Finding hashtag vulnerabilities

One of the major weaknesses when it comes to any form of data security is the individual machine on a network that is not properly protected, and it can happen in any environment, no matter how secure those in charge might think that environment may be. Finding that one weak link has been the route adopted by hackers for some of the most spectacular – and successful - recent attacks.

This is where US-based CyberArk expects the latest version of its Discovery and Audit (DNA) tool to come into play. This has been designed to identify and map exposed privileged password hashes and all related vulnerable machines on a network.

Version 4 of CyberArk DNA is a patent-pending, light-weight, stand-alone tool that exposes all privileged account security risks by enabling organisations to identify and analyse them across the network.

“Pass-the-Hash attacks have been an attack vector in some of the most spectacular breaches, and they continue to be a major threat to businesses”

Pass-the-Hash attacks represent a significant risk to organisations because they are frequently used as an attack vector in advanced threats. They are intended to capture account logon credentials on one computer and then use those credentials to gain access to other computers on the same network.

Attackers use this technique to gain a foothold and harvest hashes to steal access to privileged systems and machines, traveling across the network until reaching their ultimate target – a company’s intellectual property or data.

“Pass-the-Hash attacks have been an attack vector in some of the most spectacular breaches, and they continue to be a major threat to businesses,” said Roy Adar, vice president of product management at CyberArk. “Understanding the extent of the vulnerability is the critical first step in mitigating the risk of pass-the-hash. CyberArk DNA is the only tool on the market designed to identify and visualise an organisation’s privileged account risk exposure – being able to simultaneously scan for pass-the-hash vulnerabilities is a natural extension of the security and audit tool.”

Password hashes serve as an authenticator across a network, making them a priority target for attackers. Hashes on endpoints often include the privileged credentials of a network administrator, or services that perform privileged actions on the endpoint.

Attackers who penetrate these endpoints can steal the hashes to escalate their network privileges to help carry out their attack. Because of this, tight control and security of privileged credentials can dramatically reduce a company’s exposure to pass-the-hash attacks.

The first step in addressing pass-the-hash vulnerabilities is to understand the risk landscape in the enterprise. DNA v4 is the first tool to identify password hashes, locating all vulnerable machines on a network to provide the most accurate and reliable data about an organisation’s exposure.

Best practices for protecting against pass-the-hash attacks include securing administrative access to machines with password masking and aging credentials. This reduces the risk of attackers gaining access to the hashes;  frequently changing privileged account passwords; and implementing and enforcing least privileges for all administrators.

The company claims that this latest release, combined with its full portfolio of privileged account security solutions, provides businesses with the most complete solution for protecting against pass-the-hash attacks.

CyberArk DNA v4 is now available on a free trial basis here.