VTA-004491 – Newly Discovered OpenSSH Vulnerability Known As ‘regreSSHion’ Allows Remote Code Execution with Root Privileges

CVE-2024–6387, dubbed “regreSSHion,” has been discovered in OpenSSH. This flaw allows attackers to remotely execute code as root on vulnerable systems without requiring any authentication. The attack leverages a timing-based race condition, exploiting the improper handling of the SIGALRM signal during SSH authentication. To successfully exploit this vulnerability, attackers must initiate numerous connection attempts, carefully timing them to trigger a specific error condition. This process is complex and time-consuming, making large-scale attacks unlikely. However, successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, including data theft, malware installation, and persistent backdoors. While this vulnerability poses a significant risk, factors such as the complexity of the exploit and existing security measures like ASLR can mitigate its impact. Nonetheless, it’s crucial for system administrators to prioritize patching their OpenSSH installations to the latest version to protect against this threat.

Severity:
Medium

Attack Surface:
Endpoint, Endpoint OS, Remote Access Service

Tactics:
Defense Evasion, Execution, Impact, Initial Access, Lateral Movement

References:
1.https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/24/g/cve-2024-6387-and-cve-2024-6409.html

SuperPRO’s Threat Countermeasures Procedures: 
1. Regularly updating and patching software, operating systems, and applications is the most straightforward method for organizations to avoid the exploitation of vulnerabilities within their systems.
2. Separating critical network segments from the larger network can minimize the impact of a potential vulnerability exploitation.
3. Performing security audits and vulnerability assessments can identify and remediate potential weaknesses within the infrastructure before they can be exploited.
4. Educating employees about the common tactics used by attackers can help them avoid falling victim to social engineering attacks that might precede vulnerability exploitation.

Contributed by: Syaff