Recent events in the industry have been an avid reminder of how complex enterprise environments have become and that cyberattacks can come in all shapes and forms.
These cyberattacks have evolved from using malware and ransomware to directly infiltrating the managed system and utilizing the management tools. This kind of approach is called a Living off the Land (LOTL) attack, where the threat actors utilize the pre-built tools of MDM software to cause severe harm.
Living off the Land attacks can go undetected by the response system and, once infected, can give attackers full admin control over the managed system. Large organizations today operate across thousands of devices, identities, and interconnected systems. In environments like these, administrative actions often carry wide operational impact, from configuration changes to device-level actions executed across entire fleets.
In this article, we will delve deeper into understanding LOTL attacks, how they compromise security, and different ways you can mitigate these threats.
What is a Living off the Land attack?
Though the term was first established in 2013, Living off the Land attacks have become more frequent in recent years. The strategy behind them involves threat actors leveraging the utilities readily available within the target organization’s digital environment via the management software to move through the cyber kill chain.
The LOTL attack method has gained popularity among hackers because it is often cheaper, easier, and more effective to make use of an organization’s own infrastructure in an attempt to attack, rather than creating custom malware for every infiltration.
How is it more dangerous than a malware attack?
Living off the Land attacks take effect post-infection, for network reconnaissance, lateral movement, and persistence. Once a device is infected, there are hundreds of system tools at the attacker’s disposal. Some of which may be pre-installed on the system or added through the management software.
LOTL attacks exploit tools such as PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for their malicious intentions. These tools are regularly used by IT admins as part of their daily functions. Traditional security tools, reliant on static rules and signatures, often have a hard time distinguishing between legitimate and malicious use.
By using these familiar tools, attackers can carry out malicious activities without raising immediate suspicion, as these utilities are part of normal operations. This approach dramatically reduces their digital footprint while maximizing stealth and persistence capabilities.
How to defend against Living off the Land attacks
Living off the Land attacks present a unique set of challenges that make them particularly difficult to deal with. There are certain ways through which you can defend against them, enhance your security posture, and, at the very least, minimize the damage they can cause. Here’s a comprehensive list of ways you can better protect your organization’s digital ecosystem:
1. Layering your security: 2FA and MFA
2-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are security processes in which users must present two or more distinct factors to verify their identity before accessing an account, system, or application. By requiring multiple forms of identification, 2FA and MFA make it significantly harder for unauthorized individuals to gain access, even if one of the factors is compromised.
This acts as the very first layer of defense for any breach and will deter any rank-and-file attacks on the system, such as phishing and credential stuffing.
2. Diversify and solidify: Separate admin controls
Having a single head that holds the ultimate authority over all permissions is similar to painting a bullseye on a target. This identity becomes the key target for all attacks, and once breached, it grants access to nearly all critical applications and access required to cause havoc across the system. Thus, organizations must divide permissions of critical applications and functions across different IT admins to ensure there is no single master key to the entire system.
Similarly, segmenting endpoints based on different user groups plays a vital role in further enhancing security. Having various groups, each with its own admins that control the permissions of their specific groups, reduces the threat surface area and separates it into different independent sectors. In the event a sector is compromised, the attacker can’t affect the other sectors from the same admin controls.
3. Zero trust: Never trust, always verify
The zero-trust security model is rooted in a simple principle: trust no one, whether inside or outside the corporate network. Every user, device, and application must prove its identity before gaining access to resources.
Zero trust is built on three key ideas: give only the access needed (least privilege), always check identity (always verify), and reduce the chances of damage if something goes wrong (risk mitigation). By eliminating implicit trust, it provides a comprehensive defense against LOTL attacks.
The zero trust approach acknowledges that perimeter defenses fail against LOTL techniques, instead focusing on containing and detecting malicious activity wherever it occurs.
4. Maker-Checker: Old reliable dual-head system
What’s better than one check? 2 checks, of course. The term “maker-checker” refers to a control mechanism or process often used in organizational workflows, particularly in the context of financial transactions, data entry, or other critical activities. The basic idea is to involve two individuals in the process: the “maker” and the “checker.”
The maker is responsible for initiating a task, such as creating a document, entering data, or performing a transaction. They are the ones who initially draft or input information. While the checker reviews and verifies the work done by the maker. Their role is to check for errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the work of the maker.
For organizations that manage their enterprise mobility in a multi-admin administration, where one super admin and multiple admins manage the devices via a single console, the maker-checker serves as a critical additional step beyond the conventional role-based access control.
The maker-checker method introduces a layer of validation by involving a second person to verify the actions of the first independently. This helps prevent unauthorized changes and ensures that security measures are consistently applied.
Improvise, adapt, overcome
Every organization needs an MDM solution for consistent functionality and management of its devices and users. Your MDM solution shouldn’t be a vulnerability but rather your defense center. Utilizing the best features and following the best practices, you can ensure that you remain fully armed and capable of fending off Living off the Land attacks.
Certain factors to keep in mind for an effective defense can be viewed as:
- Apply custom application control policies to create defensive barriers against LOTL techniques.
- Limit tool access to users and systems, requiring it for legitimate purposes only.
- Network segmentation limits LOTL lateral movement opportunities by restricting communication between systems.
- Regular checks of all security measures in place to ensure there is no sudden lapse.
- Create action plans for different breach scenarios and share them with the security team so they remain prepared at all times.
Scalefusion outsmarts LOTL attacks before they strike
Attacks will continue to evolve. Today, there are Living off the Land attacks, tomorrow there might be something unheard of. Organizations need to keep up with the attackers and remain proactive in their approach. In the event of a breach, your MDM should provide you with home ground advantage rather than being behind enemy lines.
Scalefusion provides a comprehensive toolset that covers a wide variety of prevention and deterrence options against LOTL attacks. It is tailored to cover all the gaps and weak links within your organization’s secure structure and give you robust security measures throughout the ecosystem.
Enhance your security posture with Scalefusion and stay ahead of stealthy LOTL attacks.
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