March 27, 2024 at 10:54AM
A Google report on zero-day attacks in 2023 shows a decline in use-after-free and JavaScript engine exploitation. Exploit mitigations in operating systems and software are impacting attackers, prompting the search for new vulnerabilities. The focus has shifted to targeting third-party components and enterprise technologies. Investments in security are forcing attackers to adapt and find new attack surfaces.
The key takeaways from the meeting notes are as follows:
1. Security investments in OS and software exploit mitigations have led to a significant reduction in use-after-free and JavaScript engine exploitation, impacting attackers’ ability to exploit vulnerabilities across browsers and operating systems.
2. Chrome and Apple’s Safari have implemented exploit mitigations such as V8 heap sandbox and JITCage, making the exploitation of JavaScript engine vulnerabilities more complex and requiring attackers to incorporate bypasses for these mitigations into their exploits.
3. Apple’s experimental iOS Lockdown Mode feature has contributed to limiting attack surfaces and making it more difficult for attackers to compromise targets.
4. The data shows a 50 percent increase in zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in-the-wild in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a shift in focus to third-party components and libraries that provide access to multiple targets.
5. Commercial spyware vendors are proficient at browser and mobile device exploitation, while hacking teams linked to China lead the way in government-backed exploitation.
6. There has been a surge in zero-days targeting enterprise-specific technologies, including appliances from Barracuda, Cisco, Ivanti, and Trend Micro, as well as security software and devices running on the edge of a network with high permissions and access.
These are the key insights and takeaways from the meeting notes. Let me know if you need any further information or analysis.