We rely more and more on software and applications to perform various functions in our daily lives. We trust apps with sensitive and personal information all the time. So how do we ensure that our software and apps, and therefore our data, are in fact secure? Understanding software vulnerabilities is key. Read the latest articles for insight on software and application vulnerabilities now.
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August 2, 2023

MSMQ QueueJumper (RCE Vulnerability): An in-depth technical analysis

13 min read - The security updates released by Microsoft on April 11, 2023, addressed over 90 individual vulnerabilities. Of particular note was CVE-2023-21554, dubbed QueueJumper, a remote code execution vulnerability affecting the Microsoft Message Queueing (MSMQ) service. MSMQ is an optional Windows component that enables applications to exchange messages via message queues that are reachable both locally and remotely. This analysis was performed in collaboration with the Randori and X-Force Adversary Services teams, by Valentina Palmiotti, Fabius Watson, and Aaron Portnoy. Research motivations…

March 30, 2023

X-Force prevents zero day from going anywhere

8 min read - This blog was made possible through contributions from Fred Chidsey and Joseph Lozowski. The 2023 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index shows that vulnerability discovery has rapidly increased year-over-year and according to X-Force’s cumulative vulnerability and exploit database, only 3% of vulnerabilities are associated with a zero day. X-Force often observes zero-day exploitation on Internet-facing systems as a vector for initial access however, X-Force has also observed zero-day attacks leveraged by attackers to accomplish their goals and objectives after initial access was…

March 21, 2023

Patch Tuesday -> exploit Wednesday: Pwning windows ancillary function driver for WinSock (afd.sys) in 24 hours

12 min read - ‘Patch Tuesday, Exploit Wednesday’ is an old hacker adage that refers to the weaponization of vulnerabilities the day after monthly security patches become publicly available. As security improves and exploit mitigations become more sophisticated, the amount of research and development required to craft a weaponized exploit has increased. This is especially relevant for memory corruption vulnerabilities. Figure 1 — Exploitation timeline However, with the addition of new features (and memory-unsafe C code) in the Windows 11 kernel, ripe new attack…

February 21, 2023

Direct kernel object manipulation (DKOM) attacks on ETW providers

17 min read - Overview In this post, IBM Security X-Force Red offensive hackers analyze how attackers, with elevated privileges, can use their access to stage Windows Kernel post-exploitation capabilities. Over the last few years, public accounts have increasingly shown that less sophisticated attackers are using this technique to achieve their objectives. It is therefore important that we put a spotlight on this capability and learn more about its potential impact. Specifically, in this post, we will evaluate how Kernel post-exploitation can be used…

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