IT NEWS

QNAP has published a security advisory about two critical vulnerabilities that could allow remote attackers to execute commands via a network.

One of the vulnerabilities affects the QTS and QuTS operating systems (OS) for QNAP’s network attached storage systems (NAS). The second one can be found in versions of QTS, the Multimedia Console, and the Media Streaming add-on.

CVE-2023-23368

The first vulnerability, CVE-2023-23368 (CVSS score 9.8 out of 10), is an OS command injection vulnerability.

OS command injection (also known as shell injection) is a security vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary operating system (OS) commands on the device that is running an application, and typically fully compromise the application and all its data.

A fix is available for the vulnerability in the following versions:

• QTS 5.0.1.2376 build 20230421 and later
• QTS 4.5.4.2374 build 20230416 and later
• QuTS hero h5.0.1.2376 build 20230421 and later
• QuTS hero h4.5.4.2374 build 20230417 and later
• QuTScloud c5.0.1.2374 and later

To update QTS, QuTS hero, or QuTScloud you can:

• Log in to QTS, QuTS hero, or QuTScloud as an administrator.
• Go to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update.
• Under Live Update, click Check for Update.
• The system will download and install the latest available update.

If that doesn’t work for you, you can also download the update from the QNAP website. Go to Support > Download Center and then perform a manual update for your specific device.

CVE-2023-23369

The second vulnerability, CVE-2023-23369 (CVSS score 9 out of 10), is also an OS command injection vulnerability that reportedly affects several QNAP operating system versions. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow users to execute commands via a network.

A fix for the vulnerability is available for the following versions:

• Multimedia Console 2.1.2 ( 2023/05/04 ) and later
• Multimedia Console 1.4.8 ( 2023/05/05 ) and later
• QTS 5.1.0.2399 build 20230515 and later
• QTS 4.3.6.2441 build 20230621 and later
• QTS 4.3.4.2451 build 20230621 and later
• QTS 4.3.3.2420 build 20230621 and later
• QTS 4.2.6 build 20230621 and later
• Media Streaming add-on 500.1.1.2 ( 2023/06/12 ) and later
• Media Streaming add-on 500.0.0.11 ( 2023/06/16 ) and later

To update the Multimedia Console:

• Log on to QTS as an administrator.
• Open the App Center and then click the search symbol (looking glass).
• Type “Multimedia Console” into the search box and then press Enter.
• Multimedia Console will appear in the search results.
• Click Update. (Note: The Update button is not available if your version is already up to date.)
• A confirmation message appears.
• Click OK.

To update the Media Streaming add-on:

• Log on to QTS as an administrator.
• Open the App Center and then click the search symbol (looking glass).
• Type “Media Streaming add-on” into the search box and then press Enter.
• Media Streaming add-on will appears in the search results.
• Click Update. (Note: The Update button is not available if your version is already up to date.)
• A confirmation message appears.
• Click OK.

Extra tip: while you are logged in as an administrator consider whether your password is strong enough. On October 19, 2023 QNAP reported a significant wave of weak password attacks. NAS owners are one of the most common targets of ransomware attacks against consumers.

Our business solutions remove all remnants of ransomware and prevent you from getting reinfected. Want to learn more about how we can help protect your business? Get a free trial below.

ChatGPT and similar Large language models (LLMs) can be used to write texts about any given subject, at any desired length at a speed unmatched by humans.

So it’s not a surprise that students have been using them to “help” write assignments, much to the dismay of teachers who prefer to receive original work from actual humans.

In fact, in Malwarebytes’ recent research survey, “Everyone’s afraid of the internet and no one’s sure what to do about it,” we found that 40% of people had used ChatGPT or similar to help complete assignments, while 1 in 5 admitted to using it to cheat on a school assignment.

It’s becoming really hard to tell what was written by an actual person, and what was written by tools like ChatGPT, and has led to students being falsely accused of using ChatGPT. However, students that are using those tools shouldn’t be receiving grades that they don’t deserve.

Worse than that could be an influx of so-called scientific articles that either add nothing new or bring “hallucination” to the table—where LLMs make up “facts” that are untrue.

Several programs that can filter out artificial intelligence (AI) texts have been created and tests are ongoing, but the success rate of these, mostly AI-based tools, hasn’t been great.

Many have found the existing detection tools not very effective, especially for professional academic writing. These tools have a bias against non-native speakers. Seven common web-based AI detection tools all identified non-native English writers’ works as AI-generated text more frequently than native English speakers’ writing.

But now it seems as if chemistry scientists have found an important building block in creating more effective detection tools. In a paper titled “Accurately detecting AI text when ChatGPT is told to write like a chemist” they describe how they developed and tested an accurate AI text detector for scientific journals.

Using machine learning (ML), the detector examines 20 features of writing style, including variation in sentence lengths, the frequency of certain words, and the use of punctuation marks, to determine whether an academic scientist or ChatGPT wrote the examined text.

To test the accuracy of the detector, the scientists tested it against 200 introductions in American Chemical Society (ACS) journal style. For 100 of these, the tool was provided with the papers’ titles, and for the other 100, it was given their abstracts.

It showed astonishing results. It outperformed the online tools provided by ZeroGPT and OpenAI by identifying ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 written sections based on titles with 100% accuracy. For the ChatGPT-generated introductions based on abstracts, the accuracy was slightly lower, at 98%.

Image courtesy of ScienceDirect

The graph shows the accuracy of three detectors against texts written by humans (to determine the number of false positives), ChatGPT-3.5, and ChatGPT-4. P1 is the texts based on titles and P2 the ones based on abstracts.

What’s important about this research is that it shows that with specialized tools one can achieve a much better detection rate. That could mean that efforts to develop AI detectors could receive a significant boost by tailoring software to specific types of writing.

Once we learn how to quickly and easily build such a specialized tool, we can soon expand the number of areas for which we have specialized detectors. According to one of the researchers, the findings show that “you could use a small set of features to get a high level of accuracy.”

To put this into perspective, the development time to generate the detector was a part-time project, done in approximately one month by a few people. The scientists designed the detector prior to the release of ChatGPT-4, but it works just as effectively on GPT-3.5, so it’s unlikely that future versions would create text in a way that would significantly change the accuracy of this detector.

We don’t just report on threats—we remove them

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.

In a world rife with cyber threats, it is crucial for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to conduct thorough assessments of their clients’ security posture. Even minor misconfigurations, if overlooked, can leave clients vulnerable to attacks.

Yet, lacking the necessary tools, many MSP IT teams are in the dark about the real status of their clients’ security, increasing the risk of cyber incidents for their customers.

The answer? A solution that enables organizations to visualize and improve their clients’ security posture in just a few minutes. Enter Security Advisor Site Scores for OneView. 

Security Advisor for OneView vision 

Security Advisor Site Scores for OneView enable MSPs to visualize the security posture of each client at a glance.

As Security Advisor for OneView further develops, it will empower MSP Admin users to closely monitor the overall health of their customer base, efficiently address issues, automate & scale actions, and facilitate seamless communication within our product. 

For now, let’s explore the Security Advisor Site Scores available today. 

Security Advisor Site Scores for OneView 

Site Score Metric 

Site Health Scores offer a clear snapshot of each client’s security posture, enabling MSP Admins to identify at-risk customers who require the most urgent action.

Factor Cards 

Each client Site Score contains detailed information about the factors contributing to its specific score. A low score on any factor indicates that action for improvement is needed in that category.

Factors that apply to all Sites Health Scores include policy configuration, scheduled scans, and endpoint status. Paid add-on modules such as DNS Filtering and Vulnerability & Patch Management will only impact the Site Health Score if the site is licensed for these products.

Benefits of the Security Advisor Site Scores for OneView 

Comprehensive List of all Sites Health Scores  

Within the OneView Sites page we have included each individual Site Score for MSPs to have a global view of the statuses of their entire customer portfolio. 

Comprehensive view of each end-customer health score 

Immediate Assessment of Security Posture for each client

Site Health Scores per can be clicked into to get a detailed look at individual client security. 

Site-level Health Score detail with Factors cards contributing to Site score 

In-depth Information with Factor Cards per Site 

By clicking on each Site Score, MSPs can view all the Factors cards that contribute to it. Low value on any factor directs the Admin user to the category of action they need to take within OneView console to improve the score. 

Each client Site Score contains detailed information about the factors contributing to its specific score.

Continuous Threat Monitoring 

Stay ahead of potential security issues with continuous assessment; client health scores are updated every 24 hours, with lower Site Scores indicating that action needs to be taken. 

Try Security Advisor Today

Ready to transform security management for your clients? OneView users can start using Security Advisor today, free of charge.

Not a OneView user? Get a free demo.

With experts noting a troubling threefold surge in USB drive malware incidents in early 2023, Device Control has just leveled up with a key addition: the Advanced Auto Scanning & Block Until Scan feature. 

Here’s the breakdown: When a USB device is connected, ThreatDown now doesn’t just control access—it actively scans it. You can also now choose to block the device until the system scans it. This means threats are stopped in their tracks, well before they can do any harm. 

Available for both Nebula and OneView users, the new update also offers detailed device insights on the Quarantine and Detections pages. The interactive “Device” column, for example, reveals comprehensive details like the serial number and volume name. 

Advanced Device Control is designed to make it that much easier for organizations to defend against USB malware, which can cause data breaches and other system compromises. Let’s dive deeper into the update! 

Automated Scanning 

When a USB device is inserted, the new feature automatically initiates a scan for potential threats. This is proactive, as opposed to the more passive nature of traditional device control, which simply controlled access when storage drives were connected via USB. 

Conditional Access Based on Scan Results 

Perhaps the most significant addition is the ability to block access to the device until it has been scanned for threats. This ensures that no potentially harmful files are accessed before they are verified as safe, a capability not present in the original Device Control setting. 

Customizable Alerts 

Users can craft an optional alert message that appears when a USB device is blocked pending a scan. This can help in communicating security protocols to users who might not be aware of why their device access is restricted. 

Quarantine and Detections Pages Update 

Nebula’s Quarantine and Detections pages have been upgraded for improved management of USB-originated threats: 

• “Device” Column: A new clickable column has been added, listing devices associated with threats. 
• Device Details Slideout: Clicking on a device link provides immediate access to details like serial number and volume name. 

These updates streamline the threat analysis process, integrating crucial information directly into your workflow. 

Additional features 

Restoration & Exclusion Enhancements 

Quickly restore false positives from quarantine when the device is reconnected and set exclusions to prevent future unnecessary blocks. 

Detailed Threat Information 

The Endpoint details slide-out has been enhanced. Under the Detections and Quarantine tabs, users can now access comprehensive data on any USB threats discovered. 

Action Taken 

A new “Action taken” column clearly shows the device scan history and status updates.

Try Advanced Device Control today 

Advanced Device Control marks a leap in helping organizations stay ahead of USB malware, featuring proactive scanning, conditional access, and improved visibility to proactively thwart potential breaches.  

Try Advanced Device Control in Nebula and OneView today! 

Not a Nebula or OneView user? Get a free demo.

The majority of malvertising campaigns delivering malicious utilities that we have tracked so far typically deceive victims with pages that are almost the exact replica of the software vendor being impersonated. For example, we have seen fake websites appearing like the real Webex, AnyDesk or KeePass home page.

In a new campaign, we observed a threat actor copying a legitimate Windows news portal (WindowsReport.com) to distribute a malicious installer for the popular processor tool CPU-Z.

This type of website is often visited by geeks and system administrators to read the latest computer reviews, learn some tips and download software utilities. The Windows Report was never compromised and is legitimate, but rather threat actors copied its content to trick users.

This incident is a part of a larger malvertising campaign that targets other utilities like Notepad++, Citrix and VNC Viewer as seen in its infrastructure (domain names) and cloaking templates used to avoid detection. We have informed Google with the relevant details for takedown.

Google ad and filtering

The malicious ad is for CPU-Z, a popular utility for Windows users that want to troubleshoot their processor and other computer hardware details. The advertiser shows as Scott Cooper and is likely a compromised or fake identity.

One common technique used by threat actors to evade detection is to employ cloaking. Anyone clicking on the ad and who’s not the intended victim will see a standard blog with a number of articles.

We had previously identified another malicious ad using almost the same template.

Redirect to Windows news site lookalike

To show what happens when an actual victim clicks on the ad, here is the network traffic related to it as seen in the image below. This time, the corporatecomf[.]online website is no longer used to show a blog with articles but instead does a redirect (302 HTTP code) to another domain at workspace-app[.]online.

This domain uses content from the legitimate Windows portal WindowsReport.com and looks almost identical:

People who searched for CPU-Z and clicked the ad are now at the download page for the software, where they may wrongly assume that it is legitimate. The URL in the address bar does not match the real one, though.

There are several other domains hosted on the same IP address (74.119.192.188) also used in malvertising campaigns:

Signed MSIX installer

The payload is a digitally signed MSIX installer which contains a malicious PowerShell script, a loader known as FakeBat:

The script shows the malware command and control server as well as the remote payload (Redline stealer):

We are blocking the malvertising domains for all Malwarebytes customers:

ThreatDown, powered by Malwarebytes, already detected the final infostealer payload and we have added coverage for the its command and control servers as well.

It is possible the threat actor chose to create a decoy site looking like Windows Report because many software utilities are often downloaded from such portals instead of their official web page.

The download is also a signed MSI installer, which increases the chances for it to look legitimate from the operating system and antivirus software. These MSI loaders are quite common and allow threat actors to update the final payload by simply swapping a PowerShell script.

Software downloads have been a big target for the past year with criminals using a variety of tricks to deceive users and install malware. In an enterprise environment, it may be wise to verify a file’s checksum to ensure it has not been tampered with by comparing its SHA256 hash sum with what is posted on the vendor’s website.

Indicators of Compromise

Ad domains

argenferia[.]com
realvnc[.]pro
corporatecomf[.]online
cilrix-corp[.]pro
thecoopmodel[.]com
winscp-apps[.]online
wireshark-app[.]online
cilrix-corporate[.]online
workspace-app[.]online

Payload URLs

thecoopmodel[.]com/CPU-Z-x86.msix
kaotickontracting[.]info/account/hdr.jpg
ivcgroup[.]in/temp/Citrix-x64.msix
robo-claim[.]site/order/team.tar.gpg
argenferia[.]com/RealVNC-x64.msix

Payloads

55d3ed51c3d8f56ab305a40936b446f761021abfc55e5cc8234c98a2c93e99e1
9acbf1a5cd040c6dcecbe4e8e65044b380b7432f46c5fbf2ecdc97549487ca88
419e06194c01ca930ed5d7484222e6827fd24520e72bfe6892cfde95573ffa16
cf9589665615375d1ad22d3b84e97bb686616157f2092e2047adb1a7b378cc95

C2s

11234jkhfkujhs[.]site
11234jkhfkujhs[.]top
94.131.111[.]240
81.177.136[.]179

November marks a significant shift in our legacy. After 15 years as Malwarebytes, we are proud to introduce our rebranded identity, ThreatDown powered by Malwarebytes.

Building off Malwarebytes’ initial recognition for removing every trace of viruses that others missed, ThreatDown powered by Malwarebytes combines award-winning technologies that cover all stages of an attack, with managed services for teams with limited resources.

To say it’s been quite a journey to this point would be an understatement. From our beginnings as a remediation consumer tool to becoming a titan in business cyber protection, let’s walk through where we’ve come and where we’re headed.

Anti-Malware Small Business Edition (2008 – 2012)

Malwarebytes for Business began its journey in the late 2000s, offering corporate licensing for its consumer anti-malware product. By 2012, our focus intensified as we launched the Anti-Malware Small Business Edition, introducing advanced features to meet the specific demands of businesses.

Malwarebytes Enterprise Edition (September 2012 – 2016)

The introduction of Malwarebytes Enterprise Edition (MEE) in late 2012 solidified our position in the enterprise market. Tailored for businesses, governments, and educational institutions, MEE provided comprehensive threat protection and malware remediation. As the demand for our expertise grew, esteemed institutions such as The University of Alabama and NextGen Healthcare became part of our clientele.

Malwarebytes Endpoint Security (June 2014 – 2016)

2014 saw the birth of the Anti-Malware Remediation Tool, a streamlined malware solution for businesses. Shortly after, Malwarebytes Endpoint Security was launched, merging multiple essential tools into one comprehensive package.

Nebula (2017 – 2018)

Transitioning into cloud security management, 2017 introduced Nebula 1.0, our cloud-based console. This platform brought together our machine learning-backed Malwarebytes Incident Response and Endpoint Protection products.

OneView (2019)

2019 heralded the debut of OneView, a multi-tenant console tailored for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). With OneView, MSPs could efficiently manage multiple clients’ security needs from a unified platform.

Comprehensive Endpoint Detection and Response Offerings (2020 – 2021)

Throughout 2020 and 2021, we fortified our EDR capabilities, including extensions to support Windows servers. With features such as Flight Recorder Search, Threat Hunting Alerts, and Brute Force Protection, we further strengthened our protective measures against cyber threats.

Managed Detection and Response (2022)

Last year, we delved into a multitude of new services and tools, including Device Control, Vulnerability Assessment, Patch Management Modules, and many more. Our crowning achievement was the introduction of Malwarebytes Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service, providing 24×7 monitoring and investigations for resource constrained IT teams.

Securing The Against the Next Generation of Threats (2023 and beyond)

2023 marked our foray into Mobile Protection for iOS, Android, and Chromebook platforms, helping organizations crush mobile threats on iOS, Android, and ChromeOS. The introduction of an Application Blocking Module gave administrators even greater control over app installations on devices.

Further, with the release of Malwarebytes Security Advisor, we transformed the Nebula customer experience to enable organizations to visualize and improve their security posture in just a few minutes. We also released Malwarebytes Managed Threat Hunting (MTH), a 24/7 service that proactively identifies and then alerts EDR customers to potential threats before an active attack begins.

Into The Future With ThreatDown powered by Malwarebytes

Originating from Malwarebytes’ 15-year legacy in combating daily malware threats, ThreatDown powered by Malwarebytes has evolved in tandem with the ever-changing threat landscape.

ThreatDown’s mission for businesses is straightforward: neutralize threats promptly and efficiently, without the need for extensive IT teams, prolonged setup times, or substantial budgets. We combine the technologies and services that resource constrained IT teams need into four streamlined, cost-effective bundles that take down threats, take down complexity and take down costs:

• ThreatDown Core Bundle: Basic malware protection and threat surface reduction. A simple yet superior solution integrating award-winning endpoint protection technologies.
• ThreatDown Advanced Bundle: Everything included in core plus Automated Threat Hunting and Ransomware Rollback. Tailored for smaller security teams with limited resources.
• ThreatDown Elite Bundle: Everything in Advanced plus 24/7 expert monitoring and response by Malwarebytes MDR analysts. Purpose-built for organizations with small (to non-existent) security teams that lack the resources to address all security alerts.
• ThreatDown Ultimate Bundle: Everything in Elite plus protection from categories of malicious websites. Perfect for teams looking for a SOC-in-a-box, a one-and-done shortcut to cybersecurity done right.

In short, with ThreatDown, the mission is clear: To take down threats to businesses and reduce attack surfaces immediately, without the need for an IT army or big budgets. Together, we can overpower threats—and empower IT.

Visit www.threatdown.com to learn more.  

Since I started Malwarebytes 15 years ago the threat landscape has changed. Our offerings have evolved. And now the next chapter of our journey begins today.  

How did we get here? 

My first cyber “combatant” was an early form of adware running amok on my family’s computer. Removing it was a team effort, and it led to the creation of the first iteration of Malwarebytes, a free tool built to help everyday people find and remove malware from their computers, without needing to scour forums, write code, or run scripts like I had.  

Malwarebytes turned out to be extremely popular. It did what no other product could, find malware and remove every trace. Although designed as a free tool for individuals, IT professionals downloaded it in droves. The vast amount of malware infections that common AV tools missed proved that organizations needed better detection as well as our remediation.  

Malwarebytes for Business was born.  

Organizations today must protect against more than malware. There are ransomware gangs, crypto-scammers, Advanced Persistent Threat groups, data exfiltration and extortion schemes, big-money exploits, disastrous zero-days, brute force attacks, Living-Off-the-Land techniques—that anti-virus detection doesn’t find—and fast evolving social engineering tactics that will only advance with the broad availability of generative AI.  

But with the rapid increase of attack surfaces, security products have multiplied and become increasingly complex to deploy and manage. Many IT organizations are struggling with the number of consoles and increasing costs. Most don’t have enough cybersecurity staff or budget to take down threat levels. 

For more than a decade, Malwarebytes has provided resource constrained IT organizations with the necessary tools to stop cybercriminals across the entire threat spectrum—from attack surface reduction; through prevention, detection, and response; to remediation. Time and time again our products are tested, proven, and recognized, year after year, quarter after quarter. Importantly, we’ve also made security simpler. Delivered in one lightweight agent, using one console, IT organizations can manage thousands of endpoints and vast security capabilities at once.  

Today, we launch a name that reflects the full scope of our business product line, the serious daily battle with adversaries on behalf of organizations, and embodies our mission – security that overpowers threats, not IT.    

I want to personally introduce you to “ThreatDown, powered by Malwarebytes.” The ThreatDown platform is focused on the problem we heard about most from our corporate customers, institutions and partners. No, not securing the software supply chain, cracking down on zero-day vulnerabilities, or stopping the growing spate of ransomware attacks (though all of those also rank high in importance).  

The biggest problem, simply enough, is complexity.  

For too long, even the most well-intentioned cybersecurity vendors and researchers have issued security recommendations in a vacuum, assuming every business has the same budget, staff size, and IT resources. Under this guise, the products our industry has sold are hardly “solutions”—they are proposals.  

We know this isn’t working for most organizations.  

According to IDC, 60 percent of mid-market companies only have 1 – 4 full time IT people, making complex integrations, installations, or management of tech tools formidable. Similar research also shows that a simple configuration change could take IT teams a few hours, while more complex changes can take several days or even weeks, and that companies deploy an average of 55 different cybersecurity tools—each with their own cloud-based console, agent, and management requirements.  

ThreatDown understands that meaningful cybersecurity “solutions” must consider an organization’s ability to implement and embrace a security product and its toolset. This is why the ThreatDown portfolio isn’t a list of individual products for organizations to figure out.  

Today we’re also launching four ThreatDown Bundles that combine award-winning layers of protection, threat intelligence, and human expertise for IT-constrained organizations of all sizes and skill levels. These new bundles help organizations take down threats, while also taking down complexity and cost. Every bundle includes our Security Advisor, which provides a security score to illustrate a company’s current level of protection, offers guidance on how to make improvements and enables IT to take immediate action. 

This is just the beginning.    

Fifteen years ago, with enormous help from around the world, we started something special with Malwarebytes. Today, we are doing that again. 

Join me as we overpower threats and empower IT together.  

Visit www.threatdown.com to learn more.  

Okta has revealed details about a recent breach which exposed files belonging to customers.

As we explained in our article about 1Password being a victim of this breach, it’s normal for Okta support to ask customers to upload a file known as an HTTP Archive (HAR) file. Having this file allows the team to troubleshoot issues by replicating what’s going on in the browser. As such, a HAR file can contain sensitive data, including cookies and session tokens, that cybercriminals can use to impersonate valid users.

After 1Password, BeyondTrust, and Cloudflare detected unauthorized log-in attempts to their in-house Okta administrator accounts, they reported the incidents to Okta who started an investigation.

Okta says it found that from September 28 to October 17, 2023 an attacker had unauthorized access to files inside Okta’s customer support system associated with 134 Okta customers.

The attacker gained access using stolen credentials of a service account stored in the system itself, which had permissions to view and update customer support cases.

To gain access to that service account, the attacker compromised an Okta employee. The employee logged into the service account while they were signed in to their personal Google profile in Chrome on their Okta-managed laptop. That meant that the credentials of the service account were stored in the employee’s personal Google account.

How they got from that account into the attacker’s hands is unknown, but likely the attacker compromised that personal account or one of the employee’s devices fell into the attacker’s hands, from where they could accessed the Google account and harvested the credentials.

Once in, the attacker was able to use session tokens in the HAR files to impersonate staff and hijack the legitimate Okta sessions of five customers, including 1Password, BeyondTrust, and Cloudflare.

Okta says it has now locked down personal Google access on company-managed computers:

“Okta has implemented a specific configuration option within Chrome Enterprise that prevents sign-in to Chrome on their Okta-managed laptop using a personal Google profile.”

In general, it’s hard to strictly separate the use of devices for work purposes— in a 2020 survey by Malwarebytes, we found that the majority of people do use work devices for personal use. When a device gets assigned to an employee, they consider it more or less as “theirs” and there’s a tendency to start using it for personal matters. Okta could have anticipated this behavior and added additional security measures for such an important account.

A remediation task that is important to note for Okta customers is:

“Okta has released session token binding based on network location as a product enhancement to combat the threat of session token theft against Okta administrators. Okta administrators are now forced to re-authenticate if we detect a network change. This feature can be enabled by customers in the early access section of the Okta admin portal.”

Data breach

There are some actions you can take if you are, or suspect you may have been, the victim of a data breach.

• Check the vendor’s advice. Every breach is different, so check with the vendor to find out what’s happened, and follow any specific advice they offer.
• Change your password. You can make a stolen password useless to thieves by changing it. Choose a strong password that you don’t use for anything else. Better yet, let a password manager choose one for you.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If you can, use a FIDO2-compliant hardware key, laptop or phone as your second factor. Some forms of two-factor authentication (2FA) can be phished just as easily as a password. 2FA that relies on a FIDO2 device can’t be phished.
• Watch out for fake vendors. The thieves may contact you posing as the vendor. Check the vendor website to see if they are contacting victims, and verify any contacts using a different communication channel.
• Take your time. Phishing attacks often impersonate people or brands you know, and use themes that require urgent attention, such as missed deliveries, account suspensions, and security alerts.

This week on the Lock and Code podcast…

A worrying trend is cropping up amongst Americans, particularly within Generation Z—they’re spying on each other more.

Whether reading someone’s DMs, rifling through a partner’s text messages, or even rummaging through the bags and belongings of someone else, Americans enjoy keeping tabs on one another, especially when they’re in a relationship. According to recent research from Malwarebytes, a shocking 49% of Gen Zers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “Being able to track my spouse’s/significant other’s location when they are away is extremely important to me.”

On the Lock and Code podcast with host David Ruiz, we’ve repeatedly tackled the issue of surveillance, from the NSA’s mass communications surveillance program exposed by Edward Snowden, to the targeted use of Pegasus spyware against human rights dissidents and political activists, to the purchase of privately-collected location data by state law enforcement agencies across the country. But the type of surveillance we’re talking about today is different. It isn’t so much “Big Brother”—a concept introduced in the socio-dystopian novel 1984 by author George Orwell. It’s “Little Brother.”

As far back as 2010, in a piece titled “Little Brother is Watching,” author Walter Kirn wrote for the New York Times:

 “As the internet proves every day, it isn’t some stern and monolithic Big Brother that we have to reckon with as we go about our daily lives, it’s a vast cohort of prankish Little Brothers equipped with devices that Orwell, writing 60 years ago, never dreamed of and who are loyal to no organized authority. The invasion of privacy — of others’ privacy but also our own, as we turn our lenses on ourselves in the quest for attention by any means — has been democratized.”

Little Brother is us, recording someone else on our phones and then posting it on social media. Little Brother is us, years ago, Facebook stalking someone because they’re a college crush. Little Brother is us, watching a Ring webcam of a delivery driver, including when they are mishandling a package but also when they are doing a stupid little dance that we requested so we could post it online and get little dopamine hits from the Likes. Little Brother is our anxieties being soothed by watching the shiny blue GPS dots that represent our husbands and our wives, driving back from work.

Little Brother isn’t just surveillance. It is increasingly popular, normalized, and accessible surveillance. And it’s creeping its way into more and more relationships every day. 

So, what can stop it? 

Today, we speak with our guests, Malwarebytes security evangelist Mark Stockley and Malwarebytes Labs editor-in-chief Anna Brading, about the apparent “appeal” of Little Brother surveillance, whether the tenets of privacy can ever fully defeat that surveillance, and what the possible merits of this surveillance could be, including, as Stockley suggested, in revealing government abuses of power. 

“My question to you is, as with all forms of technology, there are two very different sides for this. So is it bad? Is it good? Or is it just oxygen now?” 

Tune in today to listen to the full conversation.

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Show notes and credits:

Intro Music: “Spellbound” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music: “Good God” by Wowa (unminus.com)

Clinical research company Advarra has reportedly been compromised after a SIM swap on one of their executives.

SIM swapping, also known as SIM jacking, is the act of illegally taking over a target’s cell phone number. This can be done in a number of ways, but one of the most common methods involves tricking the target’s phone carrier into porting the phone number to a new SIM which is under the control of the attacker.

In the case of Advarra, the ransomware group ALPHV reportedly managed to transfer the executive’s cellphone number, allowing them access to the company’s resources and copy information that the group is now threatening to sell.

Advarra entry on the ALPHV leak site

However, Advarra isn’t willing to play ball, saying it doesn’t “pay digital terrorists”.

Advarra said it’s business as usual:

“An Advarra colleague was the victim of a compromise of their phone number. The intruder used this to access some of the employee’s accounts, including LinkedIn, as well as their work account.

We have taken containment actions to prevent further access and are investigating with third-party cyber experts. We also notified federal law enforcement. At this time we believe the matter is contained. We further believe that the intruder never had access to our clients’ or partners’ systems and it is safe to connect to Advarra’s systems. Importantly, we have no evidence that the Advarra systems and products that clients use to interface with us were compromised or accessed. At this time, our business operations have not been disrupted as a result of this activity and we continue to operate as normal. In addition, we continue to take steps to enhance the overall security of our systems in line with industry best practices.

Our investigation remains ongoing, and we will provide additional updates as appropriate.”

Octo Tempest

We recently wrote about the growing concern around criminal gang Octo Tempest. In 2022, Octo Tempest began selling SIM swaps to other criminals and performing account takeovers of high-net-worth individuals in order to steal their cryptocurrency. Since then the group has expanded its range of activities to include targeting organizations providing cable telecommunications, email, and tech services, and partnering with the ALPHV ransomware group.

So it’s quite possible that here Octo Tempest used their SIM swapping knowledge to compromise the executive’s account and use that leverage to steal information, which is now being used to extort Advarra

Even if the incident didn’t go down exactly as we think, there are a few takeaways:

• Social engineering has shown time and again to be the most reliable tool for cybercriminals. It can even hurt companies with enterprise grade security.
• The security of your private accounts matters to the company you work for. A breach of one of your accounts can provide an entrance to your employer.
• SIM swapping is one of the reasons why some forms of MFA are better than others. Spoiler alert: text messages and call-based verification are not the best options.

How to avoid ransomware

• Block common forms of entry. Create a plan for patching vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems quickly; and disable or harden remote access like RDP and VPNs.
• Prevent intrusions. Stop threats early before they can even infiltrate or infect your endpoints. Use endpoint security software that can prevent exploits and malware used to deliver ransomware.
• Detect intrusions. Make it harder for intruders to operate inside your organization by segmenting networks and assigning access rights prudently. Use EDR or MDR to detect unusual activity before an attack occurs.
• Stop malicious encryption. Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response software like Malwarebytes EDR that uses multiple different detection techniques to identify ransomware, and ransomware rollback to restore damaged system files.
• Create offsite, offline backups. Keep backups offsite and offline, beyond the reach of attackers. Test them regularly to make sure you can restore essential business functions swiftly.
• Don’t get attacked twice. Once you’ve isolated the outbreak and stopped the first attack, you must remove every trace of the attackers, their malware, their tools, and their methods of entry, to avoid being attacked again.

Malwarebytes Managed Detection and Response (MDR) simply and effectively closes your security resources gap, reduces your risk of unknown threats, and increases your security efficiency exponentially. Malwarebytes MDR staffs highly experienced Tier 2 and Tier 3 analysts who are hands-on with customer endpoints, ensuring critical threats are quickly identified and a thorough response is rapidly deployed.

Want to learn more about MDR? Get a free trial below.