Ethical Hacking News
The Play ransomware gang has exploited a high-severity Windows Common Log File System flaw in zero-day attacks to deploy malware, raising concerns about the evolving threat landscape and the need for organizations to maintain robust cybersecurity postures.
The Play ransomware gang exploited a critical zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-29824) in Windows Common Log File System Driver. The attackers used this vulnerability to deploy malware and elevate privileges locally. Micrsoft patched the vulnerability in its April 2025 Patch Tuesday security updates, but the gang had already exploited it in several attacks. The attackers linked to the Play ransomware operation used a public-facing Cisco ASA firewall as an initial infection vector. The gang's attack targeted multiple organizations in North America, South America, and Europe.
The cybersecurity landscape has witnessed numerous high-profile attacks in recent times, with the Play ransomware gang recently leveraging a critical zero-day vulnerability to deploy malware. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-29824, is a use-after-free flaw in the Windows Common Log File System Driver that allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
In April 2025, Microsoft addressed this flaw in its Patch Tuesday security updates, but it appears that the Play ransomware gang has already exploited this vulnerability in several attacks. Researchers at Symantec's Threat Hunter Team reported that the attackers deployed a zero-day privilege escalation exploit during an attempted attack against a U.S.-based organization.
The attackers linked to the Play ransomware operation utilized a public-facing Cisco ASA firewall as an initial infection vector. Once they gained access to a Windows system, they deployed tools such as Grixba and the CVE-2025-29824 exploit. The attackers used PowerShell to gather information from Active Directory, exploited a vulnerability in the CLFS driver to gain higher privileges, and ran malicious DLLs and scripts to steal credentials.
It is worth noting that this zero-day attack was not a new occurrence for the Play ransomware gang. Researchers have previously observed that the group has been active since at least June 2022 and is known for using the Play ransomware (also known as PlayCrypt) in attacks. The attackers targeted a large number of organizations in North America, South America, and Europe.
The exploit abused race conditions in driver memory handling to gain kernel access, manipulate files, and maintain persistence using scheduled tasks. This particular vulnerability has received significant attention from security researchers, with Microsoft linking it to PipeMagic malware and Storm-2460. However, the use of zero-day vulnerabilities by ransomware actors is a relatively rare occurrence.
Symantec's report concludes that while the use of zero-day vulnerabilities by ransomware actors is not unprecedented, the Play ransomware gang's exploitation of this specific vulnerability in its attacks marks a notable development in the ransomware landscape. It highlights the importance of keeping up-to-date with security patches and the need for organizations to prioritize their cybersecurity posture.
In light of these developments, it is essential for organizations to exercise caution when interacting with Windows systems that have not been patched against this vulnerability. Furthermore, the use of zero-day exploits by ransomware actors underscores the ever-evolving nature of the threat landscape, making it crucial for security professionals to remain vigilant and proactive in their response to emerging threats.
In conclusion, the recent exploitation of a critical Windows vulnerability by the Play ransomware gang serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity. Organizations must prioritize their patch management processes to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Exploitation-of-a-Critical-Windows-Vulnerability-A-New-Zero-Day-Attack-by-the-Play-Ransomware-Gang-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/177573/cyber-crime/play-ransomware-affiliate-leveraged-zero-day-to-deploy-malware.html
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-29824
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-29824/
https://sensorstechforum.com/pipemagic-malware-analysis-and-removal-guide/
https://cybersecsentinel.com/pipemagic-trojan-and-the-zero-day-exploits-targeting-windows-clfs/
https://windowsforum.com/threads/understanding-cve-2025-29824-storm-2460-ransomware-campaign-explained.360243/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/04/08/exploitation-of-clfs-zero-day-leads-to-ransomware-activity/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_(hacker_group)
https://www.avertium.com/resources/threat-reports/an-in-depth-look-at-play-ransomware
Published: Wed May 7 15:43:21 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
