Xmas Light Security Improves… a bit

We've looked at smart Xmas lights before; whilst they were vulnerable, there was no consequence to the hack other than making them flash in a different order! In 2018 we looked at the all-new Twinkly smart festive lights. We found a number of security issues, reported them to the vendor and to a...

Don’t get burnt on pay day. How to buy IoT gadgets sensibly

As it’s the end of the month, and pay day for many, I thought some timely advice would be helpful for people itching to spend their money on IoT gadgets. It’s not all bad. While many manufacturers happily continue to fill shelves with dross, we know plenty of responsible companies whose products...

Hacking train passenger Wi-Fi

After speaking about Wi-Fi security at a rail industry conference last week, it struck me that very insecure passenger networks are making their way on to trains. So, here’s a quick check list for making sure your pax Wi-Fi network is secure. Similar checks could be applied to your guest network ...

Man Climbs Severn Bridge. Your office is twice as easy and half as scary

So you think no one would ever sneak into your business? Think Again. The man who climbed the Severn Bridge and broke into the Big Brother house seems to have method to his madness. Here’s why. When I describe Social Engineering to some I get a common response: “Yeah, but who would ever do that i...

How I became a Cyber Essentials Plus assessor

TL;DR What is Cyber Essentials and why does it matter? The role of Cyber Essentials CE and Cyber Essentials Plus CE+ assessors in protecting UK businesses The difference between a CE and CE+ assessor Becoming a CE assessor Becoming a CE+ assessor Challenges I faced and tips for success Introducti...

Heels on fire. Hacking smart ski socks

TL;DR A silly-season BLE connectivity story Overheat people’s smart ski socks …but only when in Bluetooth range AND when the owner's phone is out of range of their feet! Having experienced painfully cold feet several times over the years while skiing, including once at minus 42°C in the Canadian...

How we helped expose a £12 million rental scam

TL;DR We helped Channel 4 with trying to track down rental scammers. We are not the police so we could only take it so far and any proving guilt or innocence would be a police matter. We saw organised approaches and elaborate setups. A lot of technical and money laundering techniques were needed...

10 years on from the Target breach. Has building cyber security improved?

It’s over a decade since the Target data breach. It was an event that reinforced the need for supply chain security reviews. It seems that much has changed since then, or has it? Has the security profile of the average connected building in the USA improved in that time period, be it retail,...

Helping a banking fraud victim

A few months ago an elderly friend of a friend asked for some help. They had been scammed and had £10K stolen. Was there anything I could do to help? This wasn’t going to be a pleasant task: recovering monies stolen as a result of banking fraud is all but impossible. I was going to have to explai...

Exposed Gits: 10 Years on

Nearly 10 years ago my colleague wrote a cracking post on exposed Git repositories. 10 years is a long time in cyber security, but you’d be surprised how many things you thought should have gone extinct that haven’t. A prime example is a recent finding of a handful of exposed .git repositories. A...

Scanning for security.txt files

Introduction RFC 9116 was written by E. Foudil and Y. Shafranovich and left draft status in April 2022. This RFC formally defines the unofficial security.txt file that has been an unofficial standard for many years, initially created back in 2017 and documented at . The security.txt file provides...

VNC. RDP for all to see

TL;DR VNC still remains in some legacy environments due to legacy deployments and ease of use. Without proprietary extensions, VNC transmits data without encryption, making credential theft through packet sniffing possible. The captured challenge and response between a VNC client and server can...

Don’t use corporate email for your personal life

TL;DR People use whatever is convenient. Segregation of work and personal matters is a key part of security. Using corporate addresses tramples on this separation. Corporate email addresses should be treated with the same care as sensitive corporate information. Create an Acceptable Use Policy th...

Is secure boot on the main application processor enough?

TL;DR Secure boot ensures only authentic firmware can run on a device and should form part of a layered defence strategy. Sub-systems often lack secure boot capabilities, limiting protection for non-critical processors. Focus on secure boot for the main processor; it can provide adequate security...

BEC-ware the phish (part 1). Investigating incidents in M365

TL;DR Review the key artefacts to ensure the best possible telemetry is available in the case of a Business Email Compromise BEC. Keep an eye on data retention, where necessary export or forward data for investigations longer than 30 days. Verify and enable Unified Audit Logging, its free and giv...

Living off the land, GPO style

TL;DR The ability to edit Group Policy Object GPOs from non-domain joined computers using the native Group Policy editor has been on my list for a long time. This blog post takes a deep dive into what steps were taken to find out why domain joined machines are needed in the first place and what...

Leave the World Behind, or don’t

I watched Leave the World Behind on Netflix recently. I was intrigued as the trailers showed an oil tanker crashing on to a beach. It was implied that it had been hacked and someone had taken control of it. Shipping security is something we know quite a bit about, having been asked to hack a larg...

WhosHere Plus. Trilateration vulnerability

WhosHere Plus is a dating app that uses GPS data to recommend users near to each other, based on similar interests. PTP constantly researches the state of privacy and security in apps that use GPS data, because the consequences of poor security and privacy are alarming: Tracking and snooping on a...

SkyFail. 6 million routers left exposed

Sky broadband had a significant security flaw in around 6 million of their customer routers that would allow remote compromise of home networks. When informed about it, they took nearly 18 months to fully fix the problem. TL;DR Around 6 million Sky routers were vulnerable to a DNS rebinding...

Hijacking smart luggage

When is a vulnerability not a vulnerability? I’m not sure this counts as a vuln per-se, but some easily-fixed and simple manufacturer mistakes result in trivial hijack of…. yes… your smart luggage. The Airwheel SR5 is the first smart luggage that we’ve seen. It can automatically follow the owner...

Stealing container ship cargo through LOC messaging

In a previous post post I looked at hacking and manipulating EDIFACT messages to destabilise a ship. However, criminals will be far more interested in using these techniques to re-route containers and steal their contents. Similar techniques appear to have been used to steal containers in the pas...

The surprising existence of the erase button on cockpit voice recorders

Introduction Safety and transparency are important in aviation. One tool that helps here is the Cockpit Voice Recorder CVR, which records audio from the cockpit during flights. It is crucial for accident investigations, helping authorities understand what happened before an incident. However, you...

Key safe security, or the lack of it

A few years back we put a key safe into our office. Previously, we had used a very simple locked cabinet to ensure keys were returned, as before that, keys kept being accidentally taken home. There’s no data of significance kept at the office. Everything is hosted elsewhere, but we could do witho...

Pipedream ICS malware toolkit is a nightmare

TL;DR Malware toolkit specifically designed for attacking ICS Modular and framework based Main features are enumeration, Modbus comms, and HTTP interactions Operational Technology OT network breaches are often due to connected Windows devices Off-network compromise assessments give a strategic vi...

Navigating the perilous waters of conference invitations

TL:DR Being asked to speak at events is great …except when it looks like a scam or a phishing attempt This is walkthrough of my experience If you think it’s a scam, it probably is Its a typical Sunday evening, and as Im gearing up for the week ahead and an interesting email lands in my inbox. The...

Stop using phishing as a measure of your cyber awareness culture

If I had a penny for every time someone said to me “let’s measure our security culture by phishing our staff” I’d probably be able to fill my car up. It’s a really easy thing to do, you carry out some online training and typically they come with phishing simulations as a free or low cost add on. ...

Reporting of cyber incidents becomes law in the USA

On March 15th 2022, president Joe Biden and the US Government passed new legislation to strengthen the Department for Justice DOJ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA position by requiring the reporting of all cyber incidents or ransomware payments. The Cyber Incident Reporting f...

When the IoT vendor goes bust

Over recent years, legislation has started to emerge to protect consumers from unethical behaviour from IoT vendors. Far too many smart devices didn’t charge for a subscription to the online platform that made the device ‘smart’. As a result, manufacturers had a perverse incentive to end-of-life...

ASSURE Case Study: One

The engagement The client needed to meet the requirements of the Network Information Systems NIS CAF. There was a target profile for the NIS CAF that the CAA had set out for the client’s systems. However, we discovered early on that this had the potential to be a transformational piece of work fo...

Fully segregated networks? Your dual-homed devices might disagree

TL;DR Using dual-homed devices as a segregation tool is not recommended as a security design solution Use dedicated hardware and robust firewalls to segregate networks to limit access to critical networks Proactively check for unintended exposure of network services and disable unnecessary servic...

Security flaws found in tiny phones promoted to children

TL;DR Three mini smartphones promoted to children were analysed Those devices are heavily promoted on TikTok All had outdated operating systems All could be rooted without wiping the phone, allowing data to be compromised with physical access One had malware artefacts pre-installed One had an...

6 non tech things you wish you had done before being breached

Introduction When a breach happens, it’s not just technical defences that matter. Preparation in non-technical areas, like having key documents printed or emergency contacts accessible, can make all the difference. In this blog, we highlight six simple yet essential steps to help you prepare in...

EFB Tampering. Holdover Time

TL;DR Holdover applications are a relatively new method of calculating the effectiveness of anti-icing fluid sprayed onto aircraft wings. Applications such as these have additional attack surfaces as the developer and source databases need to be considered Airlines often view limits as targets to...

DPD package sniffing

TL;DR An unauthenticated API call was identified in DPD Group’s public API that could allow a user with a valid package ID to, with some basic OSINT, discover the package’s destination postcode and thus obtain all details about the package. DPD Group were prompt in the triage and resolution of th...

ASSURE Case Study: Two

The engagement The purpose of this exercise was to validate the clients’ baseline security assessment against NIS and the CAF and prepare them for the CAA Assure audit against NIS and CAF. There were 24 systems for the client and 9 third party systems. The client had carried out some initial...

The dangers of web based messaging apps

TL;DR Anyone with a web browser and access to your phone in an unlocked state could potentially set up persistent access to your secure messaging platforms without needing to know your credentials!. Whilst this clearly requires unfettered access to your phone, scenarios such as screen replacement...

Pen testing avionics under ED-203a

The aviation industry realised some time ago that taking a standard approach to the cyber security of its products was needed and that this was a specialist discipline. A family of documents was produced to help with this: ED-202A / DO-326A – what should be certified ED-203A / DO-356A – how these...

How to secure body-worn cameras and protect footage from cyber threats

TL;DR Body-worn cameras are used by police and other security personnel Cameras are taken into the field but footage could be presented as evidence Cryptographic approaches are needed to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of captured video and audio Cybersecurity challenges of body-worn...

Practice being punched in the face. The realities of incident response preparation

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” This Mike Tyson boxing quote perfectly encapsulates the chaos of a cybersecurity breach. TL;DR Accept that your organisation may be breached Train hard. Regularly test incident response plans Build muscle memory Practice getting punched in...

How to handle vulnerability reports in aviation

TL;DR Always thank researchers for reporting vulnerabilities. Acknowledging their efforts can set the right tone. Lead all communications with researchers. Don’t let legal or PR teams take over. Provide regular updates to avoid miscommunication. Keep researchers informed throughout the process. W...

Dodgy disks. My 32TB SSD Adventure

TL;DR "Hard drive” had reflashed firmware to make it look larger Buyer beware: Cheap storage may not be the value you think it is Background Earlier this year I found myself in need of various cheap electronic components. So naturally I turned to AliExpress. I came across a listing for a cheap...

Cap Dev. Better red teaming with continuous Capability Development

TL;DR What Capability Development Cap Dev is in this context The big Cap Dev benefits for red teaming Operations and Development, sharing and improving Improvements to TTPs, hardware, and developing strategies Benefits of using a DevSecOps model for offensive security The essence of Cap Dev Cap D...

Living off the Cloud. Cloudy with a Chance of Exfiltration

Part one of a series aimed at demonstrating malicious usage of Office 365 services. TL;DR Unless default settings are changed, typical Office 365 O365 licences come loaded with various services that are all usable by end users without special permissions. Power Automate can be used maliciously by...

OpSec. Hunting wireless access points

Continuing my series on OSINT techniques you can use for reviewing your own corporate OpSec, one of the most common services available in a modern corporate office is of course wireless. How do we go about finding wireless access points and what can they tell us? Finding wireless We have spoken...

Imposter syndrome in cyber security

TL;DR Imposter syndrome is the belief that you are undeserving of your achievements Anyone can be affected by it There are ways to cope What is imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is the psychological pattern in which a person downplays their achievements and believes that they are secretly a...

Consumer advice for buying smart IoT devices this Christmas

Rightly or wrongly there’s plenty of fear, uncertainty, and downright doom associated with the IoT and devices. So, is it safe to buy these things as gifts or even as a treat for yourself this year? In our opinion it probably is, as long as you follow some basic advice. What can you do? Do your...

Congrats, you got everyone remote. But did you do it securely?

The lockdown has meant entire companies of typically office based staff being forced to work from home. The change to our way of life is like nothing anyone has in living memory ever seen. However, alongside that, IT teams have had to rush to deliver solutions that were simply not designed for th...

Mounting memory with MemProcFS for advanced memory forensics

Mounting memory? This changes everything! TL;DR Memory forensics is crucial for investigations, providing access to volatile data, like running processes and network connections. MemProcFS is a game-changer tool in memory forensics, allowing memory dumps to be mounted and browsed like file system...

How can you protect your data, privacy, and finances if your phone gets lost or stolen?

Steps to take when your device is lost or stolen TL;DR This is a guide to help prepare for a situation where your mobile device is lost or stolen, including where it is stolen in an unlocked state. The post covers: Creating good habits in your digital life. Using available features to secure your...

Pen testing cruise ships

New build ships contracted for build from 1st July 2024 must comply with IACS UR E26 & 27. What does this mean for assessing the cyber security of a cruise ship? What’s the risk profile? Cruise ships have a unique risk profile. This is due to the huge number of guests on board, highly complex...