Researchers found thousands of misconfigured access management systems (AMS) exposing sensitive data online. These misconfigured AMS expose staff’s sensitive details and reveal other sensitive data, risking the security of critical buildings globally.
Misconfigured AMS Expose Critical Buildings And Staff
Researchers from the cybersecurity firm Modat have shared a detailed report about exposed Access Management Systems (AMS) that pose a huge security risk. They observed several thousands of misconfigured AMS installed globally, which compromise the physical security of critical buildings.
Specifically, the researchers highlighted the severity of the threat due to internet-facing misconfigured AMS running globally. That means the security risk isn’t limited to a few countries or a specific region, rather it spans continents. These threats include data theft, unauthorized system access, information disclosure, and identity theft. These misconfigured AMS risk all major sectors globally, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, oil sector, and even government systems.
As explained in their report, the researchers found these exposed, misconfigured AMS during a global scanning earlier this year. Investigating the matter led them to deduce that those misconfigured AMS could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, risking digital and physical security.
Specifically, they noticed over 49,000 misconfigured AMS installed globally, primarily in non-residential buildings. During their investigation, the researchers could access various sorts of sensitive information, such as a list of departments and their employees, full details of the staff, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, pictures, and their biometric access information. In another instance, they could also see the timestamps for staff access to respective floors. Moreover, since AMS is also used in vehicle access to specific buildings, the researchers could also access and manipulate vehicle access data, which could risk the physical security of the infrastructure.
Prompt Scanning Recommended To Mitigate The Threat
Following this discovery, the Modat team contacted various organizations at risk of attacks through exposed AMS. To prevent such threats, the researchers advise placing such sensitive access systems behind firewalls and VPNs to prevent unrestricted access, ensuring regular security updates and patch management, changing authorization credentials promptly, and regularly scanning for possible vulnerabilities.
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