On April 23, 2024, Ars Technica published an article detailing how hackers abused an antivirus service for five years to infect end users with malware. The attack was possible because the service, eScan, delivered updates over the insecure HTTP protocol. This article will guide you in planning and executing a tabletop simulation based on this incident. Read the full story at https://arstechnica.com/?p=2019398.
Who Needs To Prepare for Similar Attacks?
- IT and cybersecurity teams in organizations using antivirus software
- Risk management and compliance officers responsible for data security
- Executives and decision-makers overseeing cybersecurity strategy
- Organizations relying on third-party services for critical updates and patches
Simulation Start Points
Choosing an interesting starting point is crucial for an engaging tabletop exercise. Consider these scenarios:
- An employee reports suspicious behavior on their computer after a routine antivirus update.
- Your network monitoring tools detect unusual traffic patterns originating from systems with recently updated antivirus software.
- A security researcher contacts your organization, claiming to have discovered a vulnerability in your antivirus provider's update mechanism.
Tabletop Simulation Phases
Follow the NIST Incident Response framework to structure your tabletop exercise:
- Detection and Analysis
- Identify affected systems and assess the scope of the incident.
- Analyze network logs and system events to determine the attack vector.
- Containment
- Isolate infected systems to prevent further spread of the malware.
- Implement temporary security measures, such as blocking suspicious IP addresses and domains.
- Eradication
- Remove the malware from affected systems and restore them to a clean state.
- Patch vulnerabilities and update antivirus software to prevent reinfection.
- Recovery
- Restore systems and services to normal operation.
- Monitor for any signs of residual malware or backdoors.
- Post-Incident Activity
- Conduct a thorough post-incident review to identify areas for improvement.
- Update incident response plans and security policies based on the findings.
Inject Ideas
Injects can make your tabletop exercise more challenging and realistic. Consider these scenarios:
- The attacker threatens to release sensitive data stolen during the incident unless a ransom is paid.
- A key member of your incident response team becomes unavailable during the exercise.
- The malware is found to have been actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in your systems.
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
The following MITRE ATT&CK techniques may be relevant to this attack:
- T1195 - Supply Chain Compromise: The attackers compromised the antivirus service's update mechanism to deliver malware.
- T1071 - Standard Application Layer Protocol: The malware used HTTP for communication, blending in with normal traffic.
- T1036 - Masquerading: The malware employed techniques like DLL hijacking and IP address masking to evade detection.
About ChaosTrack
ChaosTrack is a platform that streamlines cybersecurity simulations and training, allowing you to run tabletop exercises in 85% less time and for 90% less money. By regularly conducting such simulations, your organization can improve its readiness against threats like the one described in this article. Visit chaostrack.com to learn more.