You should reconsider your trust. Vulnerabilities could be lurking beneath the surface.
The modular design of contemporary web applications contributes significantly to their efficiency. These applications can utilize a plethora of third-party components, JavaScript frameworks, and open-source tools to deliver diverse functionalities that enhance customer experience. However, this complex web of dependencies also introduces substantial security risks.
A large portion of these components rests in the hands of third-party vendors—the developers of these tools. Consequently, even with stringent measures like static code analysis, code reviews, and penetration testing, much of your supply chain’s security relies on the integrity of third-party components.
Given their susceptibility to vulnerabilities and their extensive use in lucrative sectors such as e-commerce, finance, and healthcare, web application supply chains represent prime targets for cybercriminals. Attackers can exploit any of the numerous components that users have come to trust, allowing them to infiltrate organizations and compromise products. Software libraries, third-party tools, and even IoT devices are often exploited as they provide pathways to gain elevated access to systems while remaining undetected. Such breaches can lead to a myriad of malicious activities ranging from Magecart and web skimming attacks to ransomware deployment, commercial espionage, and even system vandalism.
The SolarWinds Incident
In December 2020, a noteworthy supply chain attack was uncovered that eclipses many others in terms of scale and sophistication. Targeting the Orion platform, a network and application monitoring system developed by SolarWinds, attackers stealthily infiltrated its infrastructure, exploiting their access to distribute malicious updates to over 18,000 users.
When clients installed these compromised updates, the attackers gained unfettered access to their systems, lingering unnoticed for several weeks. This breach impacted several U.S. government agencies, leading to investigations that linked the attack to Russian state actors.
The ramifications of this supply chain attack serve as a stark reminder that similar breaches can occur within web environments. It highlights the imperative for organizations to adopt comprehensive and proactive web security solutions capable of continuously monitoring their digital assets.
Limitations of Standard Security Measures
Traditional security measures failed to mitigate the SolarWinds attack, revealing their limitations in monitoring entire supply chains. Numerous potential risk factors can be overlooked, such as:
The challenge of maintaining compliance with privacy and security regulations emerges when a third-party vendor rolls out a new version that deviates from established standards. Traditional tools often lack the capability to flag such discrepancies. Additionally, misconfigured tag managers may inadvertently collect personally identifiable information, exposing organizations to significant liability. Furthermore, external servers that host JavaScript frameworks can become targets of cyber-attacks without alerting users. Finally, if a new vulnerability surfaces post-production, organizations may be unable to effectively address it.
In these scenarios, standard security tools fail to provide adequate protection.
The Log4j Vulnerability
Another critical situation was the discovery of a zero-day vulnerability in the widely utilized Log4j Java logging utility. This tool is integrated into millions of devices worldwide across businesses and organizations. A patch was issued within three days of the vulnerability’s identification in 2021. However, as noted by Sophos senior threat researcher Sean Gallagher:
“Honestly, the biggest threat here is that people have already gotten access and are just sitting on it, and even if you remediate the problem, somebody’s already in the network … It’s going to be around as long as the Internet.”
This vulnerability enables hackers to commandeer devices susceptible to the exploit through Java. Subsequently, they may engage in a range of illicit activities, including crypto mining, botnet creation, spam operations, and deploying backdoors or ransomware.
Following the disclosure, Check Point reported millions of attacks triggered by hackers, with researchers observing rates exceeding 100 attacks per minute, impacting over 40% of global business networks.
With the potential compromise of your web application supply chain due to the Log4j vulnerability, the urgency for a proactive continuous monitoring solution escalates.
Reflectiz is one such web security company that identified the Log4j vulnerability early within Microsoft’s Bing domain, leading to a timely patch. Following this, Reflectiz conducted extensive scanning of thousands of websites and services to uncover additional Log4j vulnerabilities. A significant exposure was found within Microsoft’s UET component, affecting millions of users across various platforms. The company promptly informed its clients and collaborated with Microsoft, adhering to responsible disclosure protocols while emphasizing the ongoing nature of the Log4j exploit and urging organizations to secure their websites.
Securing Your Web Application Supply Chain
The interplay between in-house and third-party components in web applications creates a dynamic and constantly evolving environment. Such a landscape necessitates a continuous monitoring solution that alerts organizations to suspicious activities across all elements of their web application supply chain. Through rigorous continuous monitoring, security teams can effectively identify existing web assets, detect vulnerabilities within the supply chain, and monitor configurations and third-party code settings. They gain complete visibility into vulnerabilities and compliance issues, tracking how web components access sensitive data while validating third-party behaviors.
