Guess your password? Crack your password? Steal your password? What if the crooks have already got one in every of your passwords, and may use it to determine all of your others as properly?
DOUG. LifeLock woes, distant code execution, and an enormous rip-off meets massive hassle.
All that, and extra, on the Bare Safety podcast.
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Welcome to the podcast, everyone.
I’m Doug Aamoth; he’s Paul Ducklin.
And Paul, I’m so sorry… however let me want you a belated Blissful ’23!
DUCK. Versus Blissful ’99, Doug?
DOUG. How do you know? [LAUGHS]
We dovetail instantly into our Tech Historical past phase.
This week, on 20 January 1999, the world was launched to the HAPPY99 worm, also called “Ska”.
Paul, you have been there, man!
Inform us about your expertise with HAPPY99, should you please.
DUCK. Doug. I feel essentially the most fascinating factor for me – then and now – is what you name the B-word…
…the [COUGHS APOLOGETICALLY] “good” half, and I don’t know whether or not this was all the way down to laziness or supreme cleverness on the a part of the programmer.
Firstly, it didn’t use a pre-generated record of e mail addresses.
It waited until *you* despatched an e mail, scraped the e-mail tackle out of it, and used that, with the end result that the emails solely went to individuals that you simply’d already simply communicated with, giving them a higher believability.
And the opposite intelligent factor it had: it didn’t hassle with issues like topic line and message physique.
It simply had an attachment, HAPPY99.EXE, that if you ran it within the foreground, confirmed fireworks.
And then you definately closed it; appeared like no hurt achieved.
So there have been no linguistic clues, equivalent to, “Hey, I simply received an e mail in Italian from my Italian buddy wishing me Blissful Christmas, instantly adopted by an e mail in English wishing me a Blissful 1999.”
And we don’t know whether or not the programmer foresaw that or, as I mentioned, whether or not it was simply, “Couldn’t be bothered to work out all of the operate calls I would like so as to add this to the e-mail…
…I do know to create an e mail; I do know so as to add an attachment to it; I’m not going to hassle with the remaining.”
And, because of this, this factor simply unfold and unfold and unfold and unfold.
A reminder that in malware programming, as in lots of issues in life, generally… much less is much more.
DOUG. Alright!
Effectively, let’s transfer on to a happier topic, a kind-of sort-of distant code execution gap in a preferred cloud safety library.
Wait, that’s not happier… however what occurred right here?
Well-liked JWT cloud safety library patches “distant” code execution gap
DUCK. Effectively, it’s happier in that the bug was not revealed within the wild with a proof-of-concept.
It was solely documented some weeks after it had been patched.
And fortuitously, though technically it counts as a distant code execution [RCE] bug, which precipitated a variety of drama when it was first reported…
…it did require that the crooks basically broke into your house first, after which latched the door open from the within for the following wave of crooks who had come alongside.
So it wasn’t as if they may simply present up on the entrance door and get immediate admission.
The irony, after all, is that it entails a preferred open supply toolkit known as jsonwebtoken, or JWT for brief.
A JWT is principally like a session cookie on your browser, however that’s extra geared in the direction of a zero-trust strategy to authorising applications to do one thing for some time.
For instance, you would possibly need to authorise a program you’re about to run to go and do value lookups in a value database.
So, it’s good to authenticate first.
Possibly it’s a must to put in a username, perhaps to place a password… and then you definately get this entry token that your program can use, and perhaps it’s legitimate for the following 100 requests, or the following 20 minutes or one thing, which implies that you don’t have to completely reauthenticate each time.
However that token solely authorises your program to do one particular factor that you simply arrange prematurely.
It’s an incredible concept – it’s a typical manner of doing web-based coding as of late.
Now, the thought of the JWT, versus different session cookies, is that in a “zero-trusty” form of manner, it consists of: who the token is for; what issues it’s allowed to do; and, in addition to that, it has a cryptographic keyed hash of the info that claims what it’s for.
And the thought is that that hash is calculated by the server when it points the token, utilizing a secret key that’s buried in some super-secure database someplace.
Sadly, if the crooks might break into your house prematurely by jimmying the lock…
…and if they may get into the key database, and if they may implant a modified secret key for a selected consumer account, after which sneak out, apparently leaving nothing behind?
Effectively, you’d think about that should you mess up the key key, then the system simply isn’t going to work, since you’re not going to have the ability to create dependable tokens anymore.
So that you’d *suppose* it might fail protected.
Besides it seems that, should you might change the key key in a particular manner, then subsequent time the authentication occurred (to see whether or not the token was right or not), fetching the key key might trigger code to execute.
This might theoretically both learn any file, or completely implant malware, on the authentication server itself…
…which clearly could be a really unhealthy factor certainly!
And provided that these JSON net tokens are very broadly used, and provided that this jsonwebtoken toolkit is without doubt one of the standard ones on the market, clearly there was an crucial to go and patch if have been utilizing the buggy model.
The great factor about that is that patch really got here out final 12 months, earlier than Christmas 2022, and (presumably by association with the jsonwebtoken crew) the corporate that discovered this and wrote it up solely disclosed lately, a few week in the past.
In order that they gave loads of time for individuals to patch earlier than they defined what the issue was in any element.
So this *ought to* finish properly.
DOUG. Alright, allow us to keep with reference to issues ending properly… if you’re on the facet of the great guys!
We’ve received 4 international locations, thousands and thousands of {dollars}, a number of searches, and several other arrested, in a fairly large funding rip-off:
Multi-million funding scammers busted in four-country Europol raid
DUCK. This was a superb, old school, “Hey, have I received an funding for you!”.
Apparently, there have been 4 name centres, tons of of individuals questioned, and 15 already arrested…
… this rip-off was “cold-calling individuals for investing in a non-existing cryptocurrency.”
So, OneCoin once more… we’ve spoken about that OneCoin rip-off, the place there was one thing like $4 billion invested in a cryptocurrency that didn’t even exist.
OneCoin scammer Sebastian Greenwood pleads responsible, “Cryptoqueen” nonetheless lacking
On this case, Europol talked about cryptocurrency *schemes*.
So I feel we will assume that the crooks would run one till individuals realised it was a rip-off, after which they’d pull the rug out from beneath them, run off with the cash, begin up a brand new one.
The thought was: begin actually small, saying to the the particular person, “Look, you solely have to take a position a little bit bit, put in €100 perhaps, as your first funding.”
The thought was that individuals would suppose, “I can nearly afford this; if this works out, *I* might be the following Bitcoin-style billionaire.”
They put within the cash… and naturally, you understand how the story goes.
There’s a incredible wanting web site, and your funding principally simply retains inching up some days, leaping up on different days.
Mainly, “Effectively achieved!”
So, that’s the issue with these scams – they only *look* nice.
And you’ll get all of the love and a spotlight you want from the (massive air quotes right here) “funding advisors”, till the purpose that you simply realise it’s a rip-off.
After which, properly… you may complain to the authorities.
I like to recommend you do go to the police should you can.
However then, after all, regulation enforcement have the tough job of attempting to determine who it was, the place they have been primarily based, and getting them earlier than they only begin the following rip-off.
DOUG. OK, we’ve some recommendation right here.
We’ve got given this recommendation earlier than – it applies to this story, in addition to others.
If it sounds too good to be true, guess what?
DUCK. It IS too good to be true, Doug.
Not “it could be”.
It IS too good to be true – simply make it so simple as that.
That manner, you don’t should do any extra analysis.
In case you’ve received your doubts, promote these doubts to the equal of a full-blown reality.
You might save your self a variety of heartache.
DOUG. We’ve received: Take your time when on-line speak turns from friendship to cash.
And we talked about this: Don’t be fooled as a result of a rip-off web site seems well-branded {and professional}.
As a reformed net designer, I can inform you it’s not possible to make a nasty wanting web site these days.
And another excuse I’m not an online designer anymore is: nobody wants me.
Who wants an online designer when you are able to do all of it your self?
DUCK. You imply you click on the button, select the theme, rip off some JavaScript from an actual funding website…
DOUG. …drop a few logos in there.
Yep!
DUCK. It’s a surprisingly simple job, and also you don’t have to be a very skilled programmer to do it properly.
DOUG. And final, however definitely by no means least: Don’t let scammers drive a wedge between you and your loved ones…
…see Level 1 one about one thing being too good to be true.
DUCK. Sure.
There are two ways in which you might inadvertently get into a extremely nasty state of affairs along with your family and friends due to how the scammers behave.
The primary is that, fairly often, in the event that they realise that you simply’re about to surrender on the rip-off as a result of family and friends have nearly satisfied you that you simply’ve been scammed, then they’ll exit of their approach to poison your opinion of your loved ones with a purpose to attempt to lengthen the rip-off.
In order that they’ll intentionally drive that wedge in.
And, nearly worse, if it’s a rip-off the place it seems such as you’re doing properly, they’ll give you “bonuses” for drawing in members of your loved ones or shut associates.
In case you handle to persuade them… sadly, they’re happening with you, they usually’re in all probability going to carry you responsible since you talked them into it within the first place.
So bear that in thoughts.
DOUG. OK, our final story of the day.
Well-liked id safety service LifeLock has been breached, kind-of, nevertheless it’s difficult… it’s not fairly as simple as a *breach* breach:
Critical Safety: Unravelling the LifeLock “hacked passwords” story
DUCK. Sure, that’s an fascinating manner of placing it, Doug!
DOUG. [LAUGHS]
DUCK. The rationale that I assumed it was necessary to put in writing this up on Bare Safety is that I noticed the notification from Norton LifeLock, about unauthorised login makes an attempt en masse into their service, that they despatched out to some customers who had been affected.
And I assumed, “Uh-oh, right here we go – individuals have had their passwords stolen at a while up to now, and now a brand new load of crooks are coming alongside, they usually’re knocking on the door, and a few doorways are nonetheless open.”
That’s how I learn it, and I feel that I learn it appropriately.
However I instantly began seeing headlines a minimum of, and in some case tales, within the media that invited individuals to suppose that, “Oh, golly, they’ve received into Norton LifeLock; they’ve received in behind the scenes; they’ve dug round within the databases; they’ve really recovered my passwords – oh, pricey!”
I suppose, within the gentle of current disclosures by LastPass the place password databases have been stolen however the passwords have been encrypted…
…this, should you simply comply with the “Oh, it was a breach, they usually’ve received the passwords” line, sounds even worse.
However evidently that is an outdated record of potential username/password combos that some bunch of crooks acquired by some means.
Let’s assume they purchased it in a lump from the darkish net, after which they set about seeing which of these passwords would work on which accounts.
That’s generally known as credential stuffing, as a result of they take credentials which might be thought to work on a minimum of one account, and stuff them into the login types on different websites.
So, finally the Norton LifeLock crew despatched out a warning to prospects saying, “We predict you’re one of many individuals affected by this,” in all probability simply to individuals the place a login had really succeeded that they assumed had come from the unsuitable form of place, to warn them.
“Someone’s received your password, however we’re not fairly certain the place they received it, as a result of they in all probability purchased it off the Darkish Net… and subsequently, if that occurred, there could also be different bunches of crooks who’ve received it as properly.”
So I feel that’s what the story provides as much as.
DOUG. And we’ve received some methods right here how these passwords find yourself on the darkish net within the first place, together with: Phishing assaults.
DUCK. Sure, that’s fairly apparent…
…if someone does a mass phishing try towards a selected service, and N individuals fall for it.
DOUG. And we’ve received: Keylogger spy ware.
DUCK. That’s the place you get contaminated by malware in your pc, like a zombie or a bot, that has all types of remote-control triggers that the crooks can fireplace off every time they need:
How bots and zombies work, and why it is best to care
And clearly, the issues that bots and zombies are inclined to have pre-programmed into them embrace: monitor community site visitors; ship spam to an enormous record of e mail addresses; and activate the keylogger every time they suppose you’re at an fascinating web site.
In different phrases, as an alternative of attempting to phish your passwords by decrypting otherwise-secure net transactions, they’re principally what you’re typing *as you hit the keys on the keyboard*.
DOUG. Alright, beautiful.
We’ve received: Poor server-side logging hygiene.
DUCK. Usually, you’d need to log issues just like the particular person’s IP quantity, and the particular person’s username, and the time at which they did the login try.
However should you’re in a programming hurry, and also you by chance logged *all the pieces* that was within the net type…
…what should you by chance recorded the password within the log file in plaintext?
DOUG. All proper, then we’ve received: RAM-scraping malware.
That’s an fascinating one.
DUCK. Sure, as a result of if the crooks can sneak some malware into the background that may peek into reminiscence whereas your server is operating, they are able to sniff out, “Whoa”! That appears like a bank card quantity; that appears just like the password area!”
7 forms of virus – a brief glossary of up to date cyberbadness
Clearly, that form of assault requires, as within the case we spoke of earlier… it requires the crooks to interrupt into your house first to latch the door open.
Nevertheless it does imply that, as soon as that’s occurred, they will have a program that doesn’t actually need to undergo something on disk; it doesn’t want to go looking by outdated logs; it doesn’t must navigate the community.
It merely wants to observe explicit areas of reminiscence in actual time ,within the hope of getting fortunate when there’s stuff that’s fascinating and necessary.
DOUG. We’ve received some recommendation.
In case you’re within the behavior of reusing passwords, don’t do it!
I feel that’s the longest operating piece of recommendation I can bear in mind on report within the historical past of computing.
We’ve received: Don’t use associated passwords on completely different websites.
DUCK. Sure, I assumed I’d sneak that tip in, as a result of lots of people suppose:
“Oh, I do know what I’ll do, I’ll select a extremely difficult password, and I’ll sit down and I’ll memorize X38/=?…, so I’ve received a sophisticated password – the crooks won’t ever guess it, so I solely should do not forget that one.
As an alternative of remembering it because the grasp password for a password supervisor, which is a trouble I don’t want, I’ll simply add -fb for Fb, -tt for Tik Tok, -tw for Twitter, and that manner, actually, I’ll have a unique password for each web site.”
The issue is, in an assault like this, the crooks have *already received the plaintext of one in every of your passwords.*
In case your password has complicated-bit sprint two-letters, they will in all probability then guess your different passwords…
…as a result of they solely should guess the spare letters.
DOUG. Alright, and: Think about turning on 2FA for any accounts you may.
DUCK. Sure.
As at all times, it’s a little bit little bit of an inconvenience, nevertheless it does imply that if I’m going on the darkish net and I purchase a password of yours, and I then come steaming in and attempt to use it from some unknown a part of the world…
…it doesn’t “simply work”, as a result of instantly I would like the additional one-time code as properly.
DOUG. Alright, and on the LifeLock story, we’ve received a reader remark.
Pete says:
“Good article with good suggestions and a really factual strategy (smileyface emoticon).”
DUCK. I agree with the remark already, Doug! [LAUGHS]
However do go on…
DOUG. “I suppose individuals wish to blame corporations like Norton LifeLock […], as a result of it’s so simple to only blame everybody else as an alternative of telling individuals easy methods to do it appropriately.”
DUCK. Sure.
You might say these are barely harsh phrases.
However, as I mentioned on the finish of that specific article, we’ve had passwords for greater than 50 years already within the IT world, regardless that there are many providers which might be attempting to maneuver in the direction of the so-called passwordless future – whether or not that depends on {hardware} tokens, biometric measurements, or no matter.
However I feel we’re nonetheless going to have passwords for a few years but, whether or not we prefer it or not, a minimum of for some (or maybe even many) of our accounts.
So we actually do should chew the bullet, and simply attempt to do it in addition to we will.
And in 20 years time, when passwords are behind us, then we will change the recommendation, and we will provide you with recommendation on the way you shield your biometric data as an alternative.
However in the intervening time, this is only one in various reminders that when crucial private information like passwords get stolen, they will find yourself having an extended lifetime, and getting broadly circulated among the many cybercrime group.
DOUG. Nice.
Thanks, Pete, for sending that in.
When you have an fascinating story, remark or query you’d wish to submit, we’d like to learn it on the podcast.
You may e mail suggestions@sophos.com, you may touch upon any one in every of our articles, or you may hit us up on social: @NakedSecurity.
That’s our present for in the present day – thanks very a lot for listening.
For Paul Ducklin, I’m Doug Aamoth reminding you, till subsequent time, to…
BOTH. Keep safe!
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