North Korea Exploited Windows Zero-Day Vulnerability to Install Fudmodule

North Korea’s Lazarus hacking group has once again exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to deploy malware on targeted devices. On August 13, Microsoft addressed this issue with its monthly Patch Tuesday updates, fixing a flaw in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver (Afd.sys) for WinSock, identified as CVE-2024-38193. Security experts strongly recommend applying this update promptly, as Microsoft has confirmed that the vulnerability is actively being exploited.

The flaw allows attackers to escalate system privileges through a use-after-free memory management issue, potentially granting them elevated system access, according to Rapid7. The advisory underscores the urgency of this patch, highlighting the low complexity of attacks, lack of required user interaction, and minimal privileges needed for exploitation.

The warning proved accurate, as Avast researchers Luigino Camastra and Martin Milanek, who initially discovered and reported the flaw to Microsoft in June, revealed that Lazarus had been exploiting this vulnerability before the fix was issued. Their primary aim was to install a rootkit named Fudmodule on the affected systems, utilizing the zero-day vulnerability to remain undetected by security software.

Details on the specific organizations targeted and their industries have not been disclosed. However, Lazarus is known for its focus on stealing cryptocurrency to support North Korea’s financially str

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