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A recent surge in cyberattacks has put numerous high-profile companies on alert. Attackers are exploiting a security flaw known as CitrixBleed in Citrix systems, a vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-4966. This issue has impacted several notable entities including aerospace leader Boeing, the international banking giant ICBC, global port operator DP World, and the prominent law firm Allen & Overy.
The CitrixBleed bug allows hackers to access large amounts of data from Citrix devices, including sensitive session tokens, without needing passwords or two-factor authentication. This vulnerability mainly affects on-premise versions of Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway platforms, commonly used by large businesses and government agencies for application delivery and VPN services.
Another Victim in a List of Cybersecurity Breaches
The Shadowserver Foundation, a nonprofit organization monitoring online threats, reports that the majority of compromised systems are in North America. Following the discovery of the flaw, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning to federal agencies, emphasizing the importance of applying available patches to mitigate risks.
Citrix acknowledged the flaw on October 10 and released patches to address it. However, it wasn't until a week later that the company updated its advisory to confirm the active exploitation of this vulnerability.
Early targets of these attacks included sectors like professional services, technology, and government. Cybersecurity firm Mandiant noted multiple instances of successful exploitation, beginning as early as late August. Rapid7, another cybersecurity company, observed the bug's exploitation across healthcare, manufacturing, and retail industries. Their investigations revealed hackers' capability to move laterally within networks and access data.
The Link with ICBC
A particular group, the Russia-linked LockBit ransomware gang, has claimed responsibility for several major breaches linked to CitrixBleed. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont reported that this gang compromised the U.S. branch of ICBC, the world's largest lender by assets, via an unpatched Citrix device. The attack disrupted ICBC's trade-clearing operations, and the bank reportedly paid a ransom to resolve the issue.
The impact of CitrixBleed extends beyond individual companies, underscoring the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
