AlienFox is a newly identified and evolving toolkit cyber attackers use to target email and web hosting services. With its modular and open-source nature, attackers can quickly adapt and modify the toolkit to suit their needs. A recent report by Sentinel Labs identifies how AlienFox operates, its targeting techniques, and the evolution of the toolset.
AlienFox: Overview and Functionality
The toolkit primarily targets cloud-based and software-as-a-service (SaaS) email hosting services, with attackers using AlienFox to collect lists of misconfigured hosts from security scanning platforms such as LeakIX and SecurityTrails. They then use multiple scripts within the toolkit to extract sensitive information like API keys and secrets from victims’ web servers’ exposed configuration files.
Later versions have added scripts to automate malicious actions using stolen credentials as the toolkit evolves. These actions include establishing Amazon Web Services (AWS) account persistence and privilege escalation, collecting send quotas, and automating spam campaigns through victim accounts or services.
Evolution and Targeting Techniques
AlienFox has seen several versions since February 2022, each featuring improvements in organization and techniques. While the primary focus of the toolkit remains the same, new tools and capabilities have been added in subsequent versions.
The targeting of AlienFox is primarily opportunistic, relying on server misconfigurations associated with popular CMSs such as, Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress. Attackers parse exposed environments or configuration files to extract sensitive information when a vulnerable server is found.
Defending Against AlienFox
Organizations can defend against AlienFox by following configuration management best practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege. Additionally, a Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) on virtual machines and containers can help detect interactive activities with the operating system.
Monitoring for follow-on actions like creating new accounts or service profiles, particularly those with high privilege. Furthermore, keep an eye on newly added email addresses in platforms where your organization conducts email campaigns.
Conclusion
The AlienFox toolkit highlights the growing threat of cybercrime in the cloud. As the toolkit evolves, it becomes more sophisticated, putting more businesses at risk. To protect against this emerging threat, organizations should prioritize secure configuration practices and monitoring measures.