Printnightmare

PrintNightmare is a severe vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) affecting the Windows Print Spooler service, allowing an attacker to escalate privileges either locally or remotely by loading a malicious DLL which will be executed as SYSTEM. This flaw in software design or implementation enables any authenticated attacker to remotely execute code with SYSTEM privileges on any machine that has the Windows Print Spooler service enabled, which is the default setting. This vulnerability, along with others like ZeroLogon and PetitPotam, significantly simplifies the ransomware attack path by enabling an attacker to obtain privileged access to Active Directory without credential harvesting or lateral movement. The Black Basta group, known for their double extortion ransomware attacks, have exploited this vulnerability alongside others such as ZeroLogon (CVE-2020-1472) and NoPac (CVE-2021-42278 and CVE-2021-42287) for local and Windows Active Domain privilege escalation. Their attack techniques also include the use of QakBot banking Trojan and credential scraping tools like Mimikatz. These vulnerabilities have been integral in the group's ability to escalate privileges within the network, further complicating the challenge of managing modern print infrastructure. Despite the inherent risks, it's important to note that cybersecurity researchers play a crucial role in identifying these vulnerabilities. However, there are ethical considerations around the principle of responsible disclosure, as malicious actors often monitor security researchers and integrate their work into their toolkits. For example, threat actors have integrated PrintNightmare exploits into their operations. The exploitation of PrintNightmare (CVE-2021-34527) and other vulnerabilities like Follina (CVE-2022-30190) underscores the importance of timely patching and robust cybersecurity practices.