ins0mnia vulnerability (already patched - Please update your iOS)

Vulnerabilities are bad but the names associated with them are interesting. (just like this one)

This has been patched so applying the patch is not our responsibility




From the Article:

Mobile app exploiting this vulnerability could also look benign enough to slip past Apple’s security protections guarding the App Store 

“A malicious application could leverage the Ins0mnia vulnerability to run in the background and steal sensitive user information for an unlimited time without the user’s consent or knowledge,” 

More disturbing, FireEye said, is the fact that a malicious app targeting this vulnerability can run on non-jailbroken iPhones and iPads.

For More Info:
https://threatpost.com/patched-ins0mnia-vulnerability-keeps-malicious-ios-apps-hidden/114423

Value of a hacked PC in Pictures

From:
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/10/the-scrap-value-of-a-hacked-pc-revisited/

Human vulnerability scanner ?? - AVA (Free, open-source) - To identify employees most vulnerable to social engineering attacks

Interesting idea and takes a different approach

From the article:

She realized there’s no real way of knowing whether such training is effective until it’s too late.

First, a hypothetical example of social engineering at work. Imagine you’re a junior help desk technician at a large company. You’re low on the corporate ladder, and constantly worried about keeping your job. One night you get a text from a number you don’t recognize. “It’s Ted,” the message reads. “I need my password reset immediately. Lots of money riding on this deal.”

1. AVA works in three “phases” to prevent this sort of thing. First, it integrates with corporate directories such as Active Directory and social media sites like LinkedIn to map the connections between employees, as well as important outside contacts.
2. AVA users can craft custom phishing campaigns, both in email and Twitter, to see how employees respond. 
3. Most importantly, it helps organizations track the results of these campaigns. 

You could use AVA to evaluate the effectiveness of two different security training programs, see which employees need more training, or find places where additional security is needed.

AVA users can craft custom phishing campaigns, both in email and Twitter, to see how employees respond. Finally, and most importantly, it helps organizations track the results of these campaigns. You could use AVA to evaluate the effectiveness of two different security training programs, see which employees need more training, or find places where additional security is needed.

For more information:

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/ava-human-vulnerability-scanner-finds-your-weakest-security-link/

Heartbeat - Another 2nd factor for authentication (Biometrics)

Wondering if this might be useful in a kidnap situation. Can there be a signature mismatch if the victim is tense.

(The article also has a youtube video)

From the article:

The Nymi Band offers a way to use  your heartbeat as a secure payment method and unlocking technique.  The band uses a biometric authentication technology called Heart ID that allows the band to confirm its user’s identity by monitoring the unique signature of his or her heartbeat.


For more information:
http://www.eedesignit.com/ditch-the-credit-cards-and-fingerprints-pay-with-your-heartbeat-instead/

How-To: Phone and laptop encryption guide - For common folks

Remember:
Even if you totally wipe your drive, disk recovery software may still be able to read old files.


Link to the article:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/phone-and-laptop-encryption-guide-protect-your-stuff-and-yourself/

OnHub- New router from Google and TP-LINK

Sounds nice but $200 sounds pricey


From the article:

A different kind of router for a new way to Wi-Fi. Instead of headaches and spotty connections, OnHub gives you Wi-Fi that’s fast, secure, and easy to use. 

During setup, OnHub searches the airwaves and selects the best channel for the fastest connection. A unique antenna design and smart software keep working in the background, automatically adjusting OnHub to avoid interference and keep your network at peak performance. You can even prioritize a device, so that your most important activity — like streaming your favorite show — gets the fastest speed.

OnHub makes it simple to set up and manage your Wi-Fi, all from the Google On app, available on Android or iOS. The Google On app tells you how much bandwidth your devices are using, lets you run a network check, and if there’s an issue with your Wi-Fi, the app offers suggestions to help. And, (I don't know if I like this one) instead of lost passwords and sticky notes, it even reveals your password with a single tap and lets you text or email it to friends.

For more details :
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/meet-onhub-new-router-for-new-way-to-wi.html

Sound Proof - (meaning presenting "Sound" as "proof") for 2nd Factor Authentication method

Interesting idea


From the Article:

Dubbed “Sound-Proof” It will rely on ambient sounds. What happens here is that when you login, both your phone and computer will start listening for ambient sounds. When it determines that both devices are listening to the same thing, it will log you in, meaning that if for some reason the hacker managed to steal your generated code but your smartphone is in a different location, they won’t be able to get in either.

More details on Sound Proof (also has a link to video):
http://sound-proof.ch/

Enhanced Private Browsing - coming soon for Firefox

Any addition to Privacy or Security is always welcome

From the Article:

1. Private Browsing will have a control center that allows users to unblock elements that the mode has blocked, on a granular basis
2. Also new in this preview edition is the default activation of add-on approval checks. Non-approved add-ons will be rejected, but can be overridden manually if trusted by the user.
3. The browser's experimental Electrolysis service, which runs web content in a dedicated process, is activated for pre-beta users. This is designed to improve multitasking performance by keeping the main web process free for interaction such as web apps, while delivery is handled separately.

For More info:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2422301/mozilla-is-testing-an-enhanced-private-browsing-mode-for-future-firefox

Fake Malware - created by Kaspersky?

I think it is possible , after all it is fake Malware so, what's the harm?


From the Article:

Kaspersky Lab, tried to damage rivals in the marketplace by tricking their antivirus software programs into classifying benign files as malicious, according to two former employees.

In one technique, Kaspersky's engineers would take an important piece of software commonly found in PCs and inject bad code into it so that the file looked like it was infected, the ex-employees said. They would send the doctored file anonymously to VirusTotal


For more info:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/14/us-kaspersky-rivals-idUSKCN0QJ1CR20150814

"CEO fraud" - This is not CEOs committing Fraud (which is also common) - In this case,it is cyber thieves tricking companies to perform Wire Transfer

The dollar value involved is mind boggling 47M?

It is time to 

1. Check and ensure "Anti-Spoofing" features in the Email Gateways work and also verify their level of success and failures.
2. Implement Alternate (non-email) methods to validate the request

From the Article:

Cyber thieves recently stole $46.7 million using an increasingly common scam in which crooks spoof communications from executives at the victim firm in a bid to initiate unauthorized international wire transfers.

In February, con artists made off with $17.2 million from one of Omaha, Nebraska’s oldest companies —  The Scoular Co., an employee-owned commodities trader.

In March 2015, I posted the story Spoofing the Boss Turns Thieves a Tidy Profit, which recounted the nightmarish experience of an Ohio manufacturing firm that came within a whisker of losing $315,000 after an employee received an email she thought was from her boss asking her to wire the money to China to pay for some raw materials.

The FBI’s advisory on these scams urges businesses to adopt two-step or two-factor authentication for email, where available, and/or to establish other communication channels — such as telephone calls — to verify significant transactions

For More Info:

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/08/tech-firm-ubiquiti-suffers-46m-cyberheist/

TIPS-N-TRICKS - Microsoft tool to prevent some drivers from re-installing automatically

Well , we all know that all MS drivers don't work well so, there are times we don't want some of them. 

Windows 10 for home will force install updates and drivers.

So, here is a tool to defer that.


https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930

"Selfie" based 2nd factor Authentication?

MasterCard wants to try it

From the article:

MasterCard is launching a facial recognition payment service based on “selfies” taken on a smartphone. This new technology features a photo scanner that creates a map of the shopper’s face, which is then translated into a code for confirmation of future payments.

According to a survey released by Visa Europe, 69 percent of Europeans aged 16-24 believe that their lives will be “faster and easier” without passwords. Contactless payments would be the next natural step, enabling shoppers to complete transactions far more quickly.

However, when it comes to the extensive use of biometrics in the payments industry, the biggest hurdle to overcome is widespread adoption. 

For more info:

http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/09/biometric-security-from-selfies-to-walking-gaits

Malware (GSMem) can add a (not so) nice feature to your computer - It can turn it into a cellular antenna to leak information.

Welcome to the world of "never ending hackovation "(Hacker - Innovation)


From the Article

This attack uses ordinary computer hardware to send out the cellular signals.

The air-gapped computer that is targeted does need to have a malware program developed by the researchers installed. That could be accomplished by creating a type of worm that infects a machine when a removable drive is connected.

The malware, called GSMem, acts as a transmitter on an infected computer. It creates specific, memory-related instructions that are transmitted between a computer's CPU and memory, generating radio waves at GSM, UMTS and LTE frequencies that can be picked up by a nearby mobile device.

malware has such a small footprint in the memory, it would be very difficult and can easily evade detection

(This is interesting) Their receiver was a nine-year-old Motorola C123 so-called "feature" phone, which looks downright ancient compared to mobile phones today. But there are a couple of reasons why they chose it.

Most embassies and many companies ban smartphones from being taken inside their premises, to prevent signals intelligence collection. But some companies, including Intel and defense contractor Lockheed Martin, still allow devices that are not smartphones into sensitive areas



For more info:
http://www.csoonline.com/article/2962328/data-protection/new-malware-turns-your-computer-into-a-cellular-antenna.html

IMPORTANT - Update Your Firefox Browser Now - Latest version fixes vulnerability CVE-2015-4495,

CVE-2015-4495:

This has been seen in the wild and allows an attacker to read and steal sensitive local files.  
The vulnerability takes advantage of the interaction between the JavaScript context separation and the PDF Viewer.

Samy Kamar can compromise a Car lock in 60 Seconds and your Garage door in 10 Seconds. All with $30 hardware.

Convenience always comes with a price.

However, the device need to be placed close and the attack works only after the owner attempts unlocking.

Form the article:

Kamkar has built a new device Known as Rolljam, the device takes advantage of an issue with the way that vehicles that use rolling codes for unlocking produce and receive those codes. Kamkar said that the device works on most vehicles and garage doors that use rolling, rather than fixed, codes.

This is the second time in the last few months that Kamkar has taken aim at the codes on garage doors. In June he released research that showed he could open any garage door that uses a fixed code in less than 10 seconds


For More info:
https://threatpost.com/gone-in-less-than-a-second/114154

“You visit a website you are done. You are pwned,” (Because of a 14 year old Windows Vulnerablity ). It does not matter if you use Windows Edge (in Windows 10).

Scary news , now got scarier!
Oh Yeah, Windows 10 OS too
and
the new Edge browser too.



From the Article
A Windows vulnerability in the SMB file-sharing protocol  discovered 14 years ago and partially patched by Microsoft could still be abused via remote attacks,


Affects Internet Explorer running on all versions of Windows, even in the newly released Windows 10. It would be the first remote code exploit for the new operating system. It also affects Windows Edge, the researchers said


The researchers discovered that it was possible to steal the credentials remotely and impersonate users from the Internet.

The adversary waits for these automated systems to turn on and start scanning all the hosts on the network, atwhich point it grabs the login credentials. The attack was sucessful as soon as users were tricked into loading an image file in Internet Explorer

users are tricked into visiting a website controlled by the attackers, which then captures the user's username in plaintext and the hash of the user's password. The password can be  cracked in a manner of days because it uses an obsolete hashing algorithm

The attacker hijacks the challenge/response exchange, by waiting for someone else on the network to authenticate against any system on the network.


For More info:
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities---threats/new-smb-relay-attack-steals-user-credentials-over-internet/d/d-id/1321633

Windows 10 Enterprise Security Features

From the article:

• Microsoft’s new Edge browser improves security in a variety of ways, from running in the app container sandbox to removing ActiveX controls, VBScript, toolbars and Browser Helper Objects. 
• Windows 10 also works with hardware for palm vein prints, iris recognition and 3D facial recognition, using the Intel RealSense camera that’s being built into various notebook computers. The feature also accounts for temperature using infrared sensors, so it won’t be fooled by photos and masks.
• You’ll also need to plan ahead to use Windows Passport, the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) -compliant next-generation credentials in Windows 10. These can be certificates distributed using an existing Public Key Infrastructure or key pairs generated by Windows itself, and they’re stored securely in the TPM, and unlocked using biometrics or a PIN (or a picture password).
• When content comes from those locations, the network knows where it comes from and we can say let's go ahead and encrypt that at the file level.”

For more info:
http://www.csoonline.com/article/2955303/operating-system-security/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-windows-10-enterprise-security-features.html#tk.rss_dataprotection

SANS reading room - Pivoting for Web App Pentest

Nice and simple document.


From the Doc:

There are many channels that can be used as avenues for pivoting.

This paper examines five commonly used channels for pivoting: Netcat relays, SSH local port  forwarding, SSH dynamic port forwarding (SOCKS proxy), Meterpreter session and Ncat HTTP proxy.

For more info:

https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/testing/tunneling-pivoting-web-application-penetration-testing-36117

Fun Read - 20 new/improved features in Windows 10

Few interesting ones below:

• Windows 10 can use your face or your iris to log you on to your PC
• Includes a new app to help you get your phone set up to work with your PC and with any Microsoft services you use
• If there's an update that will need a restart you can have Windows ask when you want to schedule that for
• If you need to arrange a lot of windows and you don't have multiple monitors, you can put them on multiple virtual desktops

For more info:
http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/10-great-new-features-in-windows-10-1267365

Watchout - Fake Windows 10 Upgrade (phishing) mail carries Ransomware

Anyone surprised?

Every time there is a popular news (need not be good news, it can be bad news like Hurricane), there is always a surge in SPAM /PHISHING emails trying to get you.


From the Article:

Researchers at Cisco TALOS said on Friday they spotted spam carrying an archived attachment from an email address in Thailand spoofing update at Microsoft[.]com. Users who download and execute the files inside the zip archive are hit by the CTB-Locker brand of ransomware. 

CTB-Locker behaves like most strains of crypto-ransomware; it’s spread via email, exploit kits or drive-by downloads, encrypts documents stored on the computers and demands a ransom paid in Bitcoin in exchange for the encryption key. This campaign gives users a 96-hour window to deliver payment, which is shorter than other campaigns making use of CTB-Locker.

For More info:
https://threatpost.com/windows-10-upgrade-spam-carries-ctb-locker-ransomware/114114