RSA hackers exploited Flash zero-day bug

03.04.2011
Last month's hack of RSA Security began with an exploit of a then-unpatched vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player, the company confirmed Friday.

According to RSA, attackers gained access to its network by sending two small groups of employees e-mails with attached Excel spreadsheets. One of those employees opened the attachment, which was titled "2011 Recruitment plan.xls."

The spreadsheet contained an embedded Flash file that exploited a "zero-day" vulnerability -- a bug then unknown to Adobe, and thus unpatched -- that allowed hackers to commandeer the employee's PC.

From there, the attackers installed a customized variant of the Poison Ivy remote administration tool (RAT) on the compromised computer. Using the RAT, hackers harvested users' credentials to access other machines within the RSA network, searched for and copied sensitive information, and then transferred the data to external servers they controlled.

Although RSA has not detailed what was stolen, it has admitted that information related to the company's SecurID two-factor authentication products was part of the hacker's haul.

Last week's description of the Flash attack vector helps explain the reaction of Adobe and others to the flaw, and shows that RSA was hacked at least several days before the company went public.