In recent months, a zero-day vulnerability in Ivanti’s Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) product has been extensively exploited by an advanced persistent threat (APT) group. Since April 2023, this APT group has been taking advantage of the vulnerability, compromising several Norwegian organizations and even gaining access to and compromising a Norwegian government agency’s network.
Discovery of Attacks
The cyberattacks involving the exploitation of the zero-day vulnerability, known as CVE-2023-35078, came to light on July 24, when Norwegian authorities announced that a dozen government ministries had fallen victim to a targeted cyberattack. During the investigation, Ivanti confirmed that CVE-2023-35078 could be paired with another vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-35081, to bypass authentication and access control list (ACL) restrictions.
APT group exploitation
According to an advisory published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Centre – Norway (NCSC-NO), the APT group had been exploiting CVE-2023-35078 as a zero-day vulnerability since at least April 2023. Their primary objectives were to gather critical information from various Norwegian organizations and compromise the network of a government agency.
Chaining of vulnerabilities
The chaining of the two EPMM vulnerabilities allows hackers to gain privileged access to the system and execute uploaded files, including the deployment of malicious webshells. Moreover, the attacker employed compromised small office/home office (SOHO) routers, specifically highlighting Asus routers, as a proxy to obfuscate their activities and further enhance their access and control.
Concerns of widespread exploitation
CISA and NCSC-NO have expressed grave concerns about the potential for widespread exploitation of both vulnerabilities in government and private sector networks. This is because Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems, like EPMM, provide elevated access to thousands of mobile devices, making them an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise sensitive data and gain unauthorized control.
Advisory and Mitigations
In response to these critical vulnerabilities, CISA and NCSC-NO have issued an advisory containing detailed information and resources to enable organizations to protect themselves. Their advisory includes indicators of compromise (IoCs), instructions for determining vulnerabilities, incident response steps, and recommended mitigations. It is essential for organizations to swiftly apply the provided mitigations and stay vigilant in monitoring their systems.
Future Exploitation Possibilities
Given the vast number of potentially vulnerable systems and the availability of proof-of-concept (PoC) code for the vulnerabilities, there is a heightened risk of further exploitation. The APT group’s success, combined with the increasing availability of PoC code, poses a significant threat to organizations that have not yet addressed the vulnerabilities in their EPMM installations. Urgent action must be taken to patch and secure all affected systems.
EPMM Overview
Endpoint Manager Mobile (formerly known as MobileIron Core) is a powerful mobile management software engine used by IT teams to set policies for mobile devices, applications, and content. It simplifies device management and enhances security. However, like any technology, vulnerabilities can emerge that require prompt attention to prevent exploitation and subsequent compromise.
The recent exploitation of these zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti’s EPMM product by an APT group serves as a stark reminder of the evolving threat landscape and the need for constant vigilance. Organizations must prioritize patch management, vulnerability identification, and robust security measures. By promptly addressing vulnerabilities, staying informed of emerging threats, and implementing recommended mitigations, organizations can significantly minimize the risk of falling victim to sophisticated cyber attacks.