Flaws were used to compromise log files with API credentials.
Cisco has urged immediate patching for a critical flaw after attempted exploitation was recently detected.
Despite Cisco patching the flaw - tracked as CVE-2024-20439 - in September, then describing it as "an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account" that lets unauthenticated attackers log into unpatched systems remotely with admin privileges over the Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) app's API, SANS’ dean of research Johannes Ullrich, spotted a campaign last month that used the backdoor admin account to attack CSLU instances exposed online.
According to BleepingComputer, Ullirch saw that the flaw was used alongside another critical CSLU information disclosure bug, tracked as CVE-2024-20440, to compromise log files with API credentials and other sensitive details.
"A quick search didn't show any active exploitation [at the time], but details, including the backdoor credentials, were published in a blog by Nicholas Starke shortly after Cisco released its advisory. So it is no surprise that we are seeing some exploit activity," said Ullrich.
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Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
