July 10, 2024 at 08:09AM
The “2024 Attack Intelligence Report” from Rapid7 reveals that zero-day vulnerabilities were widely exploited in 2023 and 2024, leading to mass compromise events. As IoT firmware is predominantly comprised of vulnerable open-source components, patching alone is insufficient. Isolated partitioning at the task level is proposed as a more effective solution to protect IoT devices from exploits.
From the meeting notes on IoT Security / Firmware Security held on July 10, 2024, several key takeaways can be summarized:
1. Zero-day vulnerabilities are a significant concern, as they have been widely exploited, leading to mass compromise events and rapidly progressing attacks. This has rendered traditional patching strategies ineffective, as the time to develop and apply critical patches often leaves devices vulnerable for extended periods.
2. The process of creating IoT firmware has evolved from writing it from scratch to assembling it from open source components, leading to a higher likelihood of vulnerabilities and creating challenges in creating accurate Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and identifying exploitable vulnerabilities.
3. Zero-day exploits, particularly when employed by state actors, present alarming possibilities for causing widespread damage, as exemplified by the successful attempt to destroy an electricity generator through malware.
4. The need for a better solution is emphasized, with a call to recognize the inadequacy of patching and putting and to explore alternatives such as isolating vulnerable firmware. Examples of successful isolation solutions for specific industries are cited, but the challenge in applying similar techniques to low-power microcontrollers (MCUs) is highlighted.
5. A proposed solution for practical isolated partitioning for Cortex-M based MCUs is presented, demonstrating how it can provide granular isolation at the task level and protect mission-critical and trusted code from breaches. The effectiveness of isolated partitioning against zero-days and unpatched vulnerabilities is emphasized, as well as its potential to mitigate insider threats.
Overall, the meeting notes highlight the urgency of addressing the evolving threat landscape in IoT and firmware security and propose a practical approach to isolated partitioning as an effective solution.
If further details or specific action items are required based on these meeting notes, please feel free to ask.