Weekly Infosec News Brief 14-20 September

New WordPress Version Released; Fixes Three Security Issues

Last Tuesday, WordPress.org released version 4.3.1 of their web content management system. The new version fixes two cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a privilege-escalation issue. WordPress is the most popular website management software in use today; in some cases, organizations are using it without even realizing they are doing so. Vulnerabilities in third-party "plugins" for WordPress are common, but the core WordPress code has been relatively trouble-free of late. If you have a website running on WordPress, it is important to ensure you update it as soon as possible.
https://wordpress.org/news/2015/09/wordpress-4-3-1/
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities---threats/wordpress-dodges-further-embarassment-by-patching-three-vulns-/d/d-id/1322213?


 Malware Found in Hundreds of iPhone/iPad Apps in Official App Store

Malware has been discovered in several hundred (so far) apps in the official Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad. The malware ended up in these apps because the developers (probably unknowingly, in most cases) used a tampered version of the Xcode development tool that they downloaded from a Chinese site. The tampered tool inserted a malicious software library into all the apps compiled using the tool, and this malware appears to have gone undetected by Apple's App Store gatekeepers. This is perhaps the first instance of wide-spread and lasting malicious apps appearing on the official iOS App Store.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2985060/security/apple-pulls-infected-apps-after-malware-strikes-app-store.html
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984689/malware-vulnerabilities/apple-ios-app-store-malware-xcodeghost-itbwcw.html


Malicious Firmware Discovered on Cisco Routers
Security firm FireEye announced this week the discovery of a malicious firmware, which they have dubbed SYNful Knock," that they had found implanted on some older models of Cisco routers in use around the world. It is believed that this firmware was installed by attackers using stolen or default administrative credentials. The malicious firmware would allow the intruders to monitor and/or modify traffic passing through the routers. Security of routers is often neglected by organizations, but controlling these vital networking components can give an attacker the run of a network. Routers should be managed only via secure protocols and only from authorized locations (designated IPs, an internal interface, or out-of-band via a non-Internet connection). SNMP should be disabled unless absolutely needed, particularly on the external interface; if SNMP is needed, use only v3.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984088/security/attackers-install-highly-persistent-malware-implants-on-cisco-routers.html


Russian Hackers Implicated in Massive Credit Card Breach Cases; Two Plead Guilty

Two Russian hackers, Vladimir Drinkman and Dmitriy Smilianets,, plead guilty last week in a federal court in New Jersey to participating in the theft of credit card information from at least 17 different companies from 2005 to 2012. The most prominent of these cases was the Heartland breach in 2009. Drinkman was alleged to be one of the technical masterminds in infiltrating these networks, stealing passwords, and planting malware. Arrests and convictions seem unlikely to eliminate the problem of cyber crime, but one hopes that this conviction may give some crminals second thoughts, particularly since Drinkman was apprehended overseas and extradited.
http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/second-russian-pleads-guilty-in-massive-hacker-attack-a-8537#
https://bol.bna.com/russian-hacker-drinkman-pleads-guilty-in-largest-data-breach/


Cyber Liability Insurers Seen as a Potential Driver in Improving Organizations' Security Posture

Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Raskin suggested in a speech at a Washington think tank that the process of acquiring cyber liability insurance should drive companies toward greater awareness of and care in their security practices. Such insurance is becoming more a more common risk-management measure, and many insurers do require that policy holders implement certain minimum security controls in order to be eligible. Raskin suggested that companies could implement stronger security controls in order to lower their rates, and that this process could lead to significant security gains across the US economy. Does your organization have cyber liability insurance? Has the process of obtaining and maintaining such coverage encouraged your organization to improve your security posture?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/insurance-requirements-can-drive-stronger-cybersecurity-treasury-official-says/2015/09/10/823c923c-57e3-11e5-8bb1-b488d231bba2_story.html

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