CISA News

Today, the Australian Signals Directorate Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD ACSC), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and other U.S. and international partners released the joint guide Detecting and Mitigating Active Directory Compromises. This guide informs organizations of recommended strategies to mitigate common techniques used by malicious actors to compromise Active Directory.

Active Directory is the most widely used authentication and authorization solution in enterprise information technology (IT) networks globally. Malicious actors routinely target Active Directory as part of efforts to compromise enterprise IT networks by escalating privileges and targeting the highest confidential user objects.  

Responding to and recovering from malicious activity involving Active Directory can be consuming, costly, and disruptive. CISA encourages organizations review the guidance and implement the recommended mitigations to improve Active Directory security.

To learn more about taking a top-down approach to developing secure products, visit CISA’s Secure by Design webpage. 

CISA continues to respond to active exploitation of internet-accessible operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) devices, including those in the Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector. Exposed and vulnerable OT/ICS systems may allow cyber threat actors to use default credentials, conduct brute force attacks, or use other unsophisticated methods to access these devices and cause harm.   

CISA urges OT/ICS operators in critical infrastructure sectors to apply the recommendations listed in Defending OT Operations Against Ongoing Pro-Russia Hacktivist Activity to defend against this activity. To learn more about secure by design principles and practices, visit CISA's Secure by Design webpage. For more information and guidance on protection against the most common and impactful threats, tactics, techniques, and procedures, visit CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals.

Citrix released security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in XenServer and Citrix Hypervisor. A cyber threat actor could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to cause a denial of service condition. 

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following and apply necessary updates: 

• XenServer and Citrix Hypervisor Security Update for CVE-2024-45817

As Hurricane Helene approaches, CISA urges users to remain on alert for potential malicious cyber activity. Fraudulent emails and social media messages—often containing malicious links or attachments—are common after major natural disasters. Exercise caution in handling emails with hurricane-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks. In addition, be wary of social media pleas, texts, or door-to-door solicitations relating to severe weather events. 

CISA encourages users to review the following resources to avoid falling victim to malicious cyber activity: 

• Federal Trade Commission’s Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams and Before Giving to a Charity, 

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Frauds and scams, and 

• CISA’s Phishing Guidance, Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One to help organizations reduce likelihood and impact of successful phishing attacks. 

CISA has added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.

• CVE-2024-7593 Ivanti Virtual Traffic Manager Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that carry significant risk to the federal enterprise. BOD 22-01 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. See the BOD 22-01 Fact Sheet for more information.

Although BOD 22-01 only applies to FCEB agencies, CISA strongly urges all organizations to reduce their exposure to cyberattacks by prioritizing timely remediation of Catalog vulnerabilities as part of their vulnerability management practice. CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specified criteria.

CISA released eight Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on September 24, 2024. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.

• ICSA-24-268-01 OPW Fuel Management Systems SiteSentinel
• ICSA-24-268-02 Alisonic Sibylla
• ICSA-24-268-03 Franklin Fueling Systems TS-550 EVO
• ICSA-24-268-04 Dover Fueling Solutions ProGauge MAGLINK LX CONSOLE
• ICSA-24-268-05 Moxa MXview One
• ICSA-24-268-06 OMNTEC Proteus Tank Monitoring
   
• ICSA-24-156-01 Uniview NVR301-04S2-P4 (Update A)
• ICSA-19-274-01 Interpeak IPnet TCP/IP Stack (Update E)

CISA encourages users and administrators to review newly released ICS advisories for technical details and mitigations.

Versa Networks has released an advisory for a vulnerability (CVE-2024-45229) affecting Versa Director. A cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability to exercise unauthorized REST APIs.

CISA urges organizations to apply necessary updates, hunt for any malicious activity, report any positive findings to CISA, and review the following for more information:

• Versa Advisory

Ivanti has released a security update to address an admin bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-8963) affecting Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA) version 4.6.  A cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability in conjunction with CVE-2024-8190–detailed in a Sept. 13 Ivanti security advisory–to take control of an affected system. This vulnerability impacts all versions prior to patch 519.

Ivanti has confirmed limited exploitation and recommends that users upgrade to CSA version 5.0, as version 4.6 is end-of-life and no longer supported. CISA urges users and administrators review the Ivanti security advisory and apply the necessary updates. 

Note: CISA has added CVE-2024-8963 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, which, per Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the specified due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats.  
 

CISA released six Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on September 19, 2024. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.

• ICSA-24-263-01 Rockwell Automation RSLogix 5 and RSLogix 500
• ICSA-24-263-02 IDEC PLCs
• ICSA-24-263-03 IDEC CORPORATION WindLDR and WindO/I-NV4
• ICSA-24-263-04 MegaSys Computer Technologies Telenium Online Web Application
• ICSA-24-263-05 Kastle Systems Access Control System
   
• ICSA-20-168-01 Treck TCP/IP (Update I)

CISA encourages users and administrators to review newly released ICS advisories for technical details and mitigations.

VMware released a security advisory addressing vulnerabilities in the VMware Cloud Foundation and the vCenter Server. A cyber threat actor could exploit one of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following VMware security advisory and apply the necessary updates:

• VCDSA24968

CISA has added five new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.

• CVE-2024-27348 Apache HugeGraph-Server Improper Access Control Vulnerability
• CVE-2020-0618 Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
• CVE-2019-1069 Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
• CVE-2022-21445 Oracle JDeveloper Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
• CVE-2020-14644 Oracle WebLogic Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that carry significant risk to the federal enterprise. BOD 22-01 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. See the BOD 22-01 Fact Sheet for more information.

Although BOD 22-01 only applies to FCEB agencies, CISA strongly urges all organizations to reduce their exposure to cyberattacks by prioritizing timely remediation of Catalog vulnerabilities as part of their vulnerability management practice. CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specified criteria.

Apple released security updates to address vulnerabilities in multiple Apple products. A cyber threat actor could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system. 

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following advisories and apply necessary updates:

• iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
• iOS 17.7 and iPadOS 17.7
• Safari 18
• macOS Sequoia 15
• macOS Sonoma 14.7
• macOS Ventura 13.7
• tvOS 18
• watchOS 11
• visionOS 2
• Xcode 16

CISA released three Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on September 17, 2024. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.

• ICSA-24-261-01 Siemens SIMATIC S7-200 SMART Devices
• ICSA-24-261-02 Millbeck Communications Proroute H685t-w
• ICSA-24-261-03 Yokogawa Dual-redundant Platform for Computer (PC2CKM)

CISA encourages users and administrators to review newly released ICS advisories for technical details and mitigations.

CISA has added four new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.

• CVE-2014-0497 Adobe Flash Player Integer Underflow Vulnerability
• CVE-2013-0643 Adobe Flash Player Incorrect Default Permissions Vulnerability
• CVE-2013-0648 Adobe Flash Player Code Execution Vulnerability
• CVE-2014-0502 Adobe Flash Player Double Free Vulnerability

These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that carry significant risk to the federal enterprise. BOD 22-01 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. See the BOD 22-01 Fact Sheet for more information.

Although BOD 22-01 only applies to FCEB agencies, CISA strongly urges all organizations to reduce their exposure to cyberattacks by prioritizing timely remediation of Catalog vulnerabilities as part of their vulnerability management practice. CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specified criteria.

Today, CISA and FBI released a Secure by Design Alert, Eliminating Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities, as a part of our ongoing effort to reduce the prevalence of vulnerability classes at scale. Vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) continue to appear in software, enabling threat actors to exploit them. However, cross-site scripting vulnerabilities are preventable and should not be present in software products.

CISA and FBI urge CEOs and other business leaders at technology manufacturers to direct their technical leaders/teams to review past instances of these defects and create a strategic plan to prevent them in the future.

Visit our website to learn more about the principles of Secure by Design, take the Secure by Design Pledge, and stay informed on the latest Secure by Design Alerts.

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) Operational Cybersecurity Alignment (FOCAL) Plan. Developed in collaboration with FCEB agencies, this plan provides standard, essential components of enterprise operational cybersecurity and aligns the collective operational defense capabilities across the federal enterprise.

Currently, federal agencies maintain their own networks and system architectures—and they independently manage their cyber risk. CISA’s FOCAL plan aligns the federal enterprise, empowering agencies to better address the dynamic cyber threat environment collectively. The plan recommends actions that substantively advance operational cybersecurity improvements and alignment goals. 

For additional guidance, visit CISA’s Securing Networks web page. 

CISA has added two new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.

• CVE-2024-43461 Microsoft Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing Vulnerability
• CVE-2024-6670 Progress WhatsUp Gold SQL Injection Vulnerability

These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that carry significant risk to the federal enterprise. BOD 22-01 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. See the BOD 22-01 Fact Sheet for more information.

Although BOD 22-01 only applies to FCEB agencies, CISA strongly urges all organizations to reduce their exposure to cyberattacks by prioritizing timely remediation of Catalog vulnerabilities as part of their vulnerability management practice. CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specified criteria.

Ivanti has released a security update addressing an OS command injection vulnerability (CVE-2024-8190) affecting Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA) 4.6 (all versions before patch 519). A cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability to take control of an affected system.  

At this time, Ivanti has confirmed limited exploitation and urges its customers using the affected versions to upgrade to CSA version 5.0. Ivanti no longer supports CSA 4.6 (end-of-life). 

CISA recommends users and administrators review CISA and FBI's joint guidance on eliminating OS command injections and the Ivanti security advisory and apply the recommended updates. 

Note: CISA has added CVE-2024-8190 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, which, per Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the specified due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. 

CISA has added one new vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.

• CVE-2024-8190 Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance OS Command Injection Vulnerability

These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.

Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities established the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog as a living list of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that carry significant risk to the federal enterprise. BOD 22-01 requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats. See the BOD 22-01 Fact Sheet for more information.

Although BOD 22-01 only applies to FCEB agencies, CISA strongly urges all organizations to reduce their exposure to cyberattacks by prioritizing timely remediation of Catalog vulnerabilities as part of their vulnerability management practice. CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specified criteria.

CISA has released an analysis and infographic detailing the findings from the 143 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (RVAs) conducted across multiple critical infrastructure sectors in fiscal year 2023 (FY23).

The analysis details a sample attack path including tactics and steps a cyber threat actor could follow to compromise an organization with weaknesses representative of those CISA observed in FY23 RVAs. The infographic highlights the most successful techniques for each tactic that RVAs documented. Both the analysis and infographic map threat actor behavior to the MITRE ATT&CK® framework.

CISA encourages network defenders to review the analysis and infographic and apply the recommended mitigations to protect against the observed tactics and techniques.