Cybersecurity breaches don’t always start with sophisticated hacking techniques – sometimes, a single bad decision is enough to put an entire organization at risk.
In this case study, we reveal how an employee’s mistake led to the theft of admin credentials, the creation of unauthorized accounts, and the deletion of a key administrator’s access. What could have been a minor security slip turned into a full-scale cyber attack.
So, what went wrong? And how could this breach have been prevented before it even started? Let’s dive into the details.
One of our clients noticed a high number of login attempts to an administrator’s account, all originating from a foreign location. Before they could isolate the account, it was deleted. Concerned about what had happened and the potential consequences, they turned to CQURE for help.
The CQURE team began the investigation by conducting cloud analysis and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence).
During the OSINT process, we discovered multiple passwords associated with the affected user’s name and surname in online databases. Additionally, we found over 30 leaked passwords related to the company’s domain.
Armed with this information, we performed a thorough examination of the victim’s work laptop. Our analysis revealed spyware responsible for credential theft, along with plaintext password files stored in text documents. The stolen passwords matched those we had found in online databases.
The affected user later admitted that they had downloaded the spyware based on a recommendation from an online forum they actively participated in. The software was supposedly intended to assist with their work tasks, but in reality, it had been designed to steal credentials.
Further analysis revealed that the account deletion was not the only malicious activity within the company’s infrastructure. Here’s a timeline of the attack:
Day 1 – The user’s passwords appeared in online databases. This was also the day they downloaded the malicious software onto their computer.
Day 4 – The first login attempts were made by the attackers.
Day 6 – The first successful login using the stolen credentials. The malware intercepted the victim’s access token, which likely allowed the hackers to access the account.
Day 7 – The attackers created a new user account using the compromised admin’s privileges.
Day 9 – A second unauthorized user account was created and secured with MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication). The MFA phone numbers were foreign. Using this second account, the attackers then deleted the original admin account.
Our investigation indicated that the malware did not spread to other accounts. However, the attackers’ primary objective appeared to be data theft. Had they chosen to, they could have caused significantly more damage, leading to operational disruption and financial loss for the company.
The primary cause of this breach was the use of unauthorized software. If stricter policies on software installation had been in place, the incident could have been prevented.
Additionally, our team identified several other security vulnerabilities:
Those events highlight how a single lapse in cybersecurity hygiene –such as downloading unauthorized software – can lead to a full-scale security breach.
To prevent similar incidents in the future, companies should:
By combining strict access controls, user awareness, and proactive monitoring, organizations can reduce the risk of credential theft and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
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Learn more about our offer in terms of Consulting. Our Cybersecurity Experts perform consulting work on a daily basis, hence we are fully prepared for any challenge.
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