EternalBlue[5] is a computer exploit software developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).[6] It is based on a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that allowed users to gain access to any number of computers connected to a network. The NSA knew about this vulnerability but did not disclose it to Microsoft for several years, since they planned to use it as a defense mechanism against cyber attacks. In 2017, the NSA discovered that the software was stolen by a group of hackers known as the Shadow Brokers. Microsoft was informed of this and released security updates in March 2017 patching the vulnerability. While this was happening, the hacker group attempted to auction off the software, but did not succeed in finding a buyer. EternalBlue was then publicly released on April 14, 2017.[citation needed]
On May 12, 2017, a computer worm in the form of ransomware, nicknamed WannaCry, used the EternalBlue exploit to attack computers using Windows that had not received the latest system updates removing the vulnerability.[5][7][8][9][10][11]: 1 On June 27, 2017, the exploit was again used to help carry out the 2017 NotPetya cyberattack on more vulnerable computers.[12]
The exploit was also reported to have been used since March 2016 by the Chinese hacking group Buckeye (APT3), after they likely found and re-purposed the software,[11]: 1 as well as reported to have been used as part of the Retefe banking trojan since at least September 5, 2017.[13]
Details
EternalBlue exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft's implementation of the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. This vulnerability is denoted by entry CVE-2017-0144[14][15] in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) catalog. The vulnerability exists because the SMB version 1 (SMBv1) server in various versions of Microsoft Windows mishandles specially crafted packets from remote attackers, allowing them to remotely execute code on the target computer.[16]
The NSA didn't alert Microsoft about the vulnerabilities, and held on to it for more than five years before the breach forced its hand. The agency then warned Microsoft after learning about EternalBlue's possible theft, allowing the company to prepare a software patch issued in March 2017,[17] after delaying its regular release of security patches in February 2017.[18] On Tuesday, March 14, 2017, Microsoft issued security bulletin MS17-010,[19] which detailed the flaw and announced that patches had been released for all Windows versions that were currently supported at that time, these being Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016.[20][21]
The Shadow Brokers publicly released the EternalBlue exploit code on April 14, 2017, along with several other hacking tools from the NSA.
Many Windows users had not installed the Microsoft patches when, on May 12, 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack started to use the EternalBlue vulnerability to spread itself.[22][23] The next day (May 13, 2017), Microsoft released emergency security patches for the unsupported Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003.[24][25]
At the end of 2018, millions of systems were still vulnerable to EternalBlue. This has led to millions of dollars in damages due primarily to ransomware worms. Following the massive impact of WannaCry, both NotPetya and BadRabbit caused over $1 billion worth of damages in over 65 countries, using EternalBlue as either an initial compromise vector or as a method of lateral movement.[27]
City of Baltimore cyberattack
In May 2019, the city of Baltimore struggled with a cyberattack by digital extortionists; the attack froze thousands of computers, shut down email and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts and many other services. Nicole Perlroth, writing for The New York Times, initially attributed this attack to EternalBlue;[28] in a memoir published in February 2021, Perlroth clarified that EternalBlue had not been responsible for the Baltimore cyberattack, while criticizing others for pointing out "the technical detail that in this particular case, the ransomware attack had not spread with EternalBlue".[29]
Since 2012, four Baltimore City chief information officers have been fired or have resigned; two left while under investigation.[30] Some security researchers said that the responsibility for the Baltimore breach lay with the city for not updating their computers. Security consultant Rob Graham wrote in a tweet: "If an organization has substantial numbers of Windows machines that have gone 2 years without patches, then that’s squarely the fault of the organization, not EternalBlue."[31]
Responsibility
After the WannaCry attack, Microsoft took "first responsibility to address these issues", but criticized government agencies like the NSA and CIA for stockpiling vulnerabilities rather than disclosing them, writing that "an equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen".[32] The stockpiling strategy prevented Microsoft from knowing of (and subsequently patching) this bug, and presumably other hidden bugs.[32][33] However several commentators, including Alex Abdo of Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute, have criticised Microsoft for shifting the blame to the NSA, arguing that it should be held responsible for releasing a defective product in the same way a car manufacturer might be.[34] The company was faulted for initially restricting the release of its EternalBlue patch to recent Windows users and customers of its $1,000 per device Extended Support contracts, a move that left organisations such the UK's NHS vulnerable to the WannaCry attack. A month after the patch was first released, Microsoft took the rare step of making it available for free to users of all vulnerable Windows editions dating back to Windows XP.[35]
EternalRocks
EternalRocks or MicroBotMassiveNet is a computer worm that infects Microsoft Windows. It uses seven exploits developed by the NSA.[36] Comparatively, the WannaCry ransomware program that infected 230,000 computers in May 2017 only uses two NSA exploits. As a result, researchers believe EternalRocks to be significantly more dangerous.[37] The worm was discovered via a honeypot.[38]
Infection
EternalRocks first installs Tor, a private network that conceals Internet activity, to access its hidden servers. After a brief 24 hour "incubation period",[36] the server then responds to the malware request by downloading and self-replicating on the "host" machine.
The malware even names itself WannaCry to avoid detection from security researchers. Unlike WannaCry, EternalRocks does not possess a kill switch and is not ransomware.[36]
