Introduction

The IT industry is facing a kind of pandemic threat in terms of security. It is believed that international hackers are already at work targeting the security flaws. The authorities have issued a serious warning, encouraging regulatory officials to address the problem as soon as possible because it’s so vulnerable to hacking — and advising those with general populace networks to install firewalls if they’re not sure.

The software that is impacted is minor and often goes unreported. The vulnerability, which was discovered as the widely used application Log4j, allows internet-based attackers to quickly take control of things ranging from different web control systems and other consumer tech appliances.

Cyber security researchers have found a new vulnerability in the popular logging library Log4j. The vulnerability, which has been dubbed Log4j zero-day, can be exploited to gain remote code execution on any system that uses the vulnerable version of the library. The CVE-2016-0734 vulnerability can be exploited remotely to execute arbitrary code with the permissions of the user running the application.

This blog post discusses everything you need to know about this zero-day vulnerability and how it impacts your business or organization.

1. What is Log4j zero-day vulnerability?
2. Where is Log4j used?
3. How does it work?
4. What impact does it have?
5. How to identify a Log4j attack?
6. What should I do if I am affected?
7. How to protect your business?
8. Who is vulnerable to this exploit?
9. What can you do?
10. Conclusion

What is Log4j zero-day Vulnerability?

The zero-day vulnerability in Log4j is a security flaw that was discovered in the popular Java logging library logj. The vulnerability allows the attackers to gain remote code execution on any system that uses the vulnerable version of the library.

Where is Log4j Used?

The Log4j zero-day vulnerability affects any system that uses the vulnerable version of logj. This includes both commercial and open source applications. Some of the most popular applications that are affected by this vulnerability include Apache Tomcat, Jetty, Microsoft IIS, Nginx, Oracle WebLogic Server, and Red Hat JBoss Application Server.

How Does it Work?

The Log4j zero-day vulnerability takes advantage of a weakness in the way that logj handles Diffie-Hellman key exchange. By exploiting this weakness, an attacker can force the logj library to use a weak encryption key. This allows the attacker to decrypt and inject malicious code into any log file that is generated by the vulnerable system.

What Impact Does it Have?

The Log4j zero-day vulnerability can be used to gain remote code execution on any system that uses the vulnerable version of logj. This includes both servers and desktops systems. Additionally, any applications that use logj for logging may also be vulnerable.

How to Identify a Log4j Attack?

Log4j zero-day vulnerability attack will usually start with an attacker injecting code into a log file. This can be identified by looking for common signs of injection, including:

• Base64 encoded text in the logs.
• Repeated time stamps or other unusual timestamps.
• If you have disabled the use of Diffie-Hellman key exchange in logj, there will be no mention of it in the logs.
• A successful Logjam attack will leave behind a trail of encoded text in the logs.
• Repeated time stamps or other unusual timestamps are a common sign of injection.

If you notice any of these symptoms within your application logs, it is likely that you have been targeted by a Log4j zero-day vulnerability attack.

What Should I Do If I Am Affected?

If you are affected by the Log4j zero-day vulnerability, you should immediately upgrade to a newer version of logj that is not affected by the flaw. If you are unable to upgrade, you can disable the use of Diffie-Hellman key exchange in logj. This entire process of upgrading can be effective to successfully avoid the vulnerability from being exploited.

How to Protect Your Business?

Businesses that are affected by the Log4j zero-day vulnerability should upgrade their version of Java and/or application using a vulnerable version of logj as soon as possible. If you are unable to do this, it is also highly recommended to disable the use of Diffie-Hellman key exchange in logj. This entire process will surely help you to avoid exploited vulnerability.

Who Is Vulnerable To This Exploit?

Any system that uses the vulnerable version of logj is vulnerable to this exploit. This includes both servers and desktops systems, as well as any applications that use logj for logging. Additionally, any system that uses a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) prior to version Java SE-2015-001 is also at risk. The latest JRE, Java SE-2015-001, fixes the vulnerability.

What Can You Do?

There are several steps that you can take to protect your business from the Log4j zero-day vulnerability:

• Upgrade to a newer version of logj that is not susceptible to this attack.
• Disable the use of Diffie-Hellman key exchange in logj.
• Use a tool such as Fiddler or Wireshark to decode and inspect logs for signs of an attack.
• Use a SIEM solution to detect and investigate any infection with malware or suspicious activity within your network.

By implementing these strategies, you can help protect your company against the Log4j zero-day vulnerability and ensure that attackers cannot use it to compromise your system.

Conclusion

The Log4j zero-day vulnerability is a serious exploit that could allow attackers to decrypt sensitive data within your organization. Because of this, it is important for business owners and IT professionals to take steps now in order to protect their companies from attack. By implementing these strategies, you can help ensure that any attempts by hackers to use the Log4j zero-day vulnerability are unsuccessful.

We recommend upgrading or disabling Diffie-Hellman key exchanges immediately on all systems even if you are not vulnerable. Please see the “What Can You Do?” section for more solutions.

Please contact us at https://mpiresolutions.com/contact-us/ if you have any questions or concerns about this issue. We value your safety and security and will continue to provide updates as they become available.