ZeroFox Daily Intelligence Brief - March 30, 2023

ZeroFox Daily Intelligence Brief - March 30, 2023

ZeroFox Intelligence collects, curates, and analyzes information derived from open and proprietary sources. Please find today’s daily roundup with recommendations that aim to give you and your clients an advantage over the adversary.

Key Findings

• Experts Call for a Six-month Pause on Artificial intelligence (AI) Experiments
• Spyware Vendors Caught Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities on Android and iOS Devices
• 3CX Phone System App Compromised by Threat Actors

Experts Call for a Six-month Pause on Artificial intelligence (AI) Experiments

The Future of Life Institute (FoLI) has posted an open letter signed by over 1,000 signatories—including prominent AI researchers and technology stalwarts—calling for a six-month pause on training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, citing a lack of planning and management in handling them. FoLI supports its assertion that appropriate planning and management is not happening currently by referencing Asilomar AI Principles, which state “Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources.”

Recommendations:

• FoLI is advising AI labs and independent experts to work together to create and implement shared safety protocols for advanced AI design and development that are audited and overseen by independent outside experts.
• FoLI also suggests that AI developers work with policymakers to accelerate development of robust AI governance systems.
• Follow ZeroFox Intelligence for further updates on AI developments.

Spyware Vendors Caught Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities on Android and iOS Devices

Several zero-day vulnerabilities that were addressed in 2022 were exploited by commercial spyware vendors to target Android and iOS devices. The attackers took advantage of the time delay between the release of patches and their deployment on the targeted devices. These exploits came to light just days after the U.S. government issued an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from using spyware software that poses a national security risk.

Recommendations:

• Regularly update operating systems and security software to ensure the latest security patches and to protect against exploits.
• Follow ZeroFox Intelligence to remain up to date on emerging threats. .

3CX Phone System App Compromised by Threat Actors

Attackers are targeting both Windows and macOS users with a digitally-signed and trojanized version of the 3CX Voice Over Protocol (VOIP) desktop client. The 3CX Phone System is used by over 600,000 companies worldwide and has over 12 million daily users. The compromised 3CX softphone app is being used to facilitate various malicious activities, such as beaconing to actor-controlled infrastructure, deploying second-stage payloads, and remotely controlling keyboard activity. 3CX has a robust customer base which includes well-known brands in the credit card, food & beverage, car, retail, and travel industries.

Recommendation:

• Follow ZeroFox Intelligence to remain up to date on emerging threats.