CISA orders Windows security updates before October 1
Following the recent Patch Tuesday security updates from Microsoft, and with Exploit Wednesday behind us, there is no room for complacency. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), America’s premier cyber defense body, has issued a directive mandating the patching of three specific Windows vulnerabilities before October 1. While this directive is specifically aimed at federal agencies, CISA advises all organizations to refer to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to enhance their vulnerability management processes. Given that these vulnerabilities are actively exploited by cybercriminals, it’s crucial for everyone to act swiftly to protect themselves and their organizations from potential threats.
CISA has recently expanded its KEV catalog to include four new Microsoft vulnerabilities; one affecting Microsoft Publisher and three related to various Windows systems.
According to the latest CISA announcement, the details of these vulnerabilities are now public.
Regarding CVE-2024-38014, Satnam Narang, a senior staff research engineer at Tenable, emphasized that the vulnerability is primarily an exploit used after initial system compromise, boosting an attacker’s privileges once they’ve infiltrated a system. “Attackers can breach these systems in various ways, ranging from exploiting other vulnerabilities, spear phishing, to brute force attacks,” Narang explained.
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-30217 is particularly alarming. I have explored it thoroughly here. According to Saeed Abbasi, manager of vulnerability research at Qualys Threat Research Unit, this flaw “allows an attacker to manipulate security alerts that usually warn users about the risks of opening files from dubious or unknown sources,” a loophole often exploited in ransomware attacks.
I’ve also scrutinized the CVE-2024-43491 Windows Update remote code execution vulnerability, which affects a small number of Windows 10 users yet carries a high severity rating of 9.8 out of 10. This vulnerability allows attackers to revert security updates on a system, possibly re-exposing it to previously patched vulnerabilities, notes Kev Breen, senior director of threat research at Immersive Labs, stressing the ongoing risks even after updates are supposedly applied.
“CISA strongly urges all organizations to minimize their risk of cyberattacks by promptly addressing Catalog vulnerabilities in their vulnerability management protocols,” CISA stated, underscoring the agency’s commitment to continually updating the catalog with significant vulnerabilities.
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