726 matches found
Microsoft finds new macOS vulnerability, Shrootless, that could bypass System Integrity Protection
Microsoft has discovered a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to bypass System Integrity Protection SIP in macOS and perform arbitrary operations on a device. We also found a similar technique that could allow an attacker to elevate their privileges to root an affected device. We shared...
Detecting reflective DLL loading with Windows Defender ATP
Today's attacks put emphasis on leaving little, if any, forensic evidence to maintain stealth and achieve persistence. Attackers use methods that allow exploits to stay resident within an exploited process or migrate to a long-lived process without ever creating or relying on a file on disk. In...
Links in phishing-like emails lead to tech support scam
Note: Our Tech support scams FAQ page has the latest info on this type of threat, including scammer tactics, fake error messages, and the latest scammer hotlines. You can also read our latest blog, New tech support scam launches communication or phone call app. Tech support scams continue to...
Microsoft finds new NETGEAR firmware vulnerabilities that could lead to identity theft and full system compromise
The continuous improvement of security solutions has forced attackers to explore alternative ways to compromise systems. The rising number of firmware attacks and ransomware attacks via VPN devices and other internet-facing systems are examples of attacks initiated outside and below the operating...
Investigating a unique “form” of email delivery for IcedID malware
Microsoft threat analysts have been tracking activity where contact forms published on websites are abused to deliver malicious links to enterprises using emails with fake legal threats. The emails instruct recipients to click a link to review supposed evidence behind their allegations, but are...
Getting started with the CDMC framework—Microsoft’s guide to cloud data management
On March 20, 2023, Microsoft announced the successful completion of the Cloud Data Management Capabilities CDMC certification. As a proponent of wider industry standards, I was fortunate to be part of Microsoft’s executive team working to achieve this important milestone. Beginning in 2020, we...
New Surface PCs enable virtualization-based security (VBS) by default to empower customers to do more, securely
VBS and HVCI-enabled devices help protect from advanced attacks Escalation of privilege attacks are a malicious actor’s best friend, and they often target sensitive information stored in memory. These kinds of attacks can turn a minor user mode compromise into a full compromise of your OS and...
IIS modules: The evolution of web shells and how to detect them
Web exploitation and web shells are some of the most common entry points in the current threat landscape. Web servers provide an external avenue directly into your corporate network, which often results in web servers being an initial intrusion vector or mechanism of persistence. Monitoring for...
ACTINIUM targets Ukrainian organizations
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC is sharing information on a threat group named ACTINIUM, which has been operational for almost a decade and has consistently pursued access to organizations in Ukraine or entities related to Ukrainian affairs. MSTIC previously tracked ACTINIUM activi...
North Korean threat actor targets small and midsize businesses with H0lyGh0st ransomware
A group of actors originating from North Korea that Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC tracks as DEV-0530 has been developing and using ransomware in attacks since June 2021. This group, which calls itself H0lyGh0st, utilizes a ransomware payload with the same name for its campaigns and h...
Diamond Sleet supply chain compromise distributes a modified CyberLink installer
Microsoft Threat Intelligence has uncovered a supply chain attack by the North Korea-based threat actor Diamond Sleet ZINC involving a malicious variant of an application developed by CyberLink Corp., a software company that develops multimedia software products. This malicious file is a legitima...
Combating a spate of Java malware with machine learning in real-time
In recent weeks, we have seen a surge in emails carrying fresh malicious Java .jar malware that use new techniques to evade antivirus protection. But with our research team’s automated expert systems and machine learning models, Windows 10 PCs get real-time protection against these latest threats...
Mitigating and eliminating info-stealing Qakbot and Emotet in corporate networks
The threat to sensitive financial information is greater than ever. Data breaches, phishing attacks, and other forms of information theft are all too common in today’s threat landscape. Point-of-sale systems and ATMs have been targeted by hackers. Information-stealing trojans pose a risk to data...
Securing our approach to domain fronting within Azure
Every single day our teams analyze the trillions of signals we see to understand attack vectors, and then take those learnings and apply them to our products and solutions. Having that understanding of the threat landscape is key to ensuring our customers are kept safe every day. However, being a...
Financially motivated threat actors misusing App Installer
Since mid-November 2023, Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed threat actors, including financially motivated actors like Storm-0569, Storm-1113, Sangria Tempest, and Storm-1674, utilizing the ms-appinstaller URI scheme App Installer to distribute malware. In addition to ensuring that...
Rise in XorDdos: A deeper look at the stealthy DDoS malware targeting Linux devices
In the last six months, we observed a 254% increase in activity from a Linux trojan called XorDdos. First discovered in 2014 by the research group MalwareMustDie, XorDdos was named after its denial-of-service-related activities on Linux endpoints and servers as well as its usage of XOR-based...
Threat actor leverages coin miner techniques to stay under the radar – here’s how to spot them
Cryptocurrency miners are typically associated with cybercriminal operations, not sophisticated nation state actor activity. They are not the most sophisticated type of threats, which also means that they are not among the most critical security issues that defenders address with urgency. Recent...
How to mitigate rapid cyberattacks such as Petya and WannaCrypt
In the first blog post of this 3-part series, we introduced what rapid cyberattacks are and illustrated how rapid cyberattacks are different in terms of execution and outcome. In the second blog post, we provided some details on Petya and how it worked. In this final blog post, we will share:...
Key layers for developing a Smarter SOC with CyberProof-managed Microsoft Azure security services
This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association MISA guest blog series. Learn more about MISA here. Security teams are struggling to reduce the time to detect and respond to threats due to the complexity and volume of alerts being generated from multiple security...
A better cloud access security broker: Securing your SaaS cloud apps and services with Microsoft Cloud App Security
Today’s business uses an average of 1,180 cloud apps¹, with many of those organizations securing their apps through cloud access security brokers CASB. The organizational need for a CASB has grown alongside the use of cloud apps to enable remote work and greater user productivity. When security...
New tech support scam launches communication or phone call app
A new tech support scam technique streamlines the entire scam experience, leaving potential victims only one click or tap away from speaking with a scammer. We recently found a new tech support scam website that opens your default communication or phone call app, automatically prompting you to ca...
Hardening the system and maintaining integrity with Windows Defender System Guard
One of the things we spend a great deal of time thinking about here at Microsoft is how attackers will attempt to persist and evade detection once they’ve successfully compromised a device. With Windows 10 we’ve made it more difficult to find ways to exploit potential entry points, and it’s clear...
DEV-0832 (Vice Society) opportunistic ransomware campaigns impacting US education sector
In recent months, Microsoft has detected active ransomware and extortion campaigns impacting the global education sector, particularly in the US, by a threat actor we track as DEV-0832, also known as Vice Society. Shifting ransomware payloads over time from BlackCat, QuantumLocker, and Zeppelin,...
MagicWeb: NOBELIUM’s post-compromise trick to authenticate as anyone
Updated August 26, 2022: Added instructions to enable collection of AD FS event logs in order to search for Event ID 501, and added a new resource for AD FS audit logging in Microsoft Sentinel. Microsoft security researchers have discovered a post-compromise capability we’re calling MagicWeb, whi...
Azure Sentinel achieves a Leader placement in Forrester Wave, with top ranking in Strategy
I’m thrilled to announce Forrester Research has named Microsoft Azure Sentinel as a “Leader” in The Forrester Wave: Security Analytics Platform Providers, Q4 2020. When we released Azure Sentinel almost a year ago—the industry’s first cloud-native SIEM on a major public cloud—our goal was to...
Meet the Microsoft Pluton processor – The security chip designed for the future of Windows PCs
The role of the Windows PC and trust in technology are more important than ever as our devices keep us connected and productive across work and life. Windows 10 is the most secure version of Windows ever, built with end-to-end security for protection from the edge to the cloud all the way down to...
Nation-state threat actor Mint Sandstorm refines tradecraft to attack high-value targets
Over the past several months, Microsoft has observed a mature subgroup of Mint Sandstorm, an Iranian nation-state actor previously tracked as PHOSPHORUS, refining its tactics, techniques, and procedures TTPs. Specifically, this subset has rapidly weaponized N-day vulnerabilities in common...
Windows 10 platform resilience against the Petya ransomware attack
Note: Read our latest comprehensive report on ransomware: Ransomware 1H 2017 review: Global outbreaks reinforce the value of security hygiene. The Petya ransomware attack on June 27, 2017 which we analyzed in-depth in this blog may have been perceived as an outbreak worse than last month's...
Microsoft named a Visionary in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SIEM for Azure Sentinel
We’re pleased to announce that in its first year of inclusion in the Gartner Magic Quadrant report, Microsoft Azure Sentinel has been named a Visionary, where we were recognized for our completeness of vision for SIEM.1 Gartner has said that “cloud SIEM will be the future of how many organization...
Phorpiex morphs: How a longstanding botnet persists and thrives in the current threat environment
Phorpiex, an enduring botnet known for extortion campaigns and for using old-fashioned worms that spread via removable USB drives and instant messaging apps, began diversifying its infrastructure in recent years to become more resilient and to deliver more dangerous payloads. Today, the Phorphiex...
Forrester names Microsoft a Leader in Q4 2022 Security Analytics Platforms Wave report
We’re excited to announce that Microsoft is named a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Security Analytics Platforms, Q4 2022. Microsoft achieved the highest possible score in 17 different criteria, including partner ecosystem, innovation roadmap, product security, case management, and architecture. Wi...
Toll fraud malware: How an Android application can drain your wallet
Toll fraud malware, a subcategory of billing fraud in which malicious applications subscribe users to premium services without their knowledge or consent, is one of the most prevalent types of Android malware – and it continues to evolve. Compared to other subcategories of billing fraud, which...
archTIS and Microsoft: Zero Trust information security for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams has seen a surge in growth during the pandemic with over 115 million daily active users and growing.1 With it, customer imperative for enabling safe and trustworthy online collaboration has also increased significantly. The speed and simplicity of Teams business users creating new...
Secure containerized environments with updated threat matrix for Kubernetes
Last April, we released the first version of the threat matrix for Kubernetes. It was the first attempt to systematically map the threat landscape of Kubernetes. As we described in the previous post, we chose to adapt the structure of MITRE ATT&CK® framework which, became almost an industry...
How a national cybersecurity agency can help avoid a national cybersecurity quagmire
This last October we saw more countries than ever participate in initiatives to raise cybersecurity awareness. What was once largely a US approach has evolved into events and initiatives around the world by governments, civil society groups, and private sector partners. This increased breadth and...
Star Blizzard increases sophistication and evasion in ongoing attacks
Microsoft Threat Intelligence continues to track and disrupt malicious activity attributed to a Russian state-sponsored actor we track as Star Blizzard formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER and Callisto Group. Star Blizzard has improved their detection evasion capabilities since 2022 while...
Multiple North Korean threat actors exploiting the TeamCity CVE-2023-42793 vulnerability
Since early October 2023, Microsoft has observed two North Korean nation-state threat actors – Diamond Sleet and Onyx Sleet – exploiting CVE-2023-42793, a remote-code execution vulnerability affecting multiple versions of JetBrains TeamCity server. TeamCity is a continuous integration/continuous...
Uncovering a ChromeOS remote memory corruption vulnerability
Microsoft discovered a memory corruption vulnerability in a ChromeOS component that can be triggered remotely, allowing attackers to perform either a denial-of-service DoS or, in extreme cases, remote code execution RCE. Following our D-Bus blog post that focused on Linux, we searched for similar...
Microsoft a Leader in 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Unified Endpoint Management Tools
In today’s changing business world, where flexibility is more crucial than ever, we’re honored that Gartner has again recognized Microsoft as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management UEM Tools1. Over the last 18 months, millions of employees worldwide have had to shift their...
Malicious OAuth applications abuse cloud email services to spread spam
Microsoft researchers recently investigated an attack where malicious OAuth applications were deployed on compromised cloud tenants and then used to control Exchange Online settings and spread spam. The investigation revealed that the threat actor launched credential stuffing attacks against...
Untangling KNOTWEED: European private-sector offensive actor using 0-day exploits
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC and the Microsoft Security Response Center MSRC found a private-sector offensive actor PSOA using multiple Windows and Adobe 0-day exploits, including one for the recently patched CVE-2022-22047, in limited and targeted attacks against European and...
New insights on cybersecurity in the age of hybrid work
As we approach the last week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I think about what is top of mind for myself and my peers in security. The past year has continued the 2020s major shift in the way organizations operate. Recent data shows that 81 percent of enterprise organizations have begun the mo...
Introducing Windows Defender Application Control
Application control is a crucial line of defense for protecting enterprises given today’s threat landscape, and it has an inherent advantage over traditional antivirus solutions. Specifically, application control flips the model from one where all applications are assumed trustworthy by default t...
Uncovering a macOS App Sandbox escape vulnerability: A deep dive into CVE-2022-26706
Microsoft uncovered a vulnerability in macOS that could allow specially crafted codes to escape the App Sandbox and run unrestricted on the system. We shared these findings with Apple through Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure CVD via Microsoft Security Vulnerability Research MSVR in October...
How purple teams can embrace hacker culture to improve security
The security community is continuously changing, growing, and learning from each other to better position the world against cyber threats. In the latest Voice of the Community blog series post, Microsoft Product Marketing Manager Natalia Godyla talks with Matthew Hickey, co-founder, CEO, and writ...
Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrates 100 percent protection coverage in the 2023 MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluations: Enterprise
For the fifth consecutive year, Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrated industry-leading extended detection and response XDR capabilities in the independent MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluations: Enterprise. The attack used during the test highlights the importance of a unified XDR platform and showcas...
Defenders beware: A case for post-ransomware investigations
Ransomware is one of the most pervasive threats that Microsoft Detection and Response Team DART responds to today. The groups behind these attacks continue to add sophistication to their tactics, techniques, and procedures TTPs as most network security postures increase. In this blog, we detail a...
Azure Active Directory empowers frontline workers with simplified and secure access
Howdy folks, The past year has shown us all just how critical frontline workers are to our communities and our economy. They’re the people behind the counter, in the call centers, in hospital ICUs, on the supermarket floor—doing the critical work that makes the difference in feeding our families,...
The evolution of a matrix: How ATT&CK for Containers was built
Note: The content of this post is being released jointly with the Center for Threat-Informed Defense. It is co-authored with Chris Ante and Matthew Bajzek. The Center post can be found here. As containers become a major part of many organizations’ IT workloads, it becomes crucial to consider the...
Blue Cedar partners with Microsoft to combat BYOD issues
This blog post is part of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association guest blog series. Learn more about MISA. Bring Your Own Device BYOD has been a divisive topic within corporations for years. Employees wanted the convenience of working on their own smart devices, and business decision-make...