Log4j vulnerability continues to stress CISOs

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The Log4j vulnerability was actively exploited by coinminers, remote entry trojans (RATs), botnets, ransomware, and state-of-the-art persistent threats (APTs) in December 2021, according to Avast’s Q4 2021 menace report.

Making use of the aformentioned vulnerability, malicious attackers can execute code remotely on any focused laptop.  

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Avast’s risk researchers have also observed a revival of the Emotet botnet, as properly as an improve in coin mining exercise by 40%. The two existing dangers to individuals and companies alike, inserting CISO departments under increased worry.

The security firm’s Q4 findings also show an boost in adware, technical assistance ripoffs, subscription ripoffs, and spyware targeting Android customers. On the other hand, RAT and ransomware action lessened in Q4.

Avast malware exploration director Jakub Kroustek claimed: “Towards the close of the year, the exceptionally risky, ubiquitous, and quick to abuse Log4j vulnerability created CISO departments sweat, and rightly so, as it was weaponized by attackers spreading all the things from coinminers to bots to ransomware.”

“On the other hand, we are joyful to report decreases in RAT, info stealer, and ransomware attacks. RAT exercise died down thanks to the holiday seasons, with terrible actors even going as considerably as copying the DcRat remote obtain Trojan and renaming it ‘SantaRat’,” included Kroustek.

Aside from exploiting Log4j, risk actors exploited CVE-2021-40449 vulnerability, which elevates permissions for malicious processes as a result of the Windows kernel driver. Attackers applied the aforementioned vulnerability to down load and run the MistarySnail RAT, in accordance to Avast.

In addition, a destructive campaign abusing Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Companies (AWS) accounted for substantial NanoCore and AsyncRat detections. AWS and Azure were being used as obtain servers for malware payloads during the campaign.

Even so, Avast claimed a 28% lessen in ransomware risk ratio as opposed to Q3 2021.