How Threat Actors Bypass Multi-Factor Authentication
Sep 26, 2024
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Josh Fleischer, a Principal Security Analyst with Mandiant's Managed Defense organization, dives into the alarming trends of multi-factor authentication (MFA) bypass in this discussion. He reveals how adversary in the middle attacks exploit vulnerabilities, particularly through advanced phishing tactics. Josh highlights the rise of 'phishing as a service,' automation in spear phishing, and the risks posed by QR codes. He emphasizes the critical need for robust MFA solutions amid evolving threats and shares insights on detecting and remediating digital threats.
Adversary in the Middle (AiTM) attacks utilize proxy servers to intercept communications and exploit MFA vulnerabilities, leading to credential theft.
The increasing sophistication of phishing techniques, such as QR code phishing, highlights the urgent need for organizations to enhance their security measures.
Deep dives
Understanding Adversary in the Middle Techniques
Adversary in the Middle (AITM) is a sophisticated phishing attack that leverages a proxy server to intercept and manipulate communications between a victim and a legitimate authentication service. This approach allows attackers to collect user credentials and access tokens after a victim completes their login and multi-factor authentication (MFA). AITM exploits vulnerabilities by displaying custom branding that mimics legitimate services, increasing the likelihood of users unwittingly providing their sensitive information. As organizations increasingly implement MFA, AITM continues to evolve, highlighting the necessity for robust security measures that can resist such advanced tactics.
The Rise of Phishing Methods and Evasion Tactics
Threat actors are continuously adapting their tactics to bypass traditional security measures, leading to an uptick in innovative phishing methods such as QR code phishing. This technique involves sending emails with QR codes that direct users to malicious pages while evading detection from email gateways. By leveraging the increasing familiarity and trust users have with QR codes, attackers can successfully redirect victims to AITM phishing pages, facilitating long-term cloud compromises. This trend emphasizes the need for organizations to remain vigilant and adapt their security strategies to counteract evolving phishing methodologies.
Mitigating Risks Associated with MFA Bypass
Despite the enhanced security offered by multi-factor authentication, certain MFA methods remain vulnerable to exploitation, particularly through techniques like MFA fatigue. Attackers can overwhelm users with repeated login requests, prompting them to accept notifications to stop the annoyance. Organizations should focus on implementing more robust MFA methods, such as certificate-based authentication or FIDO2 hardware, to bolster their defenses against AITM attacks. Continuous monitoring and proactive remediation strategies, including disabling compromised accounts and revoking active sessions, are critical in mitigating the risks associated with these advanced threats.
Josh Fleischer, Principal Security Analyst with Mandiant's Managed Defense organization sits down with host Luke McNamara to discuss trends in MFA bypass and how threat actors are conducting adversary in the middle (AiTM) attacks to gain access to targeted organizations. Josh walks through a case study of MFA bypass, how token theft occurs, the increasing amount of AiTM activity with more features being added to phishing kits, and more.
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