Magento Plugin Flaw Leaves Online Shoppers Open to E-Skimming Attacks

A Magento plugin vulnerability that dates back at least three years could allow e-skimming attacks on unsuspecting online shoppers, the FBI warns.

In an alert sent out earlier this month, the FBI said hackers are using the exploit to take over e-commerce stores powered by Magento software and steal payment card data from customers.

The attacks work by embedding malware into Magento Mass Import, also known as MAGMI. The cross-site scripting bug allows cybercriminals to infect an online store’s HTML code to conduct e-skimming without being noticed.

How Malware Targets MAMGI

Any time someone buys from an e-commerce store using the Magento plugin, hackers can record details of the financial transaction after modifying the site’s PHP and JavaScript files.

The FBI said those who know how to exploit the bug are also planting web shells to allow them access to the same store again. While an e-commerce shop owner might not be aware, the stolen data is sent to the cybercriminals’ command-and-control (C&C) server after it has been encoded in Base64 format and disguised within a JPEG file.

Besides payment card data, the FBI said hackers are able to collect several pieces of personally identifiable information (PII). This includes customers’ names, physical addresses and telephone numbers.

One thing that may affect the scope of the threat is the fact that MAGMI only works with early versions of Magento. Some of these, such as Magento 1.x branch, are scheduled to reach end of life by next month. This means sites running that version won’t continue to receive security updates from the vendor.

End the Opportunity for E-Skimming via MAGMI

The FBI’s recommendations for mitigating the risk of the attacks include updating to more recent versions of Magento and making sure the systems are properly patched and up to date.

E-commerce store owners could also be in a better position to detect an attack by having a managed firewall service that can log potential problems and block unauthorized users.

Shane Schick

Writer & Editor

White House cements CISA’s role as national coordinator for cybersecurity

2 min read - In 2013, the Obama Administration rolled out "The Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience", a forerunner to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), created "to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning and resilient critical infrastructure."The directive was groundbreaking in 2013, noting the importance of the rising risk of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. But as cyber risks are constantly shifting, every cybersecurity program needs to be re-evaluated, and CISA is no exception. That’s why, in April 2024, President…

How a new wave of deepfake-driven cybercrime targets businesses

5 min read - As deepfake attacks on businesses dominate news headlines, detection experts are gathering valuable insights into how these attacks came into being and the vulnerabilities they exploit.Between 2023 and 2024, frequent phishing and social engineering campaigns led to account hijacking and theft of assets and data, identity theft, and reputational damage to businesses across industries.Call centers of major banks and financial institutions are now overwhelmed by an onslaught of deepfake calls using voice cloning technology in efforts to break into customer…

Grandoreiro banking trojan unleashed: X-Force observing emerging global campaigns

16 min read - Since March 2024, IBM X-Force has been tracking several large-scale phishing campaigns distributing the Grandoreiro banking trojan, which is likely operated as a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS). Analysis of the malware revealed major updates within the string decryption and domain generating algorithm (DGA), as well as the ability to use Microsoft Outlook clients on infected hosts to spread further phishing emails. The latest malware variant also specifically targets over 1500 global banks, enabling attackers to perform banking fraud in over 60 countries…

Security Intelligence

{{title}}

{{title}}

{{title}}

Topics

How Malware Targets MAMGI

End the Opportunity for E-Skimming via MAGMI

More from

White House cements CISA’s role as national coordinator for cybersecurity

How a new wave of deepfake-driven cybercrime targets businesses

Grandoreiro banking trojan unleashed: X-Force observing emerging global campaigns

Topic updates