Alert - Active exploitation of VMware vulnerability

Number: AL20-027
Date: 7 December 2020

AUDIENCE

This Alert is intended for IT professionals and managers of notified organizations.

PURPOSE

An Alert is used to raise awareness of a recently identified cyber threat Cyber threatA threat actor, using the internet, who takes advantage of a known vulnerability in a product for the purposes of exploiting a network and the information the network carries. that may impact cyber information assets, and to provide additional detection DetectionThe monitoring and analyzing of system events in order to identify unauthorized attempts to access system resources. and mitigation advice to recipients. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Cyber securityThe protection of digital information, as well as the integrity of the infrastructure housing and transmitting digital information. More specifically, cyber security includes the body of technologies, processes, practices and response and mitigation measures designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access so as to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability. ("Cyber Centre") is also available to provide additional assistance regarding the content of this Alert to recipients as requested.

ASSESSMENT

On 7 December the Cyber Centre was made aware of active exploitation of a VMware command injection vulnerability VulnerabilityA flaw or weakness in the design or implementation of an information system or its environment that could be exploited to adversely affect an organization's assets or operations. (CVE-2020-4006) using stolen credentials [1], which are frequently used to exploit systems [2]. A malicious actor with network access to the administrative configurator on port 8443 and a valid password for the configurator admin account can execute commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system [3]. The list of vulnerable products includes VMware Workspace One Access, Access Connector, Identity Manager, and Identity Manager Connector.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

The Cyber Centre recommends the following actions to detect potentially malicious activity against vulnerable systems:

  • Monitor for any unusual connections to the administrative configurator on port 8443;
  • Examine system logs for unusual or unauthorized activity;
  • Check for recently added users with elevated privileges.

MITIGATION

The Cyber Centre recommends that organizations follow mitigation and patching recommendations for any impacted products:

  • Apply recommended patches for affected products [4];
  • Ensure the administrative configurator is not accessible to external interfaces;
  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication [5];
  • Apply workaround solutions as a temporary measure for CVE-2020-4006 [6] until patching is completed.

Should organizations identify associated activity to that described in this Alert, recipients are encouraged to contact the Cyber Centre by email (contact@cyber.gc.ca) or by telephone (1-833-CYBER-88 or 1-833-292-3788).

REFERENCES

[1] Russian State-Sponsored Malicious Cyber Actors Exploit Known Vulnerability in Virtual Workspaces

https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/07/2002547071/-1/-1/0/CSA_VMWARE%20ACCESS_U_OO_195076_20.PDF

[2] Canadian organizations exploited via unpatched devices and inadequate authentication

https://cyber.gc.ca/en/alerts/canadian-organizations-exploited-unpatched-devices-and-inadequate-authentication-0

[3] VMware Advisory ID: VMSA-2020-0027.2

https://www.VMware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0027.html

[4] HW-128524: CVE-2020-4006 Patches for Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and Connector (81754)

https://kb.VMware.com/s/article/81754

[5] VMware Workspace ONE Access: Configuring VMware Verify for Two-Factor Authentication

https://docs.VMware.com/en/VMware-Workspace-ONE-Access/3.3/idm-administrator/GUID-FE8A5B1C-BC17-4A5C-BC8D-614C5EE4057A.html

[6] VMware Workspace ONE Access, VMware Identity Manager, VMware Identity Manager Connector Workaround Instructions for CVE-2020-4006 (81731)

https://kb.VMware.com/s/article/81731

[7] VMware Security Advisory

https://cyber.gc.ca/en/alerts/vmware-security-advisory-34


NOTE TO READERS

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) operates as part of the Communications Security Establishment. We are Canada's national authority on cyber security and we lead the government's response to cyber security events. As Canada's national computer security incident response team, the Cyber Centre works in close collaboration with government departments, critical infrastructure Critical infrastructureProcesses, systems, facilities, technologies, networks, assets, and services essential to the health, safety, security, or economic well-being of Canadians and the effective functioning of government. Critical infrastructure can be stand-alone or interconnected and interdependent within and across provinces, territories, and national borders. Disruptions of critical infrastructure could result in catastrophic loss of life, adverse economic effects, and significant harm to public confidence. , Canadian businesses and international partners to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from cyber events. We do this by providing authoritative advice and support, and coordinating information sharing and incident response. The Cyber Centre is outward-facing, welcoming partnerships that help build a stronger, more resilient cyber space in Canada.


The Cyber Centre can be contacted at:

Email: contact@cyber.gc.ca

Toll Free: 1-833-CYBER-88 (1-833-292-3788)

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