CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Course - 2.4 Analyze Indicators of Malicious Activity. - PART B

Summary

This presentation dives into various cyber threats, including injection attacks like SQL injection, which contributed to the 2017 Equifax breach, and buffer overflow vulnerabilities. It also covers replay attacks, privilege escalation, and forgery tactics like cross-site request forgery. The script explains password attacks, such as password spraying and brute force, often linked to account takeovers and data breaches. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing indicators of malicious activities, such as account lockouts, concurrent session usage, and unusual resource consumption, which can signal attacks like the 2020 Twitter hack or the WannaCry ransomware outbreak. The summary concludes with the necessity of vigilance and robust security measures to mitigate these threats effectively.

Takeaways

• 💉 Injection attacks, such as SQL injection, occur when an attacker sends untrusted data to an interpreter, which can lead to serious breaches like the 2017 Equifax incident.
• 📚 Buffer overflow is a vulnerability where a program writes more data than a buffer can handle, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution.
• 🔁 A replay attack involves an attacker intercepting data and retransmitting it to authenticate or perform unauthorized actions.
• 🔑 Privilege escalation is when an attacker gains access to resources that are normally protected, often leading to unauthorized actions.
• 🔄 Cross-site request forgery tricks users into submitting requests on their behalf, a form of forgery in web applications.
• 📁 Directory traversal allows attackers to access files or directories not intended to be accessible, often by manipulating URLs.
• 🔒 Password attacks include methods like password spraying and brute force, which are used in account takeovers and data breaches.
• 🚫 Recognizing indicators of malicious activities is crucial, such as account lockouts which can indicate brute force attempts.
• 👥 Concurrent session usage can signal unauthorized access, as seen in the 2020 Twitter account hack.
• 🌐 Impossible travel, or logins from distant locations in a short time, suggests an account compromise.
• 🔍 Unusually high resource consumption can indicate an OS attack, while resource inaccessibility might suggest a ransomware attack.
• 🗑️ Missing or altered logs can be a sign of an attacker covering their tracks, as evident in the SolarWinds attack.

Q & A

What are injection attacks?

Injection attacks occur when an attacker sends untrusted data to an interpreter as part of a command or query, with a common example being SQL injection where malicious SQL code is inserted into a database query.

Can you explain the 2017 Equifax breach in the context of SQL injection?

The 2017 Equifax breach, which impacted millions, was partly due to an SQL injection vulnerability, demonstrating the real-world consequences of such attacks.

What is buffer overflow and how can it be exploited?

Buffer overflow happens when a program writes more data to a buffer than it can handle, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution, which can be exploited by attackers.

What is a replay attack and how does it work?

In a replay attack, an attacker intercepts data and retransmits it to fraudulently authenticate or perform actions, leveraging the intercepted information to gain unauthorized access or perform actions.

Define privilege escalation and provide an example.

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker gains elevated access to resources that are normally protected. This can be done through various means and can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information or systems.

How does cross-site request forgery trick a user?

Cross-site request forgery tricks a user into submitting a request on their behalf, often by exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to perform actions without the user's consent.

What is directory traversal and how can it be used maliciously?

Directory traversal involves accessing files or directories that are not intended to be accessible, such as by manipulating a URL to access restricted directories, which can be used to steal sensitive data or execute unauthorized actions.

What are password attacks and how do they differ from each other?

Password attacks involve trying to crack or bypass passwords. Techniques like password spraying use a common password against many accounts, while brute force tries all possible combinations. Both methods are often used in account takeovers and data breaches.

What indicators might suggest a brute force attack is occurring?

Account lockouts often indicate brute force attempts, as attackers try multiple passwords in a short period, leading to accounts being locked due to repeated failed attempts.

How can concurrent session usage signal unauthorized access?

Concurrent session usage can signal unauthorized access when multiple accounts are accessed simultaneously, as seen in the 2020 high-profile Twitter account hack, indicating that attackers may have compromised multiple accounts at once.

What is impossible travel and how does it indicate a security breach?

Impossible travel refers to logins from geographically distant locations in a short time, suggesting that an account has been compromised as it would be improbable for a legitimate user to travel such distances in that timeframe.

How can unusually high resource consumption indicate an attack?

Unusually high resource consumption can indicate an OS attack, as attackers may use up system resources to perform their actions, potentially leading to system slowdowns or crashes.

What does resource inaccessibility suggest in terms of cyber attacks?

Resource inaccessibility might suggest a ransomware attack, where attackers encrypt files and demand payment for their release, often rendering systems or data inaccessible to the legitimate users.

Why is it important to monitor for missing or altered logs?

Missing or altered logs can be a sign of an attacker covering their tracks, as seen in the SolarWinds attack, where logs were manipulated to hide the attacker's presence, making it crucial to monitor and secure log integrity.

What is the key takeaway from the script regarding cyber security?

Understanding attack vectors and their indicators is crucial in cyber security. Vigilance combined with robust security measures is key to identifying and mitigating these threats effectively.