Microsoft Copilot Studio Security Flaw Unveiled: A Comedy of Errors in Cybersecurity

Hot Take:

Looks like Microsoft’s Copilot Studio was flying a bit too close to the sun and now has to deal with some serious turbulence. Maybe they should’ve asked their AI copilot to navigate around those SSRF storms!

Key Points:

• Critical security flaw in Microsoft’s Copilot Studio identified as CVE-2024-38206 with a CVSS score of 8.5.
• The vulnerability allows for Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks to leak sensitive information.
• Discovered by Tenable’s Evan Grant, it enabled access to Microsoft’s internal infrastructure, including Cosmos DB.
• Microsoft claims the flaw is fixed and requires no customer action.
• Microsoft will enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all Azure customers starting October 2024.

SSRF: The New Frenemy

In the latest episode of “Hackers vs. Tech Giants,” Microsoft’s Copilot Studio faced a critical security flaw that allowed attackers to play peekaboo with its sensitive information. Identified as CVE-2024-38206, this bug scored a solid 8.5 on the CVSS scale, which basically means it wasn’t just a tiny hiccup but more like a full-blown burp in cybersecurity terms.

Thanks, Evan Grant!

Enter Tenable security researcher Evan Grant, who discovered this flaw. Using Copilot’s superpowers to make external web requests, Grant pulled off an SSRF protection bypass trick. This wasn’t just a magic show; it allowed access to Microsoft’s inner sanctum, including the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) and those elusive internal Cosmos DB instances. Imagine getting backstage passes to a concert and finding out you can also mess with the sound system—yes, it’s that serious.

Copilot Chaos Contained

Microsoft, evidently not wanting to be remembered as the Titanic of tech, quickly addressed the issue and reassured customers that they didn’t need to do anything. That’s right, not even lift a finger. It was like getting a recall notice for a faulty product but also being told, “Don’t worry, we fixed it while you were sleeping.” The only downside? The infrastructure powering Copilot Studio is shared among tenants, so this could potentially affect multiple customers with elevated access. Oops.

Azure Health Bot Double Trouble

Speaking of security woes, Tenable also reported two patched flaws in Microsoft’s Azure Health Bot Service, tagged as CVE-2024-38109 with a CVSS score of 9.1. These flaws could let a malicious actor play hopscotch within customer environments and snoop on sensitive patient data. Just what the doctor didn’t order.

MFA: The New Must-Have Accessory

In a bid to prevent future calamities, Microsoft announced that starting October 2024, all Azure customers must embrace multi-factor authentication (MFA) like it’s the latest fashion trend. By early 2025, MFA will be a must for logging into just about everything Azure-related, from the CLI to Infrastructure as Code tools. So, if you weren’t a fan of MFA before, get ready to become one—or else.