External Attack Vectors
External attack vectors in cybersecurity refer to the methods and avenues attackers use to target and exploit vulnerabilities in an organization's systems, data, or reputation that are accessible from the outside world. These vulnerabilities can exist in various forms, including technical weaknesses, human error, or weaknesses in physical security.
Here are some in-depth examples of external attack vectors:
1. Technical Attack Vectors
Web application vulnerabilities: These are flaws in website code or web applications that attackers can exploit.
Example: A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability on a website's contact form could allow an attacker to inject malicious code that steals data from other users who visit the page.
Subdomain takeover: Attackers can gain control of a subdomain if it's not correctly configured or linked to an inactive service.
Example: A company forgets about an old marketing campaign subdomain. An attacker could claim that subdomain and use it to host phishing pages or malware.
Exposed sensitive ports: Open ports on internet-facing systems can allow attackers to probe or access internal systems and data.
Example: A database server with a default port open and weak credentials could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access to sensitive customer data.
Known vulnerabilities: Unpatched security flaws in software or hardware can be exploited by attackers.
Example: A company fails to patch a known vulnerability in its VPN software. Attackers exploit this vulnerability to gain access to the company's internal network.
Code secret exposure: Sensitive information like API keys and access tokens can be accidentally revealed in public code repositories.
Example: A developer accidentally commits code containing their AWS access keys to a public GitHub repository. Attackers find these keys and use them to access and compromise the company's cloud infrastructure.
Cloud and SaaS exposure: Misconfigured cloud services and SaaS applications can lead to data breaches.
Example: A company stores sensitive data in a cloud storage bucket without proper access controls. Attackers discover this misconfiguration and download the exposed data.
2. Strategic Attack Vectors
Brand impersonation: Attackers create fake websites or social media accounts that mimic a legitimate organization to trick people.
Example: Attackers create a fake website that looks almost identical to a popular bank's website. Users unknowingly enter their login credentials on the fake site, giving the attackers their banking information.
Social media threats: Social media accounts can be compromised or used to spread malicious content or misinformation.
Example: A company's Twitter account is hacked. The attacker uses the account to post false information about the company's financial performance, causing its stock price to drop.
Dark web presence: Sensitive information about the organization or its employees can be found on the dark web, indicating a potential breach.
Example: A company discovers that employee login credentials are being sold on a dark web forum, suggesting a previous data breach that went undetected.
Negative sentiment and financial events: Negative news, lawsuits, and SEC filings can damage an organization's reputation and create opportunities for attackers.
Example: A company faces a public relations crisis due to a product recall. Attackers exploit the situation by creating phishing emails that pretend to offer refunds to affected customers.
3. Operational Attack Vectors
Phishing attacks: Deceptive emails or messages designed to trick employees into clicking malicious links or revealing sensitive information.
Example: An employee receives an email that appears to be from their company's IT department, asking them to click a link to reset their password. The link leads to a fake website that steals their login credentials.
Business email compromise (BEC): Attackers impersonate executives or vendors to initiate fraudulent financial transactions.
Example: An attacker compromises the email account of a company executive and sends an email to the finance department, requesting a wire transfer to a fraudulent account.
Supply chain attacks: Attackers compromise an organization's suppliers or vendors to gain access to its systems or data.
Example: A software vendor is compromised by attackers who inject malware into a software update. When companies install the update, the malware infects their systems.
Ransomware attacks: Attackers encrypt an organization's data and demand a ransom for its release.
Example: An employee opens a malicious email attachment that infects their computer with ransomware. The ransomware encrypts important company files, and the attackers demand payment to decrypt them.
4. Financial Attack Vectors
Financial data exposure: Bank accounts, payment information, and financial records can be compromised.
Example: A company's accounting system is breached, exposing customer credit card numbers and other financial data.
SEC filings: Publicly traded companies' SEC filings can contain sensitive information that attackers can exploit.
Example: Attackers analyze a company's SEC filings to identify potential financial vulnerabilities or upcoming business deals. They then use this information to launch targeted phishing attacks or insider trading schemes.
ThreatNG can effectively manage and mitigate external attack vectors through a comprehensive suite of capabilities:
External Discovery: ThreatNG automatically discovers and maps an organization's internet-facing assets, including websites, subdomains, cloud services, and more. This provides a complete view of the organization's external attack surface, crucial for identifying potential entry points for external attacks.
External Assessment: ThreatNG assesses the discovered assets for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security risks, helping identify weaknesses that attackers could exploit. ThreatNG's assessment capabilities include:
Evaluating the susceptibility of web applications to hijacking, subdomain takeover, BEC and phishing attacks, brand damage, data leaks, and ransomware.
Assessing exposure to cyber risks, ESG risks, and supply chain and third-party risks.
Providing detailed breakdowns of findings for each assessment. For example, the Web Application Hijack Susceptibility assessment analyzes the parts of a web application accessible from the outside world to identify potential entry points for attackers.
Analyzing the website's subdomains, DNS records, SSL certificate statuses, and other relevant factors in the Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility assessment.
Deriving the BEC & Phishing Susceptibility assessment from Sentiment and Financials Findings, Domain Intelligence, and Dark Web Presence.
Reporting: ThreatNG generates detailed reports on the external attack surface, vulnerabilities, and security ratings. These reports help organizations understand their security posture and prioritize remediation efforts.
Continuous Monitoring: ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface for changes and new threats, helping organizations stay ahead of emerging risks.
Investigation Modules: ThreatNG provides in-depth investigation modules for domains, social media, sensitive code exposure, cloud and SaaS exposure, online sharing exposure, sentiment and financials, archived web pages, dark web presence, and technology stack. These modules help analyze potential attack vectors and identify specific threats.
Intelligence Repositories: ThreatNG leverages intelligence repositories on the dark web, compromised credentials, ransomware events and groups, known vulnerabilities, ESG violations, bug bounty programs, SEC Form 8-Ks, and Bank Identification Numbers. This threat intelligence helps organizations understand the broader threat landscape and proactively defend against external attacks.
ThreatNG can also work with complementary security solutions like vulnerability scanners, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems, further enhancing an organization's security posture.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping:
ThreatNG helped a financial institution discover a subdomain takeover vulnerability on one of its forgotten marketing websites, preventing a potential phishing attack.
ThreatNG helped a healthcare organization identify sensitive patient data exposed on a misconfigured cloud storage bucket, preventing a potential data breach.
Examples of ThreatNG Working with Complementary Solutions:
ThreatNG integrates with a vulnerability scanner to provide detailed vulnerability assessment reports on internet-facing assets, helping organizations prioritize remediation efforts.
ThreatNG integrates with a firewall to provide real-time threat intelligence, helping the firewall block malicious traffic and prevent attacks.
