(TLP:CLEAR) Cyber Actors Use Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities to Compromise Software

Summary: CISA and the FBI have released a Secure by Design Alert, Eliminating Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities, as part of their cooperative Secure by Design Alert series—an ongoing series aimed at advancing industry-wide best practices to eliminate entire classes of vulnerabilities during the design and development phases of the product lifecycle. 

Analyst Note: Threat actors frequently exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities to gain initial access to an organization’s network and then move laterally to the wider network. These vulnerabilities are a prevalent type of defect in memory-safe software design that can lead to system compromise. They can lead to data corruption, sensitive data exposure, program crashes, and unauthorized code execution.

The alert describes proven techniques to prevent or mitigate buffer overflow vulnerabilities through best practices and secure by design principles. The Secure by Design initiative is intended to stop vulnerabilities at during the manufacturing of software. Organizations can play a big role in encouraging this behavior and are encouraged to utilize CISA’s Secure by Demand guidance which outlines the important role that software customers play in driving a secure technology ecosystem.

Original Source: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/secure-design-alert-eliminating-buffer-overflow-vulnerabilities

Mitigation Recommendations:

• CISA Releases Secure by Demand Guide: How Software Customers Can Drive a Secure Technology Ecosystem
• Fundamental 11: Secure the Supply Chain | WaterISAC’s 12 Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 6, 8, 11