In a month that saw the Apache Log4j vulnerability sweep the internet, Trickbot was still the most prevalent malware in December, albeit at a slightly lower rate affecting 4% of organizations worldwide (5% in November).
This is according to Check Point Research’s latest Global Threat Index for December 2021, which also found that the recently-resurgent Emotet has swiftly risen from seventh position to second.
CPR reveals that the most attacked industry continues to be Education/Research.
This month “Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution” is the most exploited vulnerability, affecting 48,3% of organisations globally.
The vulnerability was first reported on 9 December in the Apache logging package Log4j – the most popular Java logging library used in many Internet services and apps with over 400 000 downloads from its GitHub project.
The vulnerability caused a new plague, impacting almost half of all companies worldwide in a very short space of time. Attackers are able to exploit vulnerable apps to execute cryptojackers and other malware on compromised servers.
Until now, most of the attacks have focused on the use of cryptocurrency mining at the expense of the victims however, advanced attackers have started to act aggressively and take advantage of the breach on high-quality targets.
“Log4j dominated headlines in December. It is one of the most serious vulnerabilities we have ever witnessed, and due to the complexity in patching it and its easiness to exploit, it is likely to stay with us for many years to come unless companies take immediate action to prevent attacks,” says Maya Horowitz, vice-president: research at Check Point Software.
“This month we have also seen the Emotet botnet move from the seventh most prevalent malware to the second. Just as we suspected, it has not taken long at all for Emotet to build a strong foothold since it resurfaced in November. It is evasive and is spreading fast via phishing emails with malicious attachments or links.
“It is now more important than ever to have a robust email security solution in place and to ensure that users know how to identify a suspicious looking message or attachment.”
CPR reveals that Education/Research is the most attacked industry globally, followed by Government/Military and ISP/MSP.
“Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution” is the most commonly exploited vulnerability, impacting 48,3% of organisations globally, followed by “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” which affects 43,8% of organisations worldwide. “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” remains in third place in the top exploited vulnerabilities list, with a global impact of 41,5%.
Top malware families
This month, Trickbot is the most popular malware impacting 4% of organizations worldwide, followed by Emotet and Formbook, both with a global impact of 3%.
In South Africa, Ramnit is the most popular malware impacting 3,48% of organizations in the country, followed by Emotet at 2.44% and Remcos with a country impact of 2,09%.
* ↔ Ramnit – Ramnit is a banking Trojan which incorporates lateral movement capabilities. Ramnit steals web session information, enabling the worm operators to steal account credentials for all services used by the victim, including bank accounts, corporate and social networks accounts.
* ↑ Emotet – Emotet is an advanced, self-propagating and modular Trojan. Emotet once used as a banking Trojan but recently is used as a distributer to other malware or malicious campaigns. It uses multiple methods for maintaining persistence and evasion techniques to avoid detection. In addition, it can spread through phishing spam emails containing malicious attachments or links.
* ↔ Remcos – Remcos is a RAT that first appeared in the wild in 2016. Remcos distributes itself through malicious Microsoft Office documents which are attached to SPAM emails and is designed to bypass Microsoft Windowss UAC security and execute malware with high-level privileges.
Top Attacked Industries Globally
This month, Education/Research is the most attacked industry globally, followed by Government/Military and ISP/MSP. In Africa the most attacked industry is Communications followed by ISP/MSP and Finance/Banking.
* Communications;
* ISP/MSP; and
* Finance/Banking.
Top exploited vulnerabilities
This month, “Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution” is the most commonly exploited vulnerability, impacting 48,3% of organisations globally, followed by “Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure” which affects 43,8% of organisations worldwide. “HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution” remains in third place in the top exploited vulnerabilities list, with a global impact of 41,5%.
* ↑ Apache Log4j Remote Code Execution (CVE-2021-44228) – A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Apache Log4j. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
* ↔ Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure- An information disclosure vulnerability has been reported in Git Repository. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unintentional disclosure of account information.
* ↔ HTTP Headers Remote Code Execution (CVE-2020-10826,CVE-2020-10827,CVE-2020-10828,CVE-2020-13756) – HTTP headers let the client and the server pass additional information with an HTTP request. A remote attacker may use a vulnerable HTTP Header to run arbitrary code on the victim machine.
Top Mobile Malwares
This month, AlienBot takes first place in the most prevalent Mobile malwares, followed by xHelper and FluBot.
* AlienBot – AlienBot malware family is a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) for Android devices that allows a remote attacker, as a first step, to inject malicious code into legitimate financial applications. The attacker obtains access to victims’ accounts, and eventually completely controls their device.
* xHelper – A malicious application seen in the wild since March 2019, used for downloading other malicious apps and display advertisements. The application is capable of hiding itself from the user and can even reinstall itself in the event that it was uninstalled.
* FluBot – FluBot is an Android botnet distributed via phishing SMS messages, most often impersonating logistics delivery brands. Once the user clicks the link inside the message, FluBot is installed and gets access to all sensitive information on the phone.