Experts Warn of Coordinated Surge in SSRF Vulnerability Exploitation Attempts
Researchers are sounding the alarm about a sudden and coordinated increase in exploitation attempts of Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerabilities across multiple platforms. Threat intelligence firm GreyNoise has observed a significant surge in these attacks, which could pose a significant threat to organizations worldwide.
The Attack Pattern: A Coordinated Effort
GreyNoise's warning suggests that the attackers may be leveraging Grafana as an initial entry point for deeper exploitation. The experts believe that these attempts are the result of a coordinated attack, where threat actors first scan exposed infrastructure before escalating their efforts. This pattern is reminiscent of past attacks, where attackers exploited vulnerabilities in platforms like Grafana to access configuration files and internal network details.
The advisory published by GreyNoise highlights the extent of the problem: "On March 9, we observed a coordinated surge in SSRF exploitation, affecting multiple widely used platforms." The experts warn that at least 400 IP addresses have been seen actively exploiting multiple SSRF CVEs simultaneously, with notable overlap between attack attempts.
The Targets: A Global Reach
Most Server-Side Request Forgery exploitation attempts targeted entities in the United States, Germany, Singapore, India, Lithuania, Japan, and Israel. This global reach suggests that the attackers are using SSRF vulnerabilities as a means of pivoting and reconnaissance, as well as cloud exploitation.
The Attack Methodology: Automation and Pre-Compromise Reconnaissance
GreyNoise observed a significant rise in SSRF exploitation on March 9, with around 400 unique IPs actively targeting 10 SSRF vulnerabilities. What's striking is that many of these IPs are attempting to exploit multiple vulnerabilities simultaneously rather than targeting a single flaw. This pattern suggests an automation or pre-compromise reconnaissance approach, rather than typical botnet activity.
The Vulnerabilities: A List of 10
Below is the list of SSRF vulnerabilities being exploited in the attacks observed by the experts:
- CVE-2022-23842
- CVE-2022-23678
- CVE-2022-23467
- CVE-2021-44228
- CVE-2021-43186
- CVE-2019-5615
- CVE-2019-5577
- CVE-2018-22017
- CVE-2017-5753
- CVE-2016-2708
Protective Measures: Patching, Securing, and Monitoring
Ongoing efforts to patch and secure affected systems are essential. Organizations should also apply mitigations for targeted CVEs and restrict outbound access to necessary endpoints. Moreover, monitoring for suspicious outbound requests is crucial – setting up alerts for any unexpected activity can help identify potential security breaches in the early stages.
Conclusion
The recent surge in SSRF vulnerability exploitation attempts highlights the importance of proactive security measures and a vigilant approach to threat detection. By following these guidelines and staying informed about emerging threats, organizations can minimize their risk exposure and protect themselves against this type of attack.