Microsoft on Tuesday launched updates to quash a minimum of 74 safety bugs in its Home windows working techniques and software program. Two of these flaws are already being actively attacked, together with an particularly extreme weak spot in Microsoft Outlook that may be exploited with none person interplay.
The Outlook vulnerability (CVE-2023-23397) impacts all variations of Microsoft Outlook from 2013 to the latest. Microsoft stated it has seen proof that attackers are exploiting this flaw, which could be performed with none person interplay by sending a booby-trapped e mail that triggers mechanically when retrieved by the e-mail server — earlier than the e-mail is even seen within the Preview Pane.
Whereas CVE-2023-23397 is labeled as an “Elevation of Privilege” vulnerability, that label doesn’t precisely replicate its severity, stated Kevin Breen, director of cyber risk analysis at Immersive Labs.
Often called an NTLM relay assault, it permits an attacker to get somebody’s NTLM hash [Windows account password] and use it in an assault generally known as “Cross The Hash.”
“The vulnerability successfully lets the attacker authenticate as a trusted particular person with out having to know the particular person’s password,” Breen stated. “That is on par with an attacker having a legitimate password with entry to a company’s techniques.”
Safety agency Rapid7 factors out that this bug impacts self-hosted variations of Outlook like Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, however Microsoft-hosted on-line companies like Microsoft 365 are not weak.
The opposite zero-day flaw being actively exploited within the wild — CVE-2023-24800 — is a “Safety Function Bypass” in Home windows SmartScreen, a part of Microsoft’s slate of endpoint safety instruments.
Patch administration vendor Action1 notes that the exploit for this bug is low in complexity and requires no particular privileges. Nevertheless it does require some person interplay, and may’t be used to realize entry to personal info or privileges. Nevertheless, the flaw can enable different malicious code to run with out being detected by SmartScreen fame checks.
Dustin Childs, head of risk consciousness at Development Micro’s Zero Day Initiative, stated CVE-2023-24800 permits attackers to create information that may bypass Mark of the Net (MOTW) defenses.
“Protecting measures like SmartScreen and Protected View in Microsoft Workplace depend on MOTW, so bypassing these makes it simpler for risk actors to unfold malware by way of crafted paperwork and different contaminated information that may in any other case be stopped by SmartScreen,” Childs stated.
Seven different vulnerabilities Microsoft patched this week earned its most-dire “important” severity label, which means the updates handle safety holes that might be exploited to offer the attacker full, distant management over a Home windows host with little or no interplay from the person.
Additionally this week, Adobe launched eight patches addressing a whopping 105 safety holes throughout quite a lot of merchandise, together with Adobe Photoshop, Chilly Fusion, Expertise Supervisor, Dimension, Commerce, Magento, Substance 3D Stager, Cloud Desktop Application, and Illustrator.
For a extra granular rundown on the updates launched at present, see the SANS Web Storm Heart roundup. If at present’s updates trigger any stability or usability points in Home windows, AskWoody.com will possible have the lowdown on that.
Please take into account backing up your knowledge and/or imaging your system earlier than making use of any updates. And be at liberty to hold forth within the feedback in the event you expertise any issues because of these patches.
