wishing to take a chance.

These cheats are easy to create and only require a list of electronic mail addresses and passwords, which can be easily bought on underground markets and forums. The passwords used in the electronic mails are actual and come from earlier data breaks.

The passwords might be old, but they will no doubt be identified. Users who don’t practice good password hygiene might find their present password is supplied, adding to the realism of the cheat. These kinds of sextortion cheats are becoming progressively common. They are also extremely effective. A similar cheat was recognized in December which also used old passwords and had similar threats. The Bitcoin wallet used in that cheat showed over $50,000 in payments were made in a week.

Latest Cybersecurity Framework for Medical Devices Issued by HSCC

The Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) has issued the latest cybersecurity framework for medical devices. Medical device sellers, healthcare suppliers, and other healthcare industry stakeholders that implement the voluntary framework will be able to improve the safety of medical appliances throughout their lifecycle.

The HSCC is a union of private sector crucial healthcare infrastructure units that have associated with the government to find and mitigate dangers and exposures facing the healthcare sector. The group includes over 200 healthcare industry and government companies. Collectively they work on developing strategies to tackle present and evolving cybersecurity challenges encountered by the healthcare sector.

Over 80 companies contributed to the growth of the Medical Appliance and Health IT Joint Security Plan (JSP), which builds on commendations made by the Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Task Force founded by the Division of Health and Human Services after the passing of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Law of 2015.

“It is vital for medical device producers and health IT sellers to take into account the JSP’s voluntary framework and its related plans and templates all through the lifecycle of medical devices and health IT as doing so is expected to lead to better security and therefore better products for patients,” clarified HSCC.

Cybersecurity controls can be tough to incorporate into existing procedures. Companies often fail to know how vital safety controls are, and when considering how to increase cybersecurity many don’t know where to begin or have inadequate resources to dedicate to the job. The framework assists by providing direction on how to create a safety policy and procedures that ally with and integrate into present procedures.

HSCC is urging companies to commit to applying the JSP as it is thought that by doing so patient security will be enhanced.

The JSP can be adopted by companies of all sizes and stages of maturity and assists them to increase cybersecurity of medical devices by tackling main challenges. A lot of big producers have already generated similar cybersecurity programs to the JSP, therefore it is likely to be of most use for small to medium-sized firms that lack consciousness of the steps to take to improve cybersecurity and those with fewer resources to dedicate to cybersecurity.

The JSP uses safety by design rules and identifies shared responsibilities between industry stakeholders to synchronize safety standards, risk assessment methods, reporting of weaknesses, and improve information sharing between appliance producers and healthcare suppliers. The JSP covers the whole lifecycle of medical appliances, from development to deployment, management, and end of life. The JSP contains numerous recommendations including the inclusion of cybersecurity measures during the design and development of medical appliances, handling product complaints linked to cybersecurity events, alleviation of post-market weaknesses, managing safety risk, and decommissioning appliances at end of life.

The Medical Appliance and Health IT Joint Security Plan can be downloaded on this link.

Apple IOS Vulnerability Allows Hackers to Spy on FaceTime Calls

A severe Apple IOS vulnerability has been noticed that lets people to gain access to both the microphone and the front-facing camera on Apple appliances by manipulating a fault in FaceTime. Further, the fault even lets microphone/camera access if the call is not replied. The fault has prompted several safety experts to advise Apple device proprietors to stop using FaceTime until the fault is rectified.

To manipulate the fault, a user would require to use FaceTime to call another individual with an iOS appliance. Before the call is replied, the users would need to add themselves as additional contacts to Group FaceTime. As soon as that has occurred, the persons being called would have their microphones turned on and the callers could listen to what is occurring in the room, even when the call is not replied.

If the individual being called was to silent the call (by pressing the power button) the front-facing camera would also be triggered, providing the caller video footage and audio.

Safety specialists have cautioned that it does not matter whether the call is replied, just by calling a person it is possible to listen to what is occurring in the room and see everything in the camera’s field of view. Although this might prove distressing for some FaceTime users, it might also result in serious harm. Compromising footage might be recorded and utilized for extortion.

Several cases of this happening have been posted on social media networks and it is obvious that this Apple IOS vulnerability is being actively abused. Apple is conscious of the problem and has announced that a solution will be issued later this week. Until such time, Apple appliance owners have been instructed to inactivate FaceTime through appliance settings. If FaceTime is inactivated, the vulnerability cannot be abused.

0Patch Micropatches Issued to Respond to 3 Zero-Day Windows Bug

0Patch has issued a micropatch to tackle three zero-day Windows bugs that have yet to be tackled by Microsoft, including a zero-day distant code execution vulnerability in the Windows Contacts app.

The 0Patch platform allows micropatches to be swiftly dispersed, applied, and unconcerned to/from running procedures without having to restart computers or even restart procedures. The platform is still in beta, even though checking and fine-tuning is nearly at an end. 0Patch has already issued several micropatches to tackle zero-day weaknesses in Microsoft products to assist companies temporarily alleviate vulnerabilities until a complete patch is issued.

The latest round of repairs tackles three lately found vulnerabilities in Microsoft products.

The first patch tackles a fault named AngryPolarBear which was identified by safety researcher SandboxEscaper who circulated a proof-of-concept exploit for the vulnerability in December. Although the vulnerability doesn’t allow distant code execution, an attacker might leverage the weakness to overwrite main system files, which might be utilized in DoS attacks.

The vulnerability lets a local unprivileged procedure to get a selected system file on a weak appliance overwritten in the context of a Windows Error Reporting XML file. The PoC lets the XML file to be substituted with a hard link to the selected target. An attacker will not have much influence over the matter of the XML file but might abuse the fault to corrupt the vital system file pci.sys, and thus avoid the system from booting. The patch halts the XML file from being erased.

The second patch also tackles another vulnerability identified by SandboxEscaper, which has been named readfile. A PoC exploit was also distributed in December. This vulnerability is present in the Windows Installer and might let an attacker get confidential information. The vulnerability can be abused by an unprivileged procedure and lets random files to be read – in the case of the PoC, the desktop.ini file.

The third patch tackles a vulnerability in the Windows Contacts app which, if abused, might result in distant code execution on a vulnerable appliance. The vulnerability fault was identified by ZDI researcher John Page who submitted the fault to Microsoft, which surpassed the 90-day window for delivering a repair. Microsoft has announced that it will not be delivering a repair to rectify the fault, so while micropatches are envisioned to be provisional repairs, this one is likely to be perpetual.

The vulnerability is present in the way that .Contact and .VCF contact information is saved and processed on Windows Vista to Windows 10 OSes. The vulnerability lets the formation of a contact file that has a malevolent payload in a sub-directory, which will be run when the user clicks the link in the contact file.

The Micropatches are supplied via the 0Patch platform which can be fitted free of cost. The Micropatches have been developed for Windows 10 and Windows 7 (for the second two vulnerabilities). Support at 0Patch must be contacted for patches for other susceptible Windows types.

STOP Ransomware Delivered through Software Vulnerabilities

STOP ransomware, a crypto-ransomware variation that utilizes the .rumba file extension on encoded files, is being transported through software vulnerabilities.

Software cracking programs that produce licenses for standard software programs are normally used to transport malware. The executable files frequently fit spyware and adware code during the cracking procedure and although it is known for other malware to be fitted when the programs are run, it is comparatively unusual for ransomware to be fitted.

However, one provider of cracks has included STOP ransomware to numerous software cracking programs that create license codes for Windows, Photoshop, Cubase, KMSPico, and antivirus software. The malevolent cracks are being dispersed across several sites.

The ID Ransomware facility has received 304 submissions of new STOP ransomware infections in January 2019, even though there are likely to be several more sufferers.

STOP Ransomware was first recognized in December 2017 and is repeatedly updated. A new type of the ransomware is issued nearly every month, each with a new file extension. The latest variant utilizes the .rumba extension, others include .puma, .keypass, .shadow, .pumax, .tro, and .djvu.

The ransom demands are changeable but are typically in the range of $300-$600 per infected appliance. Several different techniques are used to disperse the ransomware. Besides cracks, infections have happened as a consequence of brute force attacks, drive-by downloads from compromised websites, abuses of unpatched vulnerabilities, and spam electronic mails.

Although no free decryptor is available that can ensure recovery without paying the ransom, Michael Gillespie has created a decryptor that can be used free of charge that might allow sufferers to recover their files. Details can be found in this post.

Cryptocurrency Mining Malware Tops Most Wanted Malware List

Check Point’s Most Wanted Malware report for December 2018 demonstrates that cryptocurrency mining malware was the principal malware danger in December. The top four malware dangers in December 2018 were all cryptocurrency miners.

North Carolina State AG Suggests Stricter Data Breach Notification Laws

North Caroline Attorney General Josh Stein and state agent Jason Saine have presented a bill to modernize data breach notification rules in the state and increase safeguards for state inhabitants after an increase in data breaches affecting North Carolina inhabitants were recorded all through 2017.

773 Million Electronic mail Addresses and 21 Million Unique Passwords Listed for Sale

A huge collection of login identifications that contains roughly 773 million electronic mail addresses has been uncovered by safety researcher Troy Hunt. Hunt is an Australian Microsoft Regional Director and keeps the Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) website, where people can test to see whether their login identifications have been thieved in a data breach.

Highly Sophisticated Apple Vishing Scam Identified

A sophisticated Apple vishing cheat has been exposed. Contrary to most phishing attempts that use electronic mail, this cheat used voice calls (vishing) with the calls seeming to have come from Apple.

SingHealth Breach Investigation Discloses Catalogue of Cybersecurity Failures

An inquiry into a healthcare data breach has demonstrated how the failure to apply basic cybersecurity processes leaves the door wide open to hackers. Healthcare companies can invest in modern cybersecurity technology but failing to implement normal cybersecurity best practices and evaluate and preserve fortifications can easily result in an extremely expensive data breach.

January 2019 Patch Tuesday Updates

January 2019 Patch Tuesday has seen 51 flaws rectified in Microsoft products. There are four updates to rectify mistakes in the Microsoft Edge Browser. Seven of the 51 updates have been shown as crucial.

HHS Publishes Cybersecurity Best Practices for Healthcare Organizations

The U.S. Division of Health and Human Services has issued unpaid cybersecurity best practices for healthcare companies and instructions for managing cyber threats and safeguarding patients.

Continue reading “HHS Publishes Cybersecurity Best Practices for Healthcare Organizations”

Importance of Safety Awareness Training Emphasized by Censuswide Study on Phishing Danger

A fresh study by the consultancy company Censuswide has exposed the extent to which workers are being deceived by phishing electronic mails and how in spite of the danger of a data breaches and regulatory penalties, many companies are not providing safety awareness training to their workforce.

NIST Issues Draft Paper on Telehealth and Remote Monitoring Device Cybersecurity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has issued a draft paper covering the secrecy and safety dangers of telehealth and distant checking appliances together with best practices for safeguarding the telehealth and distant checking ecosystem.