Skip to main content

Hash It Out: NTLM's Last Stand in the Credential Wars

 

Exploring the SCF File NTLM Hash Disclosure Vulnerability

While this isn’t a direct post about my cyber lab, it is certainly cyber-related. I recently started using the Cyware social platform to stay updated on the latest breaches and attack trends. Cyware aggregates articles from sources like Hacker News and Bleeping Computer, which is where today’s featured article comes from.

About Cyware

I find the platform to be insightful and it has lots of information about the vulnerabilities, attacks and general cybersecurity news one of the things I like about the platform is the fact that it brings together a vast number of third-party sources in one place, so I don’t have to go and look through several websites and platforms

 I like the features that cyware offer I can customise my feed, so I see article that are of interest to me, I find it very easy to search for content on a specific subject using the search function.

I am still exploring the cyware platform but on the whole, I like how it brings so much information to one place.

The article I found

The article I came across today was about a Windows NTLM zero-day vulnerability. This article, written by Sergiu Gatlan on Bleeping Computer, which can be found here https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-windows-zero-day-leaks-ntlm-hashes-gets-unofficial-patch/?&web_view=true. It sheds light on a fascinating discovery by 0Patch security researchers. If you're curious, you can check out the blog post by 0Patch for more details here https://blog.0patch.com/2025/03/scf-file-ntlm-hash-disclosure.html

What makes this vulnerability so intriguing is how it works. Attackers can exploit it simply by tricking users into viewing malicious files in Windows Explorer—whether on removable media like a USB drive or viewing the download folder where a file from the attacker’s website had previously been automatically downloaded. The vulnerability doesn’t currently have a CVE score, and while it’s not classified as critical, its simplicity and potential impact are noteworthy.

Takeaways and Advice

Reflecting on this vulnerability, there are several key lessons to consider:

·       Temporary protection: Until Microsoft releases an official fix, applying the micro patch from 0Patch is an essential step to safeguard your system. While Microsoft has stated that they plan to start to deprecate NTLM in early 2025, full removal is expected by 2027 which is two years.

·       Reduce reliance on NTLM: NTLM authentication has its security limitations, such as vulnerability to relay and pass-the-hash attacks. Organizations should evaluate alternative authentication methods and aim to phase out NTLM where feasible. Kerberos is the successor to NTLM in directory environments

·       Awareness and caution: Educating users about the risks of interacting with unknown files, especially on removable media or downloads, can go a long way in preventing such exploits. Which is quite possibly one of the most important things you can do to educate end users.

·       Strengthen defences: Implementing robust network security measures like segmentation and monitoring can minimize the impact of credential theft.

I’m always curious to hear your thoughts, do you have any insights or opinions on the topics I share?

Labels:
Location: Telford, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Retail Ransom: The UK's Cyber Crisis

In the last few weeks, Recent cyberattacks on the UK retail sector have made headlines in particular M&S, Harrods, and the CO-OP. These attacks have hit retailers hard, with M&S losing £1 billion in market value alone. Retailers have faced empty shelves, electronic payment failures, and delayed deliveries as a result. A blog post from the NCSC on the 4 th May 2025 says  “Whilst we have insights, we are not yet in a position to say if these attacks are linked, if this is a concerted campaign by a single actor or whether there is no link between them at all. We are working with the victims and law enforcement colleagues to ascertain that.”   Quote from NCSC blog post https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/incidents-impacting-retailers A cybercriminal group known as Scattered Spider appears to be the likely culprit. Who is Scattered Spider? Scattered Spider is a cybercriminal group known for targeting large organizations, particularly in retail, finance, telecoms,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Root of the Problem: Linux Flaws That Give Attackers Admin Rights

 I realised that I haven’t posted to my blog in a long time and this week an article about CVE’s in linux caught my eye and that was the perfect excuse to write another blog post. Cybersecurity researchers at Qualys have uncovered two critical local privilege escalation (LPE) flaws that are shaking the foundations of Linux security. These aren't your run-of-the-mill vulnerabilities; we're talking about direct, express lanes to full root access on major Linux distributions. If you use Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE Leap 15, or SUSE Linux Enterprise 15, you need to pay close attention. The Double Threat: CVE-2025-6018 & CVE-2025-6019 An article detailing the CVE’s can be found at the link below ( CVE-2025-6018 and CVE-2025-6019 Vulnerability Exploitation: Chaining Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Lets Attackers Gain Root Access on Most Linux Distributions | SOC Prime )     Qualys has pulled back the curtain on two distinct, yet chainable, vulnerabilit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Virtual Beginnings: The First Layers of My Lab

Thank you for joining me on this journey in to cybersecurity, I have a home lab and will be posting here about how I set it up and the practical exercises I do along my journey. Currently I have a Windows 11 PC with virtualbox installed. I have kali linux, metasploitable, and 4 Linux distros for endpoints. (mint, fedora, elementary and zorin). I will be expanding and changing my lab as my journey progresses. My next steps will be to install a SIEM for this I’ll be using wazuh and elastic stack.
Post a Comment
Read more