• Monday, April 14, 2014

As of 9:30AM (CST) on April 8, 2014, all MonsterMegs servers vulnerable to CVE-2014-0160 (Heartbleed) OpenSSL security bug have been patched. This security vulnerability is a widespread issue affecting operating systems globally and not an issue specific to MonsterMegs. OpenSSL is a toolkit which implements SSL/TLS protocols as well as general cryptography for various operating systems. This vulnerability can provide a back door for attackers to gain access to confidential information.

CentOS/Cloudlinux released an official OpenSSL patch removing the recently discovered vulnerabilities. OpenSSL was upgraded seamlessly. However, all services linked against the older vulnerable version of OpenSSL had to be restarted to apply the newly patched OpenSSL version. These services include: Apache, Litespeed, cpanel, and various other services requiring SSL.

What is the Heartbleed bug?

The Heartbleed Bug is a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. This weakness allows stealing the information protected, under normal conditions, by the SSL/TLS encryption used to secure the Internet. SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for applications such as web, email, instant messaging (IM) and some virtual private networks (VPNs).

The Heartbleed bug allows anyone on the Internet to read the memory of the systems protected by the vulnerable versions of the OpenSSL software. This compromises the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the names and passwords of the users and the actual content. This allows attackers to eavesdrop on communications, steal data directly from the services and users and to impersonate services and users.

How do I know if I am vulnerable?

OpenSSL versions 1.0.1 through 1.0.1f are vulnerable to attack. If you are currently running one of these versions of OpenSSL, you are vulnerable. We have, however, already patched our servers to ensure your security.

A a tool has also been released by a 3rd party to check if your site is currently vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug.

How do I protect myself from the Heartbleed bug?

If you are a MonsterMegs customer, we have already patched it for you, so that the server that houses your account cannot be exploited.

How do I know if I have already been affected?

Unfortunately, due to the nature of this exploit, there is not a way to identify if you have been attacked. If you think you may have been attacked, we recommend that you update your SSL keys and passwords to ensure your security; not only within your hosting account, but on social media accounts like Facebook or Twitter, email accounts, and bank accounts.