A critical security alert is sounding the alarm for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Another zero-day vulnerability is making its rounds, and it has the potential to cause significant harm to any businesses.
This vulnerability resides in the widely used libwebp library, with Google assigning it the highest possible severity score. The vulnerability, initially identified as CVE-2023-4863, came to light when Google reported it as a vulnerability affecting its Chrome browser.
Subsequently, other web browsers started issuing notifications regarding the problem. However, as researchers delved deeper into the matter, they traced the vulnerability back to the open-source libwebp library.
The Libwebp Vulnerability
The libwebp library, a cornerstone of various tools and vendors, has been compromised. This vulnerability has sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community.
It's worth noting that this vulnerability could surpass the infamous log4j exploit that many of you remember from roughly 18 months ago. According to Google's assessment, over 35,000 Java packages could potentially fall prey to these vulnerabilities, which is a staggering 80 times higher than the typical Java vulnerability's scope.
Potentially Affected Tools
A multitude of common tools used by MSPs and their clients are at risk due to this vulnerability. The list includes familiar names such as:
- 1Password
- Bitwarden
- CrashPlan
- Discord
- Gimp
- GitHub Desktop
- Libre Office
- Logitech Options+
- Microsoft Teams
- Notion
- Shift
- Signal
- Slack
- Skype
- Telegram
- Visual Studio Code
- Yammer
- And no doubt many more.
The impact of this vulnerability on these tools cannot be understated.
Most web browsers such as Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, Microsoft Edge and image editors that use the library which provides code for rendering images in the WebP format are also vulnerable to this exploit, but thankfully, patches have been released promptly.
It's crucial to ensure that your business has applied these patches. The ease of exploiting unpatched browsers and tools makes them prime targets for cyberattacks.
Protecting Your Business
Patching is the first line of defense against this vulnerability. However, it's not just about operating system updates. Third-party applications are equally important. There are excellent MSP-friendly tools available to streamline this process and ensure that your businesses are well-protected, and that is what we are continuously working on.
We, at AffinityMSP have pushed application and OS patches to all of our Managed IT clients. If you would like a quote for us to perform this work please contact critical@affinitymsp.com.au.
We also take into consideration that communication is key during times of heightened security risk. Our customers are well informed about the situation and assured them that we are actively addressing the situation.
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