Cyber Security News

Windows 0-Day Exploited in Wild with Single Right Click

A newly discovered zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2024-43451, has been actively exploited in the wild, targeting Windows systems across various versions.

This critical vulnerability, uncovered by the ClearSky Cyber Security team in June 2024, has been linked to attacks aimed specifically at Ukrainian organizations.

The exploit allows malicious actors to gain control of a system through seemingly innocuous actions such as a single right-click on a malicious file.

Free Ultimate Continuous Security Monitoring Guide - Download Here (PDF)

Vulnerability Overview

The zero-day flaw affects nearly all versions of Windows, including Windows 10, and 11, and some configurations of older versions like Windows 7 and 8.1.

The vulnerability is triggered by interacting with specially crafted URL files disguised as legitimate documents.

  • A single right-click on a malicious file (affects all Windows versions).
  • Deleting the file (Windows 10/11).
  • Dragging the file to another folder (Windows 10/11 and some older versions).

The malicious files, often disguised as academic certificates, were first observed being distributed from a compromised official Ukrainian government website.

The attack typically begins with a phishing email containing a malicious URL file. The email from a compromised Ukrainian government server encourages the recipient to renew their academic certificate.

Once the user interacts with the URL file in any triggering ways, a connection to the attacker’s server is established, allowing for the download of additional malicious payloads, including the SparkRAT malware.

SparkRAT, an open-source remote access trojan (RAT), is used to gain control of the victim’s system. Additionally, the attackers employ persistence techniques to maintain access even after a system reboot.

The Ukrainian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) has attributed these attacks to the Russian-linked threat actor UAC-0194.

ClearSky researchers have also identified overlaps with techniques used by other Russian-affiliated groups, suggesting using a common toolkit.

Microsoft addressed this vulnerability with a security patch released on November 12, 2024. Users are urged to update their systems immediately to prevent exploitation of CVE-2024-43451.

Maintaining up-to-date security patches remains critical for safeguarding against these ongoing attacks.

Analyze Unlimited Phishing & Malware with ANY.RUN For Free - 14 Days Free Trial.

Divya

Divya is a Senior Journalist at GBhackers covering Cyber Attacks, Threats, Breaches, Vulnerabilities and other happenings in the cyber world.

Recent Posts

Attackers Exploit Microsoft Entra Billing Roles to Escalate Privileges in Organizational Environments

A startling discovery by BeyondTrust researchers has unveiled a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Entra ID…

18 hours ago

Threat Actors Exploit Google Apps Script to Host Phishing Sites

The Cofense Phishing Defense Center has uncovered a highly strategic phishing campaign that leverages Google…

19 hours ago

Dadsec Hacker Group Uses Tycoon2FA Infrastructure to Steal Office365 Credentials

Cybersecurity researchers from Trustwave’s Threat Intelligence Team have uncovered a large-scale phishing campaign orchestrated by…

20 hours ago

Beware: Weaponized AI Tool Installers Infect Devices with Ransomware

Cisco Talos has uncovered a series of malicious threats masquerading as legitimate AI tool installers,…

20 hours ago

Pure Crypter Uses Multiple Evasion Methods to Bypass Windows 11 24H2 Security Features

Pure Crypter, a well-known malware-as-a-service (MaaS) loader, has been recognized as a crucial tool for…

20 hours ago

Attackers Exploit Microsoft Entra Billing Roles to Escalate Privileges

A recent discovery by security researchers at BeyondTrust has revealed a critical, yet by-design, security…

21 hours ago