Skip to main content

Criminals are using this top remote access tool to hijack your company networks

Yet another legitimate enterprise software platform is being abused by various cybercriminals to deploy malware and ransomware to unsuspecting victims. Cybersecurity researchers from The DFIR Report have observed multiple threat actors using Action1 RMM, an otherwise benign remote desktop monitoring and management solution. 

Just as any othe remote management tool out there, Action1 is used by managed service providers (MSPs) and other IT teams to manage endpoints in a network from a remote location. They can use it to handle software patches, software installation, troubleshooting, and similar. 

A BleepingComputer report hints that the criminals are targeting this software in particular, due to the abundance of features it offers in its free version. Namely, up to 100 endpoints can be serviced on the free plan - the only restriction for the free version, which could make it an interesting tool for criminals.

Conti rears its ugly head

Multiple unidentified teams were spotted using Action1 in their campaigns, but one stands out in particular - Monti. This group was first spotted last summer by cybersecurity researchers from the BlackBerry Incident Response Team, and it was later uncovered that Monti shares a lot of traits with the infamous Conti syndicate. 

Conti’s attacks were usually carried out through AnyDesk, or Atera, rather than Action1. The attackers were also observed using ManageEngine Desktop Central from Zoho.

In any scenario, the attackers would use remote monitoring and management tools to install all kinds of malware on victim endpoints, and in some cases - even ransomware. 

Read more

> Watch out - this Android malware has been installed millions of times already

 > Wi-Fi routers are being hit by a dangerous new Android malware with extra DNS hacks

 > Here are the best firewall tools today

Sometimes, the attackers would send an email, impersonating a major brand, and demanding the victim urgently gets in touch in order to stop a large transaction or receives a huge refund. After getting in touch with the victim, they would demand they install RMM software and then use it to compromise the target systems.

The company is aware that its software is being abused for nefarious purposes and is trying to help, although there’s not much it can really do: “Last year we rolled-out a threat actor filtering system that scans user activity for suspicious patterns of behavior, automatically suspends potentially malicious accounts, and alerts Action1’s dedicated security team to investigate the issue,” Mike Walters, VP of Vulnerability and Threat Research and co-founder of Action1 Corporation, told BleepingComputer.

Via: BleepingComputer



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Windows Copilot leak suggests deeper assimilation with Windows 11 features

Key Windows 11 features may soon be customizable as Microsoft further integrates its Windows Copilot AI assistant into the operating system. This tidbit comes from tech news site Windows Latest , which claims to have discovered new .json (JavaScript Object Notation) files within recent preview builds of Windows 11. These files apparently hint at future upgrades for the desktop AI assistant. For example, a “TaskManagerService-ai-plugin.json” was found which is supposedly a “plugin for Task Manager integration”. If this ever comes out, it could give users the ability to “monitor or close running apps using” Copilot. In total, six are currently tested and they affect various aspects of Windows 11. Next, there is an “AccessbilityTools-ai-plugin.json” that gives Copilot a way to “control accessibility [tools]. This would make it "easier for those with [a] disability to navigate through the system.” Third is “ai-plugin-WindowsSettings.json” for controlling important Windows 11 set...
Post a Comment
Read more

Google Chrome releases security fix for this major flaw, so update now

Google says it has fixed a high-severity flaw in its Chrome browser which is currently being exploited by threat actors in the wild.  In a security advisory , the company described the flaw being abused and urged the users to apply the fix immediately.  "Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2023-2033 exists in the wild," the advisory reads. Automatic updates The zero-day in question is a confusion weakness vulnerability in the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, the company said. Usually, this type of flaw can be used to crash the browser, but in this case it can also be used to run arbitrary code on compromised endpoints.  The flaw was discovered by Clement Lecigne from the Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG). Usually, TAG works on finding flaws abused by nation-states, or state-sponsored threat actors. There is no word on who the threat actors abusing this flaw are, though. Read more > Patch Google Chrome now to fix this emergency security flaw > Emergency...
Post a Comment
Read more

Samsung's ViewFinity S9 may be the monitor creatives have been searching for

Originally revealed during CES 2023 , Samsung has finally launched its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor after nine long months of waiting.  According to the announcement, the ViewFinity S9 is the company’s first-ever 5K resolution (5,120 x 2880 pixels) IPS display aimed primarily at creatives. IPS stands for in-plane switching , a form of LED tech offering some of the best color output and viewing angles on the market. This quality is highlighted by the fact that the 27-inch screen supports 99 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut plus delivers 600 nits of brightness.  Altogether, these deliver great picture quality made vibrant by saturated colors and dark shadows. The cherry on top for the ViewFinity S9 is a Matte Display coating to “drastically [reduce] light reflections.”  As a direct rival to the Apple Studio Display , the monitor is an alternative for creative professionals looking for options. It appears Samsung has done its homework as the ViewFinity S9 addresses some of...
Post a Comment
Read more