Experts Uncover Malicious Code Exploiting Vulnerability in ManageEngine ADSelfService
On November 8, 2021, it was revealed that at least nine organizations in the technology, defense, healthcare, energy, and education sectors were compromised due to a recently patched critical vulnerability in Zoho’s ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus self-service password management and single sign-on (SSO) solution. This surveillance campaign, which began on September 22, 2021, saw attackers exploiting the flaw to gain initial access, subsequently moving laterally within the networks to conduct post-exploitation activities. They deployed malicious tools designed to harvest credentials and exfiltrate sensitive data through a backdoor. “The attackers relied heavily on the Godzilla web shell, uploading various versions of this open-source tool to the compromised servers throughout the operation,” reported researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 threat intelligence team. “Several other tools exhibited unique characteristics or functionalities…”