Check Point warned that threat actors are targeting their Remote Access VPN devices in an ongoing campaign to breach enterprise networks.
Remote Access is included in all Check Point network firewalls. It can be set up as a client-to-site VPN for accessing corporate networks using VPN clients, or as an SSL VPN Portal for web-based access.
Attackers are focusing on security gateways with outdated local accounts. They are using insecure password-only authentication instead of more secure certificate authentication, which can help prevent breaches.
“We have recently witnessed compromised VPN solutions, including various cyber security vendors. In light of these events, we have been monitoring attempts to gain unauthorized access to VPNs of Check Point’s customers. By May 24, 2024 we identified a small number of login attempts using old VPN local-accounts relying on unrecommended password-only authentication method,” the company said.
A Check Point spokesperson told international media that, “We’ve seen 3 such attempts, and later when we further analysed it with the special teams we assembled, we saw what we believe are potentially the same pattern (around the same number). So – a few attempts globally all in all but enough to understand a trend and especially- a quite straightforward way to ensure it’s unsuccessful,”.
To defend against these ongoing attacks, Check Point advised customers to check for vulnerable accounts on Quantum Security Gateway, CloudGuard Network Security products, and on Mobile Access and Remote Access VPN software blades.
Customers should consider changing their user authentication method to more secure options or deleting vulnerable local accounts from the Security Management Server database.
The company released a Security Gateway hotfix that blocks local accounts from using weak passwords for authentication. This prevents those accounts from logging into the Remote Access VPN.