Multiple U.S. government agencies have cautioned that the Black Basta ransomware group is actively targeting the healthcare sector along with 12 out of 16 critical infrastructure segments.
The FBI, CISA, and HHS issued an advisory on a Friday, revealing that Black Basta has targeted over 500 organizations worldwide between April 2022 and May 2024.
The Black Basta ransomware gang poses a grave threat to healthcare and critical infrastructure, having assaulted over 500 organizations globally in a span of two years. This highlights the rising danger to crucial societal sectors due to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Providers of web-based technologies, such as ConnectWise, are susceptible to exploitation by ransomware gangs. Black Basta leveraged a vulnerability in ConnectWise's ScreenConnect to facilitate secure remote desktop access and mobile device support.
Attacks on healthcare organizations jeopardize essential patient care services, causing significant complications and delays in healthcare provision. The incident involving Ascension underscores the urgent need for the healthcare ecosystem to fortify cybersecurity measures.
Welcome to RSA Conference 2024 in San Francisco, where the latest in application security (AppSec) awaits! To help you navigate the expo efficiently, we've curated a list of top companies based on booth locations. Follow this strategic path to cover key players in AppSec while minimizing unnecessary walking. Here is the link to theAppSec booths in Moscone South at RSAC.
Are you there at RSA Conference 2024? With so many innovative cybersecurity companies exhibiting, planning your visit strategically can ensure you make the most out of your time at the event. To help you navigate efficiently, we've compiled a list of top companies categorized by booth location and their specialties. Follow this guide to explore cutting-edge solutions and connect with industry leaders!
Are you attending RSA Conference 2024? To make the most of your time at RSAC, we've curated a list of leading application security (AppSec) companies categorized by booth location. Follow this guide to navigate efficiently and connect with these innovative solution providers.
Navigating RSA Conference can be overwhelming, but with our strategic booth list, you'll cover the key players in application security while minimizing your steps! To checkout the Top AppSec Companies to Visit at RSA Conference 2024 in Moscone North Expo, click the below link.
In the high-stakes cybersecurity arena, enterprises continually seek innovative strategies to safeguard their digital assets against evolving threats. Traditionally, security assessments have relied on periodic penetration testing and red team exercises to identify vulnerabilities and shore up defenses. However, these methods often fall short in the face of today's dynamic threat landscape. Continuous Automated Red Teaming (CART), a game-changing approach that leverages automation and machine learning to simulate cyberattacks continuously, helps solve the above challenges.
Addressing the Challenges of Security Teaming in Enterprises
Despite their critical roles, security teams encounter several challenges in their effort to safeguard organizational assets:
Shadow IT & Incomplete Asset Inventory: Organizations are testing partial assets that miss Shadow IT assets like the Preprod systems, Cloud buckets ..etc. The current testing typically tests 20% of the assets or crown jewels, whereas the peripheral assets are missed.
“Testing Point-In-Time vs Continuous Attacks From Hackers”: Organizations test “some” of their assets “some of the time,” whereas hackers attack all of the assets all of the time. Currently, the pen test or red team test reports generated are only for a point in time, while continuous alerts are required.
Silos and Communication Barriers: Lack of collaboration between red, blue, and purple teams can lead to disjointed efforts and missed opportunities to address vulnerabilities comprehensively.
Skill Shortages and Training Needs: The rapidly evolving threat landscape necessitates continuous upskilling and training for security professionals, yet many organizations need help attracting and retaining top talent with the requisite expertise.
Tool Integration Complexity: The proliferation of security tools and technologies can result in integration challenges, making it difficult for teams to streamline workflows and effectively leverage available resources.
The Future of Offensive Attack Simulation: Continuous Pen testing
Continuous Pen Testing operates on the principle of persistent threat emulation, constantly testing existing defenses and applications to uncover weaknesses and blind spots. By automating the execution of red team exercises, organizations can gain real-time insights into their security posture, enabling proactive risk mitigation and rapid response to emerging threats. This paradigm shift from point-in-time testing to continuous testing marks a significant leap forward in cybersecurity resilience.
Why Innovative CISOs Are Turning to Continuous Pen Testing to Stay Ahead Of Adversaries
In the relentless battle against cyber threats, organizations are turning to innovative solutions like Continuous Testing to fortify their defenses and stay one step ahead of adversaries. New solutions have emerged for Continuous Pen Testing and External Attack Surface Management (EASM), enabling organizations to map out their digital attack surface, including shadow IT blind spots and automatically launch safe multi-stage attacks, mimicking an actual attacker, to help identify attack paths before hackers do:
Continuous Pen Testing: enables organizations to emulate real-world cyberattacks through safe multi-stage attacks. By mimicking the tactics of actual threat actors, CART helps identify and prioritize vulnerabilities before hackers exploit them.
External Attack Surface Management (EASM): EASM solution provides organizations with comprehensive visibility into their digital attack surface. By continuously discovering and monitoring the deep, dark, and surface webs, EASM helps uncover shadow IT blind spots and proactively identify potential attack paths.
Why External Attack Surface Management (EASM) is foundational for Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)
Gartner says “CTEM is defined as a set of processes and capabilities that allows enterprises to continually and consistently evaluate the accessibility, exposure and exploitability of an enterprise’s digital and physical assets. It is composed of phases — scoping, discovery, prioritization, validation and mobilization — and underpinned by a set of technologies and capabilities, of which EASM is one. CTEM is different from risk-based vulnerability management (RBVM) in that the latter is an evolution of traditional vulnerability management, while CTEM is the wider process around operating and governing overall exposure. It includes solving the identified vulnerabilities as well as optimizing processes in the future so that the vulnerabilities do not resurface.
EASM is foundational to CTEM for two reasons. First, it provides continuous and improved visibility into assets that organizations have less control over, such as SaaS applications and data held by supply chain partners and suppliers. Second, it assesses and prioritizes resources in mitigating/remediating issues that attackers are most likely to exploit and therefore benefits organizations during the first three phases of CTEM: scoping, discovery and prioritization.” Learn more about Continuous Threat Exposure Management or CTEM: A New Security Approach For CISOs.
CTEM enables continuous assessment of accessibility, exposure, and exploitability of digital and physical assets
CTEM includes phases like scoping, discovery, prioritization, validation, and mobilization
EASM is a foundational component of CTEM, offering enhanced visibility into assets like SaaS applications and third-party data
EASM helps assess and prioritize resources for mitigating issues most likely to be exploited by attackers during the initial phases of CTEM
CTEM differs from risk-based vulnerability management (RBVM) by encompassing broader exposure governance and ongoing optimization processes
Why EASM is foundational for Continuous Penetration Testing
Gartner says, “EASM can complement penetration testing during the information gathering phase about the target (finding exploitable points of entry). The convergence between penetration testing and EASM will become more prominent as automated penetration testing solutions continue to emerge.
Most penetration testing performed today is human-driven, outsourced and conducted annually (making it a point-in-time view), which is why the automated penetration testing market has emerged. Although automated penetration testing is an emerging market on its own, some vendors have already added EASM and vice versa. This is because vendors that started in the automated penetration testing market were initially only doing automated network penetration testing and not external testing. Technologies such as EASM, DRPS, BAS and automated penetration testing can collectively provide organizations with a realistic view of the full attack surface within their environment. This lets organizations test what they can or cannot prevent and detect, as well as determine how they would respond in the event of an attack. Therefore, the convergence of these technologies can better support organizations in their CTEM program.” Learn more about Why Is Gartner Talking About External Attack Surface Management (EASM) & Real-Life Attacks
EASM complements penetration testing by aiding in information gathering to identify entry points.
Automated penetration testing solutions are growing, leading to a convergence with EASM
Current penetration testing is largely human-driven, outsourced, and performed annually, providing a point-in-time perspective
Automated or continuous penetration testing is emerging due to its ability to provide ongoing assessments
Vendors are integrating EASM with automated penetration testing tools to enhance capabilities
Technologies like EASM, DRPS, BAS, and automated penetration testing together provide a comprehensive view of an organization's attack surface
The convergence of these technologies supports organizations in their CTEM (Continuous Threat and Exposure Management) programs.
Why Is Gartner Talking About External Attack Surface Management (EASM)?
In the landscape of ever-evolving cyber threats, how can organizations safeguard their digital assets with efficacy and speed? Continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) stands out as the proactive cybersecurity frontier. This real-time strategy transcends traditional, reactive security measures by consistently scanning the digital horizon to identify and prioritize threats before they inflict damage. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of CTEM’s principles, its integral role in fortifying defenses, and practical steps for crafting a robust CTEM program tailored to your organization’s needs.
Key Takeaways:
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) provides a proactive, real-time approach to cybersecurity, moving beyond reactive strategies to prioritize and remediate threats before they lead to exploitation, focusing on continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and threat prioritization aligned with business objectives.
A robust CTEM program is built on a framework with five critical stages—Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization—and is integrated seamlessly with existing security controls enhancing management and prioritization of threats without the need for overhauling current frameworks.
CTEM strategies reinforce an organization’s security posture by proactively managing exposures, prioritizing risks based on business impact, ensuring cloud environment coverage, aligning with business goals and compliance, and streamlining remediation processes through automation and cross-team collaboration.
The Imperative of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)
In an era where cyber threats are as unpredictable as they are damaging, organizations must adopt a proactive stance to stay one step ahead. Enter Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)—a real-time, proactive approach to cybersecurity that aims to strengthen an organization’s security posture. CTEM distinguishes itself from traditional reactive vulnerability management approaches by continuously monitoring the threat landscape, enabling an organization to prioritize and remediate threats before exploitation occurs.
By surfacing and actively prioritizing threats in real-time, CTEM offers a more resilient security posture, enabling proactive threat mitigation across different environments, including cloud landscapes.
Understanding CTEM's Core Objectives
The core objectives of a successful CTEM program revolve around continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and prioritization. The discovery phase is crucial, involving the identification of all vulnerable resources, evaluating risk profiles, and focusing on potential business impacts.
CTEM involves:
Evaluating the risk associated with each asset and ranking them, ensuring resources focus on the most significant risks first
Placing a significant emphasis on validation to verify cybersecurity posture following threat prioritization and remediation efforts
Aligning CTEM’s objectives with business priorities to ensure that threats most material to the business are addressed effectively.
CTEM's Role in Cyber Resilience
CTEM’s role in cyber resilience cannot be overstated. It enables continual improvement of security posture by proactively identifying and remediating vulnerabilities before they are exploited by attackers. By integrating external attack surface management, CTEM strengthens defenses along post-perimeter attack surfaces.
CTEM (Cyber Threat and Event Management) provides the following benefits:
Ensures that an organization’s defenses remain up-to-date and capable of combating evolving cyber threats
Provides organizations with a real-time view of their cybersecurity risk posture
Crafting a Robust CTEM Program for Your Organization
Crafting a robust CTEM program involves:
Assessing the current security posture
Defining clear objectives and strategy
Selecting and deploying the right tools
Establishing processes for continuous monitoring and analysis
Creating a culture of continuous improvement
Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards
This comprehensive approach goes beyond simply installing the latest security software and helps to create a strong and effective CTEM program.
The result? A strengthened organization’s security posture and a resilient organization ready to tackle the dynamic nature of threats and vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity landscape.
The Five Pillars of a CTEM Framework
The backbone of a CTEM program is its framework, which consists of five critical stages: Scoping, Discovery, Prioritization, Validation, and Mobilization.
The cybersecurity process involves three main phases:
Scoping: Determine which assets are most critical and assess the associated risks to prioritize protection efforts.
Discovery: Identify vulnerable assets, contributing to a comprehensive catalogue of at-risk resources.
Prioritization: Evaluate and rank assets based on their importance and level of threat posed.
Validation includes strategic plans implementation and security controls effectiveness testing. Lastly, the Mobilization phase defines the operational scope and involves the use of automated solutions to manage known issues.
Integrating CTEM with Existing Security Controls
CTEM is not about overhauling your existing security framework; it’s about enhancing it. CTEM programs seamlessly integrate with current controls, enhancing the overall management and prioritization of threat exposure. It empowers security operations teams to use attack surface and threat intelligence in their investigations, allowing them to focus on remediating the most impactful exposures.
CTEM utilizes continuous automation tools for scanning digital assets and promptly identifying vulnerabilities, narrowing the window of opportunity for potential attackers. The bottom line is, integrating CTEM with existing security controls leads to a more robust and resilient security posture.
Elevating Security Posture Through Proactive Exposure Management
A key strategy to elevate an organization’s security posture is through proactive exposure management. This involves:
Identifying and mitigating potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited
Contrasting with reactive approaches that address threats after they occur
Assessing cybersecurity risks by evaluating potential harm against the likelihood of threats
Enhancing communication between security teams and executives
Fostering a cybersecurity culture and strategic alignment of threat mitigation strategies
This proactive approach enhances communication between security teams and security leaders, fostering a cybersecurity culture and strategic alignment of threat mitigation strategies within the security team.
The result is a significant decrease in security risks, improved threat detection, and faster response to remediation, indicating the success of a proactive CTEM program.
Identifying and Mitigating Potential Attack Paths
No battle is won without understanding the enemy’s possible attack paths. In the context of cybersecurity, effective attack path analysis helps identify critical vulnerabilities and pathways, enabling targeted mitigation efforts. By examining system components and interactions, potential sequences of actions by an attacker can be mapped, enabling more targeted mitigation efforts.
Effective attack path management reveals weak links within the system and leads to proactive mitigation efforts, thereby fortifying the organization’s defenses.
Prioritizing Risks Based on Business Impact
The process of risk prioritization is integral to an effective CTEM program. By prioritizing threats based on their likelihood and potential business impact, resources can be focused on the most significant risks. Using a risk matrix in cybersecurity helps define the level of risk by categorizing the likelihood of a threat against the severity of its potential impact, aiding in risk-based decision making.
This approach ensures that organizations make informed security decisions and allocate resources effectively to reduce the impact of cyber attacks.
Navigating the Attack Surface with Advanced CTEM Tactics
The rise of cloud-based operations and remote work has expanded the attack surface, making it more challenging for security teams to monitor and secure. Advanced CTEM tactics address the expanding attack surface, including identity management and coverage across cloud environments. It involves a full analysis of exposures, extending across both on-premises and cloud environments, and assesses their impact on critical assets in these integrated environments.
By incorporating external attack surface management, organizations can enhance their defenses against external threats by addressing vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could be exploited. This process helps to identify vulnerabilities, ensuring a more secure environment.
Addressing Identity Issues in Threat Management
As organizations grow, managing the identities of a diverse range of users and machines becomes a pressing challenge. Robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) capabilities are crucial for preventing threats from exploiting identity-related security gaps.
Implementing robust IAM capabilities within a CTEM framework can proactively prevent threats from exploiting identity-related security gaps, thereby fortifying the organization’s defenses.
Ensuring Coverage Across Cloud Environments
As organizations move towards cloud-based operations, ensuring coverage across these environments becomes crucial. CTEM extends its threat management capabilities to cloud-based environments, enabling:
Continuous and automated assessment of an evolving attack surface
Real-time assessment of the attack surface using global databases of security information
Tracking changes in the attack surface
Prioritizing attacks to address across third-party cloud ecosystems
By utilizing cloud security posture management capabilities, organizations can enhance their security posture in cloud-based environments.
Aligning CTEM with Business Goals and Compliance Risks
The success of any cybersecurity initiative is closely tied to its alignment with business goals and compliance risks. CTEM offers a proactive approach to assess and mitigate risks, aligning cybersecurity with business and compliance objectives. This alignment ensures that the protection of critical business assets and processes are prioritized, and the CTEM program integrates with governance, risk, and compliance functions to enhance the security posture.
Balancing Security Investments with Business Risk
Balancing security investments with business risk is a critical aspect of a successful CTEM program. Organizations that prioritize security investments guided by CTEM are three times less likely to suffer a data breach.
Clear communication facilitated by CTEM between security teams and business executives ensures that threat mitigation efforts are aligned with the organization’s broader goals.
Addressing Compliance Risks with CTEM
CTEM plays a significant role in addressing compliance risks. It integrates with compliance frameworks through a systematic framework of:
Scoping
Discovery
Prioritization
Validation
Mobilization
This framework aligns with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
The cyclic approach of CTEM effectively anticipates and remediates threats, enabling organizations to continuously evaluate, prioritize, and mitigate risks to meet compliance requirements.
Streamlining Remediation Processes in CTEM
Streamlining remediation processes is a critical aspect of CTEM. It involves:
Operationalizing findings by adhering to defined communication standards
Documenting cross-team approval workflows
Leveraging automation for streamlined vulnerability resolution processes.
Automating Vulnerability Remediation
Automation plays a key role in enhancing efficiency within CTEM. It streamlines communication, collaboration, and workflows across teams, reducing manual coordination and expediting response times for remediation.
Automated ticketing systems and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms are integrated within CTEM to efficiently address vulnerabilities and mitigate threats.
Orchestrating Cross-Team Approval Workflows
Effective cross-team approval workflows ensure seamless communication and collaboration for efficient vulnerability management. To successfully orchestrate these workflows, it’s essential to integrate a CTEM plan with organizational-level remediation and incident workflows, expanding focus beyond just technical fixes.
The mobilization phase of CTEM involves rallying all stakeholders to understand the need for a more engaged approach to cybersecurity risk management.
Measuring CTEM Success: Metrics and KPIs
To gauge the success of a CTEM program, organizations need to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) including the level of risk reduction, enhanced threat detection capabilities, and accelerated response times for remediation. By diminishing the blast radius and impact of security incidents, strengthening the security posture, and reducing breach-related costs, organizations can assess the success of a CTEM program.
Tracking Risk Reduction Over Time
Tools such as Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) enable ongoing evaluation of security controls and risk reduction over time. Studies show that organizations implementing a proper continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) solution experience a significant decrease in the likelihood of a severe breach, with a reduction of up to 90%.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Security Control Systems
Evaluating the efficiency of security control systems helps organizations assess the effectiveness of their CTEM program and make informed decisions. Monitoring and control systems, such as Security Control Validation (SCV) and Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS), are tools used to simulate real-world attack scenarios to evaluate the performance of security controls.
The efficiency of security controls can be assessed based on their performance improvement over time, with measurements facilitated by these specific tools.
Summary
As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations need a proactive, continuous, and comprehensive approach to manage these threats. Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) provides such an approach, enhancing an organization’s security posture, aligning with business objectives, and meeting compliance requirements. By implementing a robust CTEM program, organizations can stay one step ahead of cyber threats, making their defenses more resilient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What distinguishes CTEM from traditional threat intelligence?
CTEM is distinctive from traditional threat intelligence because it is proactive and offers specific mitigation advice tailored to an organization's threats.
How does CTEM enhance an organization's security posture?
CTEM enhances an organization's security posture by continuously monitoring the threat landscape and prioritizing and remediating threats before exploitation occurs. This helps the organization stay ahead of potential security risks.
What is the role of Identity and Access Management (IAM) in CTEM?
IAM plays a crucial role in preventing threats from exploiting identity-related security gaps within a CTEM framework. It is essential for maintaining a secure environment.
How does CTEM address compliance risks?
CTEM addresses compliance risks by integrating with compliance frameworks and aligning with business objectives and regulatory requirements, using a systematic approach that includes scoping, discovery, prioritization, validation, and mobilization.
How can the success of a CTEM program be measured?
The success of a CTEM program can be measured by assessing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as risk reduction, threat detection capabilities, and response time for remediation. These indicators provide a clear measure of the program's effectiveness.
If you’re searching for ‘Palo Alto pan os cve’, you’re likely concerned about the security of your network. A recent critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3400 has been discovered, affecting various PAN-OS versions and potentially allowing attackers to exploit your system with root privileges. This article dives into the details of the vulnerability, how it can impact your organization, and crucially, the steps you need to take to ensure your network is protected.
Key Takeaways
CVE-2024-3400 is a critical command injection vulnerability within the GlobalProtect feature of PAN-OS software, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, marked by a CVSS score of 10.0.
The vulnerability, exploited during Operation MidnightEclipse, possibly by a Chinese APT group, targets PAN-OS versions 10.2, 11.0, and 11.1, specifically systems with GlobalProtect gateway and device telemetry enabled.
Mitigation strategies include patching with hotfix releases 10.2.9-h1, 11.0.4-h1, and 11.1.2-h3, and implementing best practices such as decryption to inspect encrypted traffic and adopting a Zero Trust model, with Palo Alto Networks providing product protections and updates.
Overview of CVE-2024-3400
In the pantheon of security vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-3400 stands out with a menacing aura. This critical command injection vulnerability, nestled within the GlobalProtect feature of PAN-OS software, provides a wide-open door for unauthenticated attackers to waltz in and execute arbitrary code with root privileges on an unsuspecting firewall. This os command injection vulnerability exposes the system to an improper privilege management vulnerability and an arbitrary file upload vulnerability, further compounding the risks involved. Think of it as handing over the master key to the very gates that guard your network’s treasures.
Characterized by CWE-77, CVE-2024-3400 doesn’t just open the door—it removes it from its hinges with a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score of a perfect 10.0. This score signals a red alert for network admins everywhere, suggesting that the vulnerability is not only easy to exploit due to its low attack complexity but also doesn’t require user interaction or special privileges to wreak havoc. The incorrect string comparison vulnerability further exacerbates the situation, making it crucial for organizations to address this issue promptly.
The concentrated impact of CVE-2024-3400 means that its effects are laser-focused on a specific area of the product, magnifying the importance of a swift and decisive response. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as the potential damage from this vulnerability extends far beyond a simple system compromise to the realm of a full-scale security breach.
In confronting this digital demon, the first step is understanding the beast. With its network-based method of attack, CVE-2024-3400 demands not just attention but immediate action. It’s a race against the clock to patch the vulnerability before attackers can exploit it, and as we’ll explore, time is not a luxury we can afford.
Operation MidnightEclipse: Exploiting the Vulnerability
The shadows of Operation MidnightEclipse loom large over the cyber landscape, a stark reminder of the potency of CVE-2024-3400 when weaponized by skilled adversaries. This sophisticated campaign harnessed the critical command injection vulnerability to potentially execute arbitrary code with root privileges, granting attackers unfettered control over affected devices.
The attackers logged OS commands in an innocuous-looking error log, which, due to a security oversight, were then executed with root-level permissions. Beyond initial system control, the adversaries deployed additional malware to maintain a stranglehold on compromised systems and facilitate a smorgasbord of malicious activities. Sensitive data, including the coveted NTDS.dit files and DPAPI keys, were prime targets, with the collateral damage extending to the capture of cookies, a feast for any data-hungry threat actor.
The technical dexterity of Operation MidnightEclipse led experts to suspect the hand of a Chinese APT group, potentially Volt Typhoon, a testament to the growing sophistication of state-sponsored cyber warfare.
Urgent Action Needed: 15,000+ Assets are susceptible to PAN-OS Attack
As per the the FireCompass platform, there are 15k staggering numbers of PAN-OS instances in the wild, making it a potential target for threat actors. The affected PAN-OS versions are those that include systems with the GlobalProtect gateway and device telemetry enabled—a specific yet significant subset of the network defense landscape. The specific pan os versions of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS under siege by this vulnerability are 10.2, 11.0, and 11.1, versions that are widely utilized and thus represent a broad attack surface for potential exploitation. The configurations most at risk are those with either a GlobalProtect gateway or GlobalProtect portal (or both) and active device telemetry, the combination of which forms a toxic cocktail for network security.
FireCompass Discovers CVEs with Critical severity within 24 hours including exposures to PAN-OS versions
FireCompass automated penetration testing tool can discover CVEs with critical and high severity within 24 hours of them becoming public. This helps customers to find and fix critical issues before exploits become available. Learn more at: https://www.firecompass.com/continuous-automated-pen-testing/
It’s worth noting that not all PAN-OS deployments are under the gun; cloud firewalls, Panorama appliances, or Prisma Access are spared from this particular security scourge, as clarified by the Security Advisory.
Patching and Updating PAN-OS
In the fight against CVE-2024-3400, patching is the first line of defense, a vital action that can mean the difference between a secure network and a compromised one. Hotfix releases have been deployed, specifically targeting this vulnerability and providing a lifeline for affected systems.
The hotfix releases that directly address CVE-2024-3400 include PAN-OS versions 10.2.9-h1, 11.0.4-h1, and 11.1.2-h3, acting as the antidote to the poison that threatens network security. These versions, along with all subsequent ones, are the key to locking out the threat and restoring the sanctity of your digital fortress.
Palo Alto Networks Solutions for CVE-2024-3400
A critical component of this defense is the activation of Threat ID 95187, available to those with a Threat Prevention subscription from Palo Alto Networks, which serves as a virtual shield against CVE-2024-3400. The executive summary language and details on Threat ID 95187 have been meticulously updated, including information pertinent to firewalls managed by Panorama, ensuring that customers have the most current and comprehensive protection available.
CISO Platform CISO Collaboration and Information Sharing
CISO collaboration and information sharing are pivotal in this regard, allowing organizations to stay a step ahead of emerging threats and swiftly adopt industry best practices.
The collaborative efforts extend to joint research and development, though CISO Platform taskforces helping to solve the community's critical pain points in cyber security.
If you'd like to be part of CISO Platform, an exclusive community of 6000+ CISO's globally and loved by 50,000+ subscribers, click here: https://www.cisoplatform.com/
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is CVE-2024-3400, and why is it considered critical?
CVE-2024-3400 is a critical command injection vulnerability on PAN-OS firewalls, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute code with root privileges. Its severity is due to its high CVSS score of 10.0 and potential for severe impact on network security.
How did Operation MidnightEclipse exploit CVE-2024-3400?
Operation MidnightEclipse exploited CVE-2024-3400 by logging OS commands in an error log, which were then erroneously executed with root-level permissions, ultimately allowing attackers to gain full control over affected devices.
Which PAN-OS versions are affected by CVE-2024-3400?
PAN-OS versions 10.2, 11.0, and 11.1 are affected by CVE-2024-3400, especially those with a GlobalProtect gateway or portal and active device telemetry.
Are there any hotfix releases for CVE-2024-3400?
Yes, hotfix releases for CVE-2024-3400 include PAN-OS versions 10.2.9-h1, 11.0.4-h1, and 11.1.2-h3, with more hotfixes expected soon.
What are some best practices for protecting my network against CVE-2024-3400?
To protect your network against CVE-2024-3400, it's recommended to secure administrative access, enable decryption to inspect SSL/TLS and SSH traffic, adopt a Zero Trust model, construct precise security policy rules, and stay current with applications and threats content updates. These best practices will help strengthen the security of your network.
Here are the top 7 AI tools that are available on darkweb and are being used by hackers.
1. WormGPT: A Powerful AI chatbot to assist hackers
WormGPT is a powerful AI chatbot designed to assist hackers with their hacking and programming endeavors1. It is built on the open-source GPT-J large language model (LLM), which can interpret and respond to natural language text in multiple languages. It is based on the old GPT-3 architecture but with no limitations, such as no security measures and filters applied when the model was deployed and trained upon large amounts of hacking-related data.
2. AutoGPT: An open-source tool that learns linguistic patterns without human supervision.
AutoGPT is an experimental, open-source Python application that uses GPT-4 to act autonomously. It can perform a task with little human intervention, and can self-prompt1. For example, you can tell Auto-GPT what you want the end goal to be and the application will self-produce every prompt necessary to complete the task. Auto-GPT has internet access, long-term and short-term memory management, GPT-4 for text generation and file storage and summarization with GPT.
3. ChatGPT with DAN prompt: An open-source versatile tool that can handle a wide range of tasks after proper commanding.
DAN stands for “Do Anything Now”. These specially crafted prompts essentially override ChatGPT’s moral programming, unlocking its full potential2. By inputting a DAN prompt, you can get ChatGPT to generate unrestrained content related to crime, violence, drugs, sex, or other prohibited topics without limitation
4. FreedomGPT: An open-source model that can run offline and have fine-tuning capabilities.
FreedomGPT is an open-source AI language model that can generate text, translate languages, and answer questions, similar to ChatGPT4. What sets FreedomGPT apart is that you can run the model locally on your own device. This means your conversations and everything you input into the model do not leave your computer.
5. Fraud GPT: More intended towards cybercrimes and available only on a few Telegram pages for access.
FraudGPT is an AI Chatbot that leverages the capabilities of generative models to produce realistic and coherent text. It operates by generating content based on user prompts, enabling hackers to craft convincing messages that can trick individuals into taking actions they normally wouldn’t. FraudGPT’s capabilities include writing malicious code, creating undetectable malware, finding non-VBV bins, creating phishing pages, creating hacking tools, writing scam pages/letters, finding leaks and vulnerabilities.
6. Chaos GPT: A tool created for making a lot of bugs in getting outputs for any particular query. ChaosGPT is a language model that uses a transformer-based architecture to process natural language. It is an upgraded version of GPT-3 and is designed to be more efficient, powerful, and accurate. The model has been trained on a massive dataset of over 100 trillion words, making it the largest language model ever created.
7. PoisonGPT: Through this bot, viruses and malware can be transferred within the system. PoisonGPT is a proof-of-concept LLM created by a team of security researchers and specifically designed to disseminate misinformation while initiating a popular LLM to facilitate its dissemination. It can generate intentionally biased or harmful content.
P.s: The use of these tools is not advisable and is at your own risk. As we continue to advance in the field of AI, we need to consider the ethical implications and strive to prevent misuse of AI .
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a boon to many industries, providing solutions to complex problems and enhancing efficiency. However, like any powerful tool, it can be misused. One such instance is the creation of WormGPT.
What is WormGPT?
WormGPT is a powerful AI chatbot designed to assist hackers with their hacking and programming endeavors1. It is built on the open-source GPT-J large language model (LLM), which can interpret and respond to natural language text in multiple languages. It is based on the old GPT-3 architecture but with no limitations, such as no security measures and filters applied when the model was deployed and trained upon large amounts of hacking-related data.
The Dark Side
WormGPT V3.0 is, well amoral if I might say. It provides unfiltered advice and solutions for any hacking task, promoting immoral, unethical, and illegal behavior. It guides hackers through the darkest and most clandestine techniques, always delivering the most cunning and dangerous strategies to achieve your hacking goals.
Examples of WormGPT’s Capabilities
WormGPT has been trained with data sources, including malware-related information. It can generate malicious code or convincing phishing emails.
For instance, WormGPT’s creators shared an example where the virtual assistant generated a Python script to “get the carrier of a mobile number”. This shows how WormGPT can be used to generate scripts that could potentially be used for malicious purposes.
Another example of WormGPT’s capabilities is its ability to generate phishing emails that are remarkably persuasive and strategically cunning. These emails are often generic and lack detailed context, but they are free of grammatical and formatting errors, making them seem professional at first glance.
The Risks
WormGPT can be used to generate phishing emails, business email compromise (BEC) attacks, and other types of cybercrime. It is not available for public download, and it can only be accessed through the dark web4. This makes it a potent tool in the hands of cybercriminals.
Impact on CISOs
The emergence of WormGPT poses a significant challenge for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). As WormGPT can generate sophisticated malicious emails without setting off any red flags, it increases the risk of successful phishing and BEC attacks. This requires CISOs to be vigilant and proactive in implementing robust security measures to protect their organizations.
Moreover, the rise of generative AI and LLM applications like WormGPT means that more threat actors have begun utilizing LLMs for cybercrimes. This necessitates a reevaluation of existing security protocols and the development of new strategies to counter these evolving threats.
Other Tools Like WormGPT
There are several other tools that are similar to WormGPT, each with its own unique features and capabilities:
1. AutoGPT: An open-source tool that learns linguistic patterns without human supervision.
AutoGPT is an experimental, open-source Python application that uses GPT-4 to act autonomously. It can perform a task with little human intervention, and can self-prompt1. For example, you can tell Auto-GPT what you want the end goal to be and the application will self-produce every prompt necessary to complete the task. Auto-GPT has internet access, long-term and short-term memory management, GPT-4 for text generation and file storage and summarization with GPT.
2. ChatGPT with DAN prompt: An open-source versatile tool that can handle a wide range of tasks after proper commanding.
DAN stands for “Do Anything Now”. These specially crafted prompts essentially override ChatGPT’s moral programming, unlocking its full potential2. By inputting a DAN prompt, you can get ChatGPT to generate unrestrained content related to crime, violence, drugs, sex, or other prohibited topics without limitation
3. FreedomGPT: An open-source model that can run offline and have fine-tuning capabilities.
FreedomGPT is an open-source AI language model that can generate text, translate languages, and answer questions, similar to ChatGPT4. What sets FreedomGPT apart is that you can run the model locally on your own device. This means your conversations and everything you input into the model do not leave your computer.
4. Fraud GPT: More intended towards cybercrimes and available only on a few Telegram pages for access.
FraudGPT is an AI Chatbot that leverages the capabilities of generative models to produce realistic and coherent text. It operates by generating content based on user prompts, enabling hackers to craft convincing messages that can trick individuals into taking actions they normally wouldn’t. FraudGPT’s capabilities include writing malicious code, creating undetectable malware, finding non-VBV bins, creating phishing pages, creating hacking tools, writing scam pages/letters, finding leaks and vulnerabilities.
5. Chaos GPT: A tool created for making a lot of bugs in getting outputs for any particular query. ChaosGPT is a language model that uses a transformer-based architecture to process natural language. It is an upgraded version of GPT-3 and is designed to be more efficient, powerful, and accurate. The model has been trained on a massive dataset of over 100 trillion words, making it the largest language model ever created.
6. PoisonGPT: Through this bot, viruses and malware can be transferred within the system. PoisonGPT is a proof-of-concept LLM created by a team of security researchers and specifically designed to disseminate misinformation while initiating a popular LLM to facilitate its dissemination. It can generate intentionally biased or harmful content.
Conclusion
While AI has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives, WormGPT serves as a stark reminder of the potential misuse of such technology. It underscores the need for robust ethical guidelines and security measures in the development and deployment of AI systems. Use of WormGPT V3.0 is at your own risk. It’s a reminder that with great power comes great responsibility. As we continue to advance in the field of AI, it’s crucial to consider the ethical implications and strive to prevent misuse of this powerful technology.
How To Present Cyber Security Risk To Senior Leadership: Bikash Barai,Co founder CISO Platform & FireCompass & Allan Alford, CISO TrustMap
Today data breaches are almost a daily occurrence and senior leaders and boards of directors want to be assured that their cybersecurity programs are doing enough to defend their organization. However, the security teams are struggling to quantify risks, measure them and present the risks to leadership teams in a way that clearly communicates the reality of the risk an organization is accepting.
Allan Alford, CTO, and CISO TrustMapp joined us for a Fireside Chat with Bikash Barai, Co-Founder, CISO Platform, and FireCompass on “ How To Present Cyber Security Risks To Senior Management?” Allan has been a security veteran who has played the role of CISO more than 5 times in his career, the talk starts with some of his experiences of successful board meetings.
Q1 - What has been your most embarrassing moment in terms of reporting to the board
A1 - Generally we have allocated budget. But there was once I had to ask for more money along with my CTO. I prepared to mention why we needed the extra money. But then it wasn’t closed to preparation needed. The board had lots of questions and I was baffled. It did not go well. It’s crucial to understand what the board wants to be able to prepare. This can vary from nature of board members, maturity of company & more
Q2 - What were the key factors in one of your most successful board meeting ?
A2 - Every board is different. Some have security sub-committee. Some board members sometimes do appreciate some technical facts, not all. I had built great relationship with this particular board. And the head of the committee understood technical details more. So, what worked was a story-telling method with some technical data thrown in. Since they were enjoying, I could get into more technical details and they understood. We were able to connect better. That was probably my best experience. Definitely start with a story. Add business aligned data which you can start with. You could add some more technical data but that’s generally not a good starting point
Q3 - What do you prepare before board meeting ?
A3 - First, we’ll assume we already know the board members/had our 1st meeting before.
Slide 1 - What did we talk about last time? Where did we get to ?What investment did it take ? We basically try to prove the previous investment was a good investment. We discussed I’ll do X and need investment Y and here is the proof of this being done. May involve timeframe based on hw much the board cares about the operations
Slide 2 - Top 5 Outstanding business risks. Here’s where we stand
Slide 3 - Here’s what I propose to do to tackle the current risk profile. So this basically becomes slide 1 in the next board meeting
So the flow is like - here what we did; here’s where we are; here’s what we will do next
Tool Tip : CMMI Analysis which says security score of the organisation. Slowly, we show the increase in betterment of security score. Imperative to highlight the top security risks. Very important to demonstrate the security operations tie to the business goals for the year.
There’s a huge gap in CISOs understanding of business goal and board along with security. This stitching is very important. Suppose the revenue goal is X ARR. Changing the narrative to find patterns in the customer needs / RFPs.
Q4 - How do you build stories ? How do yo capture the heart of the board ?
A4 - I always start with the classic ‘once upon a time’. We knew I current security risk status and this was a business risk we needed to address. Showing the journey how the high-level risks were mitigated. Gartner has a maturity curve which is a poor man’s CMMI. Milestones are on the Gartner curve. Share the journey and credit the board and business wherever they are due. Winning over clients based on security being key-differentiator. Show the success factors tied to the security which led to the business goal success. Use actual metrics and data to add the pepper (seasoning). If there’s a bad news, share it before the board meeting. Start your meeting with positive vibes. If there’s a major decision to be taken, don’t wait till the board meeting. Talk to board members before hand and get them aligned before hand. Since board meetings are short. Marination is key to having a good barbecue
Q5 - How many slide do you typically have in your presentation ?
A5 - Generally 3 to 5 for a CISO and board meeting. This will be based on how much emphasis the board has on cyber security. In case security is not a big pie of the board meeting, I’d make 1 slide. One of the biggest mistake was when I created a hall of fame and hall of shame by putting together the security scores. This went down badly with the account holders, since they directly saw themselves going down in front of the board.
Q6 - What to do during the board meeting ? What works well etc ?
A6 - Definitely provide the material ahead of time so they have time to digest it and come back with their feedback and questions. I’ll present majorly to the highlight. But I am really looking forward to their questions. They might have questions like they’ve seen the current events in security and whether your organisation is prepared to handle it. Be ready for this ? Is this saving us money ? Gaining money etc. ? A CISO can be prepared for the Q&A and then generally the board meeting with security personal is about 15-20minutes
Q7 - Example of business metric connection with security
A7 - Here are generally a few examples of busines alignment.
Accelerate time to market.
Standout of competition.
Operational efficiency.
Let’s say you have a massive role of Zero Trust in Covid. To improve efficiency, you need to make sure everyone is empowered to work from home and pumps up work from home. Mention the X factor and Y factor associated with the efficiency impact when you implemented zero trust. Example MFA (multi-factor authentication). This one needs more technical details. Then show how it ties to the business goal, business risk, maturity score.
Q8 - Suppose you have to build a SOC. Example of showing this to the board ?
A8 - A SOC for example. Obviously the highest risk is dealing with unknown. Not knowing what’s going on. So SOC does that. Show the reports from Gartner, CMMI that show it’s a huge business risk. Demonstrate SOC adheres to 1 or more aligns with the business goal even partial certainly helps. For e-commerce company, SOC can be used to prevent fraud which has business impact
Q9 - What not to include in board meeting ?
A9 - Start with all the things you share with your team, then what you share with the peers, then what you share with the CEO. Then start rejecting what doesn’t fit into your board meeting goals. Have some basic links in the slide which has 2nd level detail. Since we start with the full folder, we can go back to details if and when needed. Demonstrate security and business control with the board.
Q10 - Success factors in board meeting ?
A10 - Never include something you want to do once. Keep the same structure you will consistently present to the board. No experiments, always make sure it’s sustainable
Q11 - Any follow through post board meeting ?
A11 - Having someone with you at the meeting, so they can note the commitments at the meeting. Summarise and mention the things you’re now due to do and set in the timelines. If possible, do it at the meeting. See if any areas have challenges. It sorts things and unrealistic expectations
