Latest coverage for Firmware

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Internet-Connected Remote Access Tools Operate at UEFI LevelA flood of lost-cost devices for remote IP control of servers or human-machine interfaces has roused a concomitant wave of security warnings about their security defects. Firmware security company Eclypsium probed devices made by four KVM vendors, discovering nine vulnerabilities.

Mitigation: SSO Access Restricted After Attackers Compromised Fully Patched DevicesNetwork security giant Fortinet locked out cloud customers from its single sign-on service until they update device firmware with a patch against active attacks exploiting an improper access control zero day. Only Fortinet devices running the latest, patched firmware versions can use Fortinet SSO.

Eclypsium Researchers Find UEFI Weakness in Framework Laptops and DesktopsRoughly 200,000 laptops and desktops made by modular sensation Framework contain a firmware vulnerability allowing attackers to disable Secure Boot and run unsigned code, say security researchers.

'Opportunistic, Mass Exploitation' Campaign Surging, Say Cybersecurity ResearchersAttackers wielding Akira ransomware appear to be engaged in an "opportunistic, mass exploitation" of SonicWall SSL VPN servers, even when they're using the latest firmware and configured to require multifactor authentication one-time passwords, warn cybersecurity researchers.

Security Researchers Reveal Methods to Reverse Engineer MediaTek FirmwareReverse engineering Wi-Fi chips opens new opportunities for security research. Security researchers Daniel Wegemer and Edoardo Mantovani describe tools, methods and motivations for unlocking hidden functions and enabling deeper hardware analysis.

Philippe Laulheret of Cisco Talos on Vulnerabilities in ControlVault FirmwareSecurity flaws in Dell's ControlVault firmware allowed attackers to run code on the chip, extract stored secrets and alter its behavior. By chaining these exploits, they could send malicious data to Windows components, said Philippe Laulheret, senior vulnerability researcher at Cisco Talos.

Akira Ransomware Exploited MFA-Protected SonicWall SSL VPNs, Say ResearchersSonicWall said it is probing a surge in attacks against its Gen 7 firewalls, running various firmware versions, which have SSL VPN enabled. Researchers said attackers may have been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability and that multiple victims have been infected with Akira ransomware.

Attackers Can Upload Malware in System Management Mode and Disable Secure BootMultiple high-severity vulnerabilities in Gigabyte's UEFI firmware could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code within System Management Mode, granting persistent and nearly undetectable control over affected systems, cybersecurity researchers reported.

Absolute Security's Herrema on Why Ransomware Is a Broader Business Problem TodayRansomware attacks have evolved from simple IT disruptions to systematic, ongoing data exfiltration attacks. John Herrema, chief product officer at Absolute Security, discusses why a 15% endpoint security gap creates critical exposure and why firmware-based persistence is key to closing it.

UEFI Vulnerability Threatens Systems with Silent CompromiseHackers could circumvent the protections of Secure Boot by silently disabling it through an attack that potentially affects a wide swath of Windows laptops and servers. Microsoft issued a patch this month and hackers would already need admin access and physical access to a target machine.

Persistent Attack Grants Remote SSH Access via ExploitSomeone - possibly nation-state hackers - appears to be constructing a botnet from thousands of Asus routers in hacking that survives a firmware patch and reboots. Nearly 9,000 routers have been compromised and the number is growing, say researchers.

Researchers Uncover Critical Flaws Enable Remote Device TakeoverA ubiquitous industrial power monitoring device contains three critical vulnerabilities in its firmware that could allow attackers to disrupt operations by remotely crashing them or executing unwanted code. The device is the Rockwell Automation PowerMonitor 1000 Remote.

Researchers Uncover Three Vulnerabilities, Urge Firmware UpdateAttackers could chain critical vulnerabilities in industrial network switches to gain remote control to compromise automation systems, IoT devices and surveillance networks. Claroty's Team82 uncovered three flaws in WGS-804HPT switches manufactured by Planet Technology.

Eclypsium Report Describes BIOS/UEFI Issues in Illumina iSeq 100 FirmwareCertain vulnerabilities in device maker Illumina's iSeq 100 DNA gene sequencer could allow hackers to overwrite the system's firmware to render the device unusable or to install a firmware implant for ongoing attacker persistence, said researchers at Eclypsium who identified the flaws.

Many SonicWall Firewalls Are Unsupported or Lack Patches for Known VulnerabilitiesThousands of SonicWall network security devices remain exposed with critical security flaws, including 20,000 running outdated firmware that no longer receives vendor support. Despite patches available for some of these flaws, many organizations continue to run the outdated firmware.

Embedded Device Operating Sytem Had Flaw Allowing Hacers to Bypass Integrity CheckA critical flaw in the updating service of a popular Linux operating system for embedded devices could enable hackers to compromise firmware with malicious images. OpenWrt developers patched the vulnerability, with a CVSS core of 9.3 and tracked as CVE-2024-54143.

Critical-Severity Flaws Expose Emerson Devices to CyberattacksMultiple critical vulnerabilities in Emerson Rosemount 370XA gas chromatographs could allow malicious actors to access sensitive data, cause denial-of-service conditions and execute arbitrary commands. Emerson recommends that end users update the firmware on the products.

Buffer Overflow Vulnerability Lets Attackers Control DevicesA vulnerability in a common implementation of the firmware booting up desktop computers powered by Intel chips could allow attackers to obtain ongoing persistence, warn security researchers. The flaw is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Phoenix Technologies SecureCore UEFI implementation.