VPN infrastructure has emerged as a prime target for threat actors, who exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to sensitive networks.
This trend is highlighted by the continued exploitation of older vulnerabilities like CVE-2018-13379 and CVE-2022-40684, which remain essential tools for attackers.
Despite being disclosed years ago, these vulnerabilities continue to pose significant risks due to the slow pace of patching and the ease with which they can be exploited for credential theft and administrative control.
Exploitation Methods
CVE-2018-13379, a path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet’s FortiGate SSL VPN devices, allows attackers to steal plaintext VPN credentials directly.
This vulnerability has been used by both cybercriminals and state-sponsored groups to establish lasting control over target networks.
For instance, state-sponsored actors like Russia-backed APT28 and Iran-backed MuddyWater have utilized this vulnerability for long-term espionage.
On the other hand, CVE-2022-40684, an authentication bypass vulnerability, grants attackers administrator-level access to Fortinet devices, enabling them to manipulate network configurations and deploy malicious policies.
The exploitation of these vulnerabilities has been amplified by AI and automation, allowing for mass-scale attacks with minimal technical expertise required.
Impact
The exploitation of VPN vulnerabilities has severe consequences, including the facilitation of ransomware campaigns and the sale of stolen credentials on dark-web forums.
Stolen VPN credentials can be used to bypass security barriers, giving attackers unrestricted access to sensitive systems.
According to Relia Quest Report, this not only allows for data theft but also enables the deployment of additional payloads like ransomware.
The marketability of these credentials means that compromised access can be resold multiple times, leaving organizations vulnerable to repeated attacks if passwords are not promptly changed.
To counter these threats, organizations must adopt a proactive approach beyond just patching vulnerabilities.
Implementing network segmentation and out-of-band secondary authentication can significantly reduce the impact of VPN breaches.
Regular configuration audits and robust API monitoring are also crucial in detecting unauthorized changes and preventing further exploitation.
Additionally, leveraging threat intelligence and automated response playbooks can help organizations quickly contain threats and mitigate risks.
As AI and large language models continue to amplify the risks posed by VPN vulnerabilities, businesses must invest in AI-driven defenses and continuous security validation to stay ahead of evolving threats.
