CISA gives federal agencies 3 days to patch exploited VPN flaw
▼ Summary
– A ransomware group is exploiting an unpatched flaw in Check Point security tools used across the U.S. federal government.
– CISA ordered all civilian agencies to fix the vulnerability by end of day June 11.
– The bug affects Check Point remote access tools, firewalls, and VPNs.
– Check Point confirmed the ransomware group Qilin is exploiting the bug to hack into a few dozen targeted organizations globally.
– The hacks began on May 7, with activity rising last week.
A ransomware group is actively exploiting an unpatched VPN vulnerability in security tools widely used across the U.S. federal government, forcing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to issue an emergency directive. All civilian federal agencies have been ordered to remediate the flaw by the end of Wednesday.
Check Point Software, the cybersecurity firm behind the affected products, confirmed the bug impacts several of its remote access tools, firewalls, and VPNs , the digital gatekeepers that protect corporate and government networks from unauthorized entry. In a blog post, the company stated that a known ransomware group called Qilin has been exploiting the vulnerability to breach “a few dozen targeted organizations globally” that rely on these security solutions.
The attacks first surfaced on May 7, but activity escalated sharply last week, according to Check Point. The company confirmed the exploitation is ongoing.
Given the direct threat to the federal government’s enterprise network, CISA acted swiftly on Monday. The agency ordered all civilian agencies , including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Treasury , to identify and fix any instances where they are using the affected products by June 11. CISA cited BOD 22-01, its operational guidance memo that authorizes the agency to mandate security actions when an active cyber threat targets government networks.
(Source: TechCrunch)
