Breach Background
Acme Corp is a well-established company in the tech industry with thousands of employees and clients worldwide. They have a strong cybersecurity infrastructure, regularly updating their systems and educating employees on how to stay secure. However, one day, the IT department noticed a sudden increase in the number of login attempts on their systems, with many of them failing.
Initial Compromise: Credential Stuffing
Upon further investigation, the IT department discovered that the attackers used a common technique called “Credential Stuffing,” where they tried to log in to the company’s systems using a list of stolen login credentials obtained from previous data breaches. The attackers were successful in accessing some of the employee’s accounts and used this access to move deeper into the company’s network.
Pivot and Escalate: Internal Spearphishing
The attackers then used “Internal Spearphishing” to trick employees into giving up more information or access to other systems. The attackers disguised themselves as colleagues or senior management, sending emails with malicious links or attachments. As a result, they were able to gain control over more systems, escalate their privileges, and move deeper into the company’s network.
Persistence: Malicious Browser Plugins
To maintain their presence in the company’s systems, the attackers installed “Malicious Browser Plugins” on the employees’ computers. These plugins gave the attackers remote access to the employees’ browsers and allowed them to execute malicious code and steal sensitive information without the employees’ knowledge.
C2 and Exfil: HTTPS as Exfil
Finally, the attackers used HTTPS as a means to exfiltrate sensitive data from the company’s systems, sending it to their command and control (C2) server. The attackers utilized the encrypted nature of HTTPS to conceal their activities and evade detection. The IT department only noticed the data loss when it was too late, as the attackers had already successfully stolen a large amount of confidential information from Acme Corp.
The breach had far-reaching consequences, as the stolen information included sensitive client data, trade secrets, and financial information. Acme Corp had to notify their clients and take steps to improve their cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent future breaches.
