The Daily Index — Monday, August 21, 2023 · TLDR Index

ATTACKS & VULNERABILITIES

TLDR Cybersecurity

TLDR Cybersecurity

WINRAR FLAW ENABLES REMOTE CODE EXECUTION

A security flaw in the popular Windows file archiver WinRAR has been fixed after being reported by a researcher to RARLAB. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-40477, allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on a computer by opening a specially crafted RAR archive. This was due to a lack of proper validation of user-supplied data. Users are advised to update their installations to version 6.23 to address the flaw before it is exploited by attackers.

securityaffairs.com · 1 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

AI USE RISING IN INFLUENCE CAMPAIGNS

Mandiant reports that it has seen an increase in the use of AI in information manipulation campaigns. The success of these campaigns has been fairly limited thus far.

reuters.com · 2 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

JAMF DEMONSTRATES HOW AIRPLANE MODE CAN BE SPOOFED

Jamf published a report detailing methods to make an iPhone on iOS 16 appear to be in airplane mode. The report details modifications to the control center, airplane mode icon, and app network connectivity used to achieve this effect. No iOS vulnerabilities are exploited in this technique

macworld.com · 3 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

JOURNEY INTO WINDOWS KERNEL EXPLOITATION: THE BASICS

This blog post embarks on the initial stages of kernel exploitation. The content serves as an introduction, leading to an imminent and comprehensive whitepaper centered around this subject matter. Through this, a foundation is laid for understanding how kernel drivers are developed, as well as a basic understanding of key concepts that are instrumental to comprehending the paper itself.

blog.neuvik.com · 17 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

SECURE JAVA URL ENCODING AND DECODING

URL encoding converts non-standard characters to valid % escapes so URLs transmit reliably. The purpose of URL encoding is not to hide parts of a URL from an outside observer, but rather to ensure that the URL is easily and unequivocally interpretable by the receiving server and to prevent manipulation of the URL by the user of the client that is constructing and sending the URL.

snyk.io · 10 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

PROTOBURP: ENCODE CUSTOM PROTOBUF MESSAGES IN BURP

ProtoBurp is a Burp Suite extension that enables security researchers to encode and fuzz custom Protobuf messages. The tool allows users to convert JSON data into a Protobuf message, enabling them to fuzz inputs using Burp's Repeater and Intruder tools, as well as proxy traffic from other tools.

dillonfrankesecurity.com · 6 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

CHROME 117 ADDS EXTENSION REMOVAL NOTIFICATIONS

Chrome 117 will add a new feature to the Privacy and Security setting to highlight extensions that have been removed from the Chrome Web Store along with a reason. The three reasons currently supported are a developer unpublishing the extension, a violation of a policy, or malware. Users can choose to ignore the warning or remove the extension

pcmag.com · 1 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

GOOD AT DOING

Despite hype, criminals struggle to use generative AI like ChatGPT for malware, with limited real world usage seen. Research from Trend Micro and Mandiant finds interesting but no groundbreaking criminal uses as AI isn't providing the exploit shortcut hackers hoped for.

theregister.com · 5 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

WINDOWS SECURITY: COMPARISON OF SECURITY BENCHMARKS

A comparison of major security benchmarks against Microsoft Baselines. Only a small fraction deviate, usually redundant or erroneous suggestions undermining security. The analysis revealed ineffective or counterproductive advice in some benchmarks, highlighting the need for rigorous security guidance vetting.

github.com · 3 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

THE FLIPPER ZERO SHORTAGE HAS ENDED

The Flipper Zero is an incredibly popular multi-tool for interacting with digital interfaces. It had faced massive supply issues due to underestimating demand. Flipper Devices have announced that they have ironed out their supply issues and will have more regularly available stock.

zdnet.com · 2 min

TLDR Cybersecurity

2023 STATE OF EXTERNAL EXPOSURE MANAGEMENT REPORT

CyCognito's report on external exposure reveals majorly exposed surfaces: 74% of assets with PII are exploitable, 70% of web apps have severe security gaps, and 3000+ enterprise web apps are exploitable. The report underscores the risks of unknown digital shadows and the critical need for full attack surface visibility.

website-assets.cycognito.com · 10 min