Macnica Developed a method to securely identify vulnerabilities in VPN devices from the outside ~ Completed patent application for technology used in the company's original service "Macnica Attack Surface Management" ~

Macnica (Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara, hereinafter referred to as "Macnica") today announced that it has developed and implemented a method for identifying vulnerabilities in VPN devices and other devices in its proprietary Macnica Attack Surface Management (hereinafter referred to as Macnica ASM) and has filed a patent application.

In recent years, the methods and trends of cyber attacks on companies have changed, and many incidents have occurred targeting vulnerable systems that face the Internet. Intrusions that were previously mainstream, such as exploiting the web and email, have become more difficult to exploit due to the multi-layered defense and monitoring at each company, as well as the enhancement of endpoint protection functions in EDR and browsers. Therefore, attack surfaces (poorly managed servers and network devices) that can bypass perimeter-type multi-layered defenses have become ideal intrusion routes for attackers, and many serious incidents such as targeted attacks and ransomware have occurred. For this reason, attention is increasing worldwide on Attack Surface Management, which comprehensively grasps and deals with each company's assets and the risks they face.

In June 2021, Macnica was one of the first Japan companies to launch its own Macnica ASM. Macnica ASM utilizes the unique knowledge of the Security Research Center* ¹ and uses "human hands and eyes" as necessary to achieve accurate and comprehensive investigations. It is possible to identify assets including overseas bases, such as domains and stray servers that customers themselves do not know, and effectively deal with truly high-risk assets based on our own risk indicators that take into account the trends of attackers. It has been well received by many customers and has won the No. 1 market share in Japan* ² in the ASM tool market.

Macnica 's newly developed technology is a method to safely identify*3 vulnerabilities being exploited in actual attack activities from the outside in network ^devices such as VPN equipment and Firewalls, which are particularly likely to be targeted by attackers in recent attacks but for which it is generally difficult to identify known vulnerabilities (CVE-XXXX-^XXXXX) from the outside.

With conventional general vulnerability scans, it was difficult to identify known vulnerabilities in network devices, and it was necessary to log in to the target device individually to investigate the version or to directly execute exploit code similar to that used in an actual attack on the device, which raised concerns about some effect on the device and required individual contact and coordination with the user site before running the test. In order to safely and easily identify vulnerabilities, Macnica has independently developed and applied for a patent for technology that safely identifies the presence or absence of vulnerabilities from the response information obtained by performing normal access to the login screen, etc. of the target device.

<Examples of vulnerabilities that are frequently exploited and can be detected by Macnica >

Furthermore, in surveys using this technology, it was found that 65%* ⁵ of companies were using VPN devices or other equipment that had vulnerabilities that had been confirmed to have been exploited in the past, with most of these being detected in assets managed by overseas bases or subsidiaries.

<Survey results using this technology>

* According to research Macnica
* Critical assets: Servers with vulnerabilities that have been exploited in actual attacks in the past

Cybersecurity attacks that exploit externally exposed assets are expected to continue in the future. Macnica will continue to provide Macnica ASM to many companies and strive to reduce the probability of incidents caused by externally exposed assets by as much as 1%.

*1: A research institute of Macnica that researches targeted attacks against Japan and contributes the knowledge gained to various social activities.
*2: Fuji Chimera Research Institute, Inc., market research report "Network Security Business Research Overview" issued in December 2023, ranked No. 1 in the ASM tool market share (FY2022 results)
*3: Supports vulnerability identification for major products with high global market share, such as Fortinet, Palo Alto, Ivanti, Check Point, Cisco, SonicWall, Citrix, Watch Guard, and SOPHOS.
*4: Vulnerabilities may not be identified depending on the device settings and the functions used within the device.
*5: Macnica 's survey results from September 2023 to July 2024

[For more information on Macnica ASM, which uses this technology, click here]
https://www.macnica.co.jp/business/security/manufacturers/mpressioncss/asm.html

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Macnica
TEL: 045-476-2010
E-mail: sec-service@macnica.co.jp

*Company names and product names mentioned in this text are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macnica and each company.
*The information published in the news release (including product price, specifications, etc.) is current as of the date of announcement. Please note that the information may be subject to change without prior notice.