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Friday, May 8, 2015

Windows 10 Microsoft Passport (aka Microsoft Next Generation Credential) In Detail » Active Directory Security



At the Microsoft Ignite conference this week, there are several
sessions covering Windows 10 features. One of biggest changes in Windows
10 is the new credential management method and the related “Next
Generation Credential”, now named Microsoft Passport.


There hasn’t been much information on how the new credential system
works, so I challenged myself to gather as much information and
understand it as best as possible before the Microsoft Ignite conference
ends this week. This post covers my understanding of this (still beta)
technology.


Note that the information in this post is subject to change
(& my misunderstanding). As I gain clarification, I will update this
post.



Traditional Windows Credential Management


Up until Windows 10, when a user logs on, the user’s credentials are verified, hashed, and loaded into LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service),
a process in protected memory. The user credential data is stored in
LSASS for authenticating the user to network resources without having to
prompt the user for their password. The issue is that up until Windows
8.1, the user’s clear-text password (reversible encryption) is no longer
placed in LSASS, though the user’s NTLM password hash, among others,
are still stored in LSASS. When using Kerberos, the user’s Kerberos
tickets are stored in LSASS. More....



Windows 10 Microsoft Passport (aka Microsoft Next Generation Credential) In Detail » Active Directory Security

Know your Windows Processes or Die Trying | System Forensics

I have been talking with quite a few people lately tasked with
“security” inside their organizations and couldn’t help but notice their
lack of understanding when it came to Windows process information.


I figured if the people I have talked with don’t understand then
there are probably a lot more people that don’t understand. I’m guessing
quite a few people that consider themselves “experts” as well.


I decided to write this post in an effort to help the individuals
that may not have the knowledge, free time, training budgets, etc. to
explore Windows processes. For about $50 – $75 (few books) and some free
time you can learn pretty much everything needed to know about Windows
processes.


My goal isn’t to dive very deep into each of the processes. I figured
a bulleted “cheat sheet” vs. wordy descriptions will be best for my
intended audience.


The people that want to dive deeper can buy themselves a copy of
Windows Internals, 6th Edition Part I and II, fire up Process
Explorer/Process Hacker, start reading the great documentation by the
Volatility team (references below).





Know your Windows Processes or Die Trying | System Forensics

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

TeslaCrypt and Alpha Crypt Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ

TeslaCrypt and Alpha Crypt Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ 

Info: There are active TeslaCrypt and AlphaCrypt support topics that contain discussion and the experiences of a variety of IT consultants, end users, and companies who have been affected by these ransomware programs. If you are interested in this infection or wish to ask questions about it, please visit either the TeslaCrypt support topic or Alpha Crypt Support Topic. Once at the topic, and if you are a registered member of the site, you can ask or answer questions and subscribe in order to get notifications when someone adds more information to the topic.


What is TeslaCrypt and AlphaCrypt?

TeslaCrypt and Alpha Crypt are file-encrypting ransomware programs that target all version of Windows including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. TeslaCrypt was first released around the end of February 2015 and Alpha Crypt was released at the end of April 2015. When you are first infected with TeslaCrypt or Alpha Crypt they will scan your computer for data files and encrypt them using AES encryption so they are no longer able to be opened. Once the infection has encrypted the data files on all of your computer drive letters it will display an application that contains instructions on how to get your files back. These instructions include a link to a Decryption Service site, which will inform you of the current ransom amount, the amount of files encrypted, and instructions on how to make your payment. The ransom cost starts at around $500 USD and is payable via bitcoins. The bitcoin address that you submit payment to will be different for every victim.
When TeslaCrypt or Alpha Crypt are first installed on your computer they will create a random named executable in the %AppData% folder. This executable will be launched and begin to scan all the drive letters on your computer for data files to encrypt. If a a supported data file is detected it will encrypt it and then append a new extension to the filename based on the particular variant you are infected with. For TeslaCrypt, the extension .ECC will be appended and for Alpha Crypt the extension .EZZ will be appended to filenames.
 

Haifei's random thoughts: Integrating Outdated Flash is a Bad Idea, Even Wor...

Haifei's random thoughts: Integrating Outdated Flash is a Bad Idea, Even Wor...: Shining the Light on the Security of Customized Browsers Used in China When I traveled in China last time, I was quite surprised that the...

Andromeda/Gamarue bot loves JSON too (new versions details) | eternal-todo.com

Andromeda/Gamarue bot loves JSON too (new versions details) | eternal-todo.com



 After my last post about Andromeda different updates related to version 2.07 and 2.08 appeared. Mostly, Fortinet was talking about the version 2.7 features and the new anti-analysis tricks of version 2.08. After that, Kimberly was also mentioning version 2.09 in his blog
but I have not seen too many details about the latest versions of
Andromeda. This is a summary of the interesting details about the newer
versions.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Anti-Botnet Advisory Centre: Inform

Anti-Botnet Advisory Centre: Inform  



To prevent the re-infection of your computer please note these important rules:


  • 1
    Check your computer for infection. Please use our EU-Cleaner to remove all
    malware.

  • 2
    Install current Service Packs and Security Updates for your system. Activate automatic updates. Microsoft Instructions: Protect.

  • 3
    Check your Internet browser and the
    embedded plugins (e.g. Java, Flash, Shockwave, Quicktime) regularly to
    make sure they are up to date. Browser- and Plugincheck

  • 4
    Install a virus scanner, e.g. one that is mentioned here and update it
    regularly.

  • 5
    Use a firewall e.g. built-in Windows firewall or a router. More Information
    about Firewalls.
    .

hfiref0x/UACME · GitHub

hfiref0x/UACME · GitHub



UACMe

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Blaze's Security Blog: Thoughts on Absolute Computrace

Blaze's Security Blog: Thoughts on Absolute Computrace: Introduction Not too long ago my friend and colleague from Sweden, Jimmy, contacted me in regards to a strange issue. In the firewall, he...

TorrentLocker changes it's name to Crypt0L0cker and bypasses U.S. computers - News

TorrentLocker changes it's name to Crypt0L0cker and bypasses U.S. computers - News   



A new ransomware called Crypt0L0cker (the OHs have been replaced with
ZEROs) has been released that appears to be a new version of TorrentLocker.
This ransomware was first sighted at the end of April in European and
Asian countries and in Australia. Unlike TorrentLocker, for some reason
this variant is Geo-Locked so that it will not install on US based
computers. This ransomware is currently being distributed through emails
that pretend to be traffic violations or other government notices. At
this point it is unknown what encryption method is used and if its
possible to recover encrypted files. The ransom amount is currently set
for 2.2 Bitcoins.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Without a Trace: Fileless Malware Spotted in the Wild | Security Intelligence Blog | Trend Micro

Without a Trace: Fileless Malware Spotted in the Wild | Security Intelligence Blog | Trend Micro  



With additional analysis from David Agni


Improvements in security file scanners are causing malware authors to
deviate from the traditional malware installation routine. It’s no
longer enough for malware to rely on dropping copies of themselves to a
location specified in the malware code and using persistence tactics
like setting up an autostart feature to ensure that they continue to
run. Security file scanners can easily block and detect these threats.




A tactic we have spotted would be using fileless malware. Unlike most
malware, fileless malware hides itself in locations that are difficult
to scan or detect. Fileless malware exists only in memory and is written
directly to RAM instead of being installed in target computer’s hard
drive. POWELIKS
is an example of fileless malware that is able to hide its malicious
code in the Windows Registry. These use a conventional malware file to
add the entries with its malicious code in the registry.

Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet

Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet  



This tutorial was created to provide tips and techniques for smart and
safe computing. When using these techniques you will not only protect
yourself and your data from hackers and viruses, but also keep your
computer running more smoothly and reliably. The advice in this tutorial
applies to all computer users and all operating systems, but we have
tried to point out specific steps for various operating systems as it
becomes necessary.   By

Threat Spotlight: TeslaCrypt – Decrypt It Yourself

Threat Spotlight: TeslaCrypt – Decrypt It Yourself 



This post was authored by: Andrea Allievi, Earl Carter & Emmanuel Tacheau




After the takedown of Cryptolocker, we have seen the rise of
Cryptowall. Cryptowall 2 introduced “features” such as advanced
anti-debugging techniques, only to have many of those features removed
in Cryptowall 3. Ransomware is becoming an extremely lucrative business,
leading to many variants and campaigns targeting even localized regions
in their own specific languages. Although it is possible that these
multiple variants are sponsored by the same threat actor, the most
likely conclusion is that multiple threat actors are jumping in to claim
a portion of an ever increasing ransomware market. One of the latest
variants is called TeslaCrypt and appears to be a derivative of the
original Cryptolocker ransomware. Although it claims to be using
asymmetric RSA-2048 to encrypt files, it is making use of symmetric AES
instead. Talos was able to develop a tool which decrypts the files
encrypted by the TeslaCrypt ransomware...


How Kaspersky makes you vulnerable to the FREAK attack and other ways Antivirus software lowers your HTTPS security - Hanno's blog

How Kaspersky makes you vulnerable to the FREAK attack and other ways Antivirus software lowers your HTTPS security - Hanno's blog 



Lately a lot of attention has been payed to software like Superfish and Privdog
that intercepts TLS connections to be able to manipulate HTTPS traffic.
These programs had severe (technically different) vulnerabilities that
allowed attacks on HTTPS connections.



What these tools do is a widespread method. They install a root
certificate into the user's browser and then they perform a so-called
Man in the Middle attack. They present the user a certificate generated
on the fly and manage the connection to HTTPS servers themselves.
Superfish and Privdog did this in an obviously wrong way, Superfish by
using the same root certificate on all installations and Privdog by just
accepting every invalid certificate from web pages. What about other
software that also does MitM interception of HTTPS traffic?



Antivirus software intercepts your HTTPS traffic



Many Antivirus applications and other security products use similar
techniques to intercept HTTPS traffic. I had a closer look at three of
them: Avast, Kaspersky and ESET. Avast enables TLS interception by
default. By default Kaspersky intercepts connections to certain web
pages (e. g. banking), there is an option to enable interception by default. In ESET TLS interception is generally disabled by default and can be enabled with an option.