BlueKeep attacks go live, but it isn't as dangerous as feared

Hackers have already started using BlueKeep exploit to break into Windows systems, but according to security researchers, the exploit is not as dangerous as everybody feared.

For those unaware, BlueKeep affects the Remote Desktop Protocole service(RDP), which is widely used for remote control administration. May 14 is when it first came into existence and security experts at various firms labeled it as “wormable,” meaning that code exploiting this vulnerability can be self-propagating in nature, and, therefore, can spread very quickly, just like how Wannacry spread.

While BlueKeep has the potential to cause severe damage to your PC, the BlueKeep that the hackers are using right now is not “wormable,” meaning that it cannot self propagate and therefore, won’t spread as quickly as Wannacry.

“This BlueKeep campaign has been happening at scale for almost two weeks, but it’s been only spotted today by cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont,” ZDNet reported.

There were still 735,000 computers open to BlueKeep as of August, according to Errata Security. So, if you’re business or someone who uses RDP services quite often, then you should always stay up to date with the latest patch provided by Microsoft. And in case you’re wondering… yes, patches to counter BlueKeep is available, it’s been available since mid-May 2019. See official Microsoft advisory.

via Engadget