Zero-Day Attacks

On January 12, 2010, Google announced that an unknown cyber threat group has hit the company’s infrastructure in China. Hackers managed to penetrate Google’s defenses and steal sensitive information that could be possibly used against Chinese government opponents — Google’s clients. The damage was so extensive that Google stated that the company might leave the Chinese market for good. Fans even left flowers at Google’s Chinese headquarters.

Later, cybersecurity journalists released information that Google was not the only victim. Dozens of other high-profile organizations such as Yahoo, Blackberry, and Adobe took a major hit. This infamous hacking attack is known as “Operation Aurora.”

How did criminals manage to cause so much damage and crack the security of several well-funded and well-protected IT firms? They did it with a zero-day exploit. 

What is a Zero-Day Exploit?

A zero-day exploit is an attack that targets an unknown and undocumented system vulnerability. Zero-day attacks are particularly dangerous because there is no way to implement a defense system against them. By its very definition, a zero-day attack exploits an entirely new vulnerability. 

Zero-day exploits can exist in any software. Web browsers and operating systems are some of the most commonly chosen targets.

Finding and exploiting an unknown vulnerability is not easy. That’s why zero-day attacks are most often carried out by APTs and target governments, large corporations, or individuals that have access to valuable data. These attacks are typically sophisticated, large-scale operations. 

How to Protect Against a Zero-Day Exploit?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a sure-fire way to create a cyber defense against a zero-day attack. When developers uncover a potential security flaw in their product, they usually keep the information to themselves until they have a chance to fix the problem. However, in some cases, developers must issue a press release. Then, the race starts.

Hackers and security professionals rush to develop their software — the good guys to protect from an exploit, the bad guys — to take advantage. 

In any case, there are a few basic strategies that can help alleviate some of the risks:

• Keeping track of the news: if developers release information about newly found vulnerabilities and you catch the news early, it can give you enough time to implement an appropriate security fix.

• Updating the systems: most zero-day exploits are fixed before bad guys ever have a chance to find out about them. Of course, they are fixed through patches and system updates. However, there is a catch. Sometimes patches introduce new vulnerabilities while fixing already existing ones. Do update your systems, but test patches before installing them.

However, that’s not all you can do to mitigate the risks.

Using ANY.RUN to Increase Zero-Day Attack Resistance 

When security researchers find an undocumented exploit, they create a so-called 0-day proof-of-concept. A zero-day proof-of-concept is usually an executable file or script that exploits a newly found vulnerability. 

ANY.RUN allows you to upload a 0-day proof-of-concept into a task just like any other file and run the simulation. By doing this you will be able to collect real-time data and do valuable testing. A proof-of-concept study is valuable in one of two ways:

Finding the Extent of the Vulnerability

There are lots of variables that can affect whether a potential vulnerability poses a real danger. For example, some exploits work on 32-bit systems but don’t work on 64-bit machines. Some can be exploited in Windows 10, but don’t exist in Windows 7. 

In ANY.RUN, you can change simulation parameters like system details in minutes, allowing you to find out under which variables the vulnerability becomes a real threat. And finding out these details can save you a lot of work when setting up a cyber defense.

On the other hand, the opposite can happen — you may find that the vulnerability exists in a newer version of the system that wasn’t accounted for in the proof-of-concept. A discovery like this can save from a disaster. 

Creating a Defense Against the Exploit

Sometimes, while executing a proof-of-concept will create artifacts. In some cases, it generates or changes files, alters processes, or registry keys. If these changes are consistent, it creates an opportunity to develop a robust defense system.

By knowing what kind of behavior the malware using the exploit is likely to exhibit, you can set up automated systems to catch any suspicious activity and notify the security team or stop the execution of the malicious program altogether.

Conclusion

Although zero-day exploits are exceptionally dangerous, thankfully most of them are fixed before hackers get a chance to find them. However, sometimes crooks do manage to hit an unknown vulnerability and when they do, those attacks are often extremely destructive.

Regularly update your systems — without forgetting to test updates — be on the lookout for information from developers about vulnerabilities and if a zero-day proof of concept becomes available — launch it in ANY.RUN to quickly collect valuable information and get a head start on creating your cyberdefense.