Cyber Threat Report: 'Threat Actor Groups, Including Black Basta, are Exploiting Recent ScreenConnect Vulnerabilities'

This blog post gives a detailed analysis of two critical vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-1708 and CVE-2024-1709) affecting ConnectWise ScreenConnect software, which allow attackers to gain unauthorized access and control over affected systems. The page explains the technical details of how the vulnerabilities have been exploited by groups in the wild. As well as Black Basta and Bl00dy activity, Trend Micro report observing exploitation of the vulnerabilities to drop the XWORM malware.

Privileged Account Management

Manage the creation, modification, use, and permissions associated to privileged accounts, including SYSTEM and root.

Disable or Remove Feature or Program

Remove or deny access to unnecessary and potentially vulnerable software to prevent abuse by adversaries.

Execution Prevention

Block execution of code on a system through application control, and/or script blocking.

Code Signing

Enforce binary and application integrity with digital signature verification to prevent untrusted code from executing.

Antivirus/Antimalware

Use signatures or heuristics to detect malicious software.

Network Intrusion Prevention

Use intrusion detection signatures to block traffic at network boundaries.

Data Loss Prevention

Use a data loss prevention (DLP) strategy to categorize sensitive data, identify data formats indicative of personal identifiable information (PII), and restrict exfiltration of sensitive data.(Citation: PurpleSec Data Loss Prevention)

Behavior Prevention on Endpoint

Use capabilities to prevent suspicious behavior patterns from occurring on endpoint systems. This could include suspicious process, file, API call, etc. behavior.

Data Backup

Take and store data backups from end user systems and critical servers. Ensure backup and storage systems are hardened and kept separate from the corporate network to prevent compromise.

Network Segmentation

Architect sections of the network to isolate critical systems, functions, or resources. Use physical and logical segmentation to prevent access to potentially sensitive systems and information. Use a DMZ to contain any internet-facing services...

Audit

Perform audits or scans of systems, permissions, insecure software, insecure configurations, etc. to identify potential weaknesses.

Filter Network Traffic

Use network appliances to filter ingress or egress traffic and perform protocol-based filtering. Configure software on endpoints to filter network traffic.

Restrict File and Directory Permissions

Restrict access by setting directory and file permissions that are not specific to users or privileged accounts.

User Account Management

Manage the creation, modification, use, and permissions associated to user accounts.

Software Configuration

Implement configuration changes to software (other than the operating system) to mitigate security risks associated to how the software operates.

Restrict Registry Permissions

Restrict the ability to modify certain hives or keys in the Windows Registry.

Operating System Configuration

Make configuration changes related to the operating system or a common feature of the operating system that result in system hardening against techniques.

Application Isolation and Sandboxing

Restrict execution of code to a virtual environment on or in transit to an endpoint system.

Exploit Protection

Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring.

Vulnerability Scanning

Vulnerability scanning is used to find potentially exploitable software vulnerabilities to remediate them.

Update Software

Perform regular software updates to mitigate exploitation risk.