CISA Cybersecurity Alerts

Latest Episodes:

CISA Alert AA22-265A – Control system defense: know the opponent. Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

This alert builds on previous NSA and CISA guidance to stop malicious ICS activity and reduce OT exposure. The alert documentation linked in the show notes describes TTPs that malicious actors use to compromise OT/ICS assets. It also recommends mitigations that owners and operators can use to defend their systems from each of the listed TTPs. NSA and CISA encourage OT and ICS owners and operators to apply the recommendations in this documentation.

AA22-265A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

NSA and CISA guidance to stop malicious ICS activity and reduce OT exposure

For NSA client requirements or general cybersecurity inquiries, contact Cybersecurity_Requests@nsa.gov. To report incidents and anomalous activity or to request incident response resources or technical assistance related to these threats, contact CISA at report@cisa.gov.

To report incidents and anomalous activity or to request incident response resources or technical assistance related to these threats, contact CISA at report@cisa.gov, or call (888) 282-0870, or report incidents to your local FBI field office.

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CISA Alert AA22-264A – Iranian state actors conduct cyber operations against the government of Albania. Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

In July 2022, Iranian state cyber actors—identifying as “HomeLand Justice”—launched a destructive cyber attack against the Government of Albania which rendered websites and services unavailable. An FBI investigation indicates Iranian state cyber actors acquired initial access to the victim’s network approximately 14 months before launching the destructive cyber attack, which included a ransomware-style file encryptor and disk wiping malware.

AA22-264A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

CISA’s free Cyber Hygiene Services (CyHy)

CISA’s zero–trust principles and architecture.

Iran Cyber Threat Overview and Advisories.

All organizations should report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center at central@cisa.dhs.gov or (888) 282-0870 and to the FBI via your local FBI field office or the FBI’s 24/7 CyWatch at (855) 292-3937 or CyWatch@fbi.gov.

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CISA Alert AA22-257A – Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploiting Vulnerabilities for Data Extortion and Disk Encryption for Ransom Operations. Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

This joint Cybersecurity Advisory highlights continued malicious cyber activity by advanced persistent threat actors affiliated with the Iranian Government’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC-affiliated actors are actively targeting a broad range of entities, including entities across multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors as well as Australian, Canadian, and United Kingdom organizations.

AA22-257A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

AA22-257A.stix

CISA’s Iran Cyber Threat Overview and Advisories

FBI’s Iran Threat webpage.

Iranian Government-Sponsored APT Cyber Actors Exploiting Microsoft Exchange and Fortinet Vulnerabilities in Furtherance of Malicious Activities

Technical Approaches to Uncovering and Remediating Malicious Activity

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CISA Alert AA22-249A – #StopRansomware: Vice Society.” Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

CISA, the FBI, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or MS ISAC, are releasing this advisory to disseminate indicators of compromise and TTPs associated with Vice Society actors and their ransomware campaigns. The FBI, CISA, and the MS-ISAC have recently observed Vice Society actors disproportionately targeting the education sector with ransomware attacks.

AA22-249A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

Stopransomware.gov is a whole-of-government approach that gives one central location for ransomware resources and alerts.

Resource to mitigate a ransomware attack: CISA-Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Joint Ransomware Guide.

No-cost cyber hygiene services: Cyber Hygiene Services and Ransomware Readiness Assessment.

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CISA Alert AA22-228A – Threat actors exploiting multiple CVEs against Zimbra Collaboration suite. Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

CISA and the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center, or MS-ISAC are publishing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory in response to active exploitation of multiple Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures against Zimbra Collaboration Suite, an enterprise cloud-hosted collaboration software and email platform.

AA22-228A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

Volexity’s Mass Exploitation of (Un)authenticated Zimbra RCE: CVE-2022-27925

Hackers are actively exploiting password-stealing flaw in Zimbra

CISA adds Zimbra email vulnerability to its exploited vulnerabilities catal…

CVE-2022-27925 detail

Mass exploitation of (un)authenticated Zimbra RCE: CVE-2022-27925

CVE-2022-37042 detail

Authentication bypass in MailboxImportServlet vulnerability

CVE-2022-30333 detail

UnRAR vulnerability exploited in the wild, likely against Zimbra servers

Zimbra Collaboration Kepler 9.0.0 patch 25 GA release

Zimbra UnRAR path traversal

Operation EmailThief: Active exploitation of zero-day XSS vulnerability in…

Hotfix available 5 Feb for zero-day exploit vulnerability in Zimbra 8.8.15

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CISA Alert AA22-223A – #StopRansomware: Zeppelin Ransomware. Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Zeppelin ransomware functions as a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS), and since 2019, actors have used this malware to target a wide range of businesses and critical infrastructure organizations. Actors use remote desktop protocol (RDP), SonicWall firewall vulnerabilities, and phishing campaigns to gain initial access to victim networks and then deploy Zeppelin ransomware to encrypt victims’ files.

AA22-223A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

Zeppelin malware YARA signature

What is Zeppelin Ransomware? Steps to Prepare, Respond, and Prevent Infection

Stopransomware.gov is a whole-of-government approach that gives one central location for ransomware resources and alerts.

No-cost cyber hygiene services: Cyber Hygiene Services and Ransomware Readiness Assessment.

This joint Cybersecurity Advisory is part of an ongoing #StopRansomware effort to publish advisories for network defenders that detail various ransomware variants and ransomware threat actors. These #StopRansomware advisories include recently and historically observed TTPs and IOCs to help organizations protect against ransomware. Visit stopransomware.gov to see all #StopRansomware advisories and to learn more about other ransomware threats and no-cost resources.

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CISA Alert AA22-216A – 2021 top malware strains. Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

This joint Cybersecurity Advisory was coauthored by CISA and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, or ACSC. This advisory provides details on the top malware strains observed in 2021.

AA22-216A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

For alerts on malicious and criminal cyber activity, see the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center webpage.

For more information and resources on protecting against and responding to ransomware, refer to StopRansomware.gov, a centralized, U.S. Government webpage providing ransomware resources and alerts.

The ACSC recommends organizations implement eight essential mitigation strategies from the ACSC’s Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents as a cybersecurity baseline. These strategies, known as the “Essential Eight,” make it much harder for adversaries to compromise systems.

Refer to the ACSC’s practical guides on how to protect yourself against ransomware attacks and what to do if you are held at ransom at cyber.gov.au.

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Update 1 to CISA Alert AA22-174A – Malicious cyber actors continue to exploit Log4Shell in VMware Horizon systems. Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

CISA and the US Coast Guard Cyber Command are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn network defenders that cyber threat actors, including state-sponsored APT actors, have continued to exploit CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell) in VMware Horizon and Unified Access Gateway servers to obtain initial access to organizations that did not apply available patches or workarounds.

AA22-174A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

(Update July 18, 2022) Malware Analysis Report 10382580-2 stix

Malware Analysis Report 10382254-1 stix

Malware Analysis Report 10382580-1 stix

CISA’s Apache Log4j Vulnerability Guidance webpage

Joint CSA Mitigating Log4Shell and Other Log4j-Related Vulnerabilities

CISA’s database of known vulnerable services on the CISA GitHub page

See National Security Agency (NSA) and Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) guidance Block and Defend Web Shell Malware for additional guidance on hardening internet-facing systems.

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CISA Alert AA22-187A – North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors use Maui ransomware to target the healthcare and public health sector. Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

The FBI, CISA, and the Department of the Treasury are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to provide information on Maui ransomware, which has been used by North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors since at least May 2021 to target Healthcare and Public Health Sector organizations.

AA22-187A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

Stairwell Threat Report: Maui Ransomware

North Korea Cyber Threat Overview and Advisories

Updated Advisory on Potential Sanctions Risks for Facilitating Ransomware Payments

National Conference of State Legislatures: Security Breach Notification Laws

Health Breach Notification Rule

Protecting Sensitive and Personal Information from Ransomware-Caused Data Breaches

StopRansomware.gov

CISA-Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Joint Ransomware Guide

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CISA Alert AA22-181A – #StopRansomware: MedusaLocker. Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

CISA, the FBI, the Department of the Treasury, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network are releasing this alert to provide information on MedusaLocker ransomware. Observed as recently as May 2022, MedusaLocker actors predominantly rely on vulnerabilities in Remote Desktop Protocol to access victims’ networks.

AA22-181A Alert, Technical Details, and Mitigations

Stop Ransomware

CISA Ransomware Guide

CISA No-cost Ransomware Services

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