Compromised US Academic Credentials Identified Across Various Public and Dark Web Forums
PIN Number
The following information is being provided by the FBI, with no guarantees or warranties, for potential
use at the sole discretion of recipients to protect against cyber threats. This data is provided to help
cyber security professionals and system administrators guard against the persistent malicious actions
of cyber actors. This PIN was coordinated with DHS/CISA.
This PIN has been released TLP:WHITE
Please contact the FBI with any questions related to this Private Industry
Notification via your local FBI Cyber Squad.
www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
26 May 2022
20220526-001
Compromised US Academic Credentials Identified
Across Various Public and Dark Web Forums
Summary
The FBI is informing academic partners of identified US college and university credentials
advertised for sale on online criminal marketplaces and publically accessible forums. This
exposure of sensitive credential and network access information, especially privileged user
accounts, could lead to subsequent cyber attacks against individual users or affiliated
organizations.
Threat
Cyber actors continue to conduct attacks against US colleges and universities leading to the
exposure of user information on public and cyber criminal forums. Credential harvesting against
an organization is often a byproduct of spear-phishing, ransomware, or other cyber intrusion
tactics. For example, in 2017, cyber criminals targeted universities to hack .edu accounts by
cloning university login pages and embedding a credential harvester link in phishing emails.
Successfully harvested credentials were then sent to the cyber criminals in an automated email
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
from their servers. Such tactics have continued to prevail and ramped up with COVID-themed
phishing attacks to steal university login credentials, according to security researchers from a
US-based company in December 2021.
The FBI has observed incidents of stolen higher education credential information posted on
publically accessible online forums or listed for sale on criminal marketplaces. The exposure of
usernames and passwords can lead to brute force credential stuffing computer network
attacks, whereby attackers attempt logins across various internet sites or exploit them for
subsequent cyber attacks as criminal actors take advantage of users recycling the same
credentials across multiple accounts, internet sites, and services. If attackers are successful in
compromising a victim account, they may attempt to drain the account of stored value,
leverage or re-sell credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information, submit
fraudulent transactions, exploit for other criminal activity against the account holder, or use for
subsequent attacks against affiliated organizations.
As of January 2022, Russian cyber criminal forums offered for sale or posted for public
access the network credentials and virtual private network accesses to a multitude of
identified US-based universities and colleges across the country, some of which included
screenshots as proof of access. Sites posting credentials for sale typically listed prices
varying from a few to multiple thousands of US dollars.
In May 2021, over 36,000 email and password combinations (some of which may have
been duplicates) for email accounts ending in .edu were identified on a publically
available instant messaging platform. The group posting the compromised data
appeared to be involved in the trafficking of stolen login credentials and other cyber
criminal activities.
In late 2020, US territory-based university account usernames and passwords with the
domain .edu were found for sale on the dark web. The seller listed approximately 2,000
unique usernames with accompanying passwords and asked for donations be made to
an identified bitcoin wallet. As of early 2022, the site containing the credentials was no
longer accessible.
Recommendations
The FBI recommends colleges, universities, and all academic entities establish and maintain
strong liaison relationships with the FBI Field Office in their region. The location and contact
information for all FBI Field Offices can be located at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices.
Through these partnerships, the FBI can assist with identifying vulnerabilities to academia and
mitigating potential threat activity.
The FBI further recommends that academic entities review and, if needed, update incident
response and communication plans that list actions an organization will take if impacted by a
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
cyber incident. In addition, consider the following mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of
compromise:
Keep all operating systems and software up to date. Timely patching is one of the most
efficient and cost-effective steps an organization can take to minimize its exposure to
cybersecurity threats. Regularly check for software updates and end of life (EOL)
notifications, and prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. Automate software
security scanning and testing when possible.
Implement user training programs and phishing exercises for students and faculty to
raise awareness about the risks of visiting suspicious websites, clicking on suspicious
links, and opening suspicious attachments.
Require strong, unique passwords for all accounts with password logins and establish
lock-out rules for incorrect password attempts. Avoid password reuse across multiple
accounts or stored on the system where an adversary may gain access.
Require multi-factor authentication (MFA), preferably using phishing-resistant
authenticators, for as many services as possible - particularly for accounts that access
critical systems, webmail, virtual private networks (VPN), and privileged accounts that
manage backups.
Reduce credential exposure and enforce credential protection by restricting where
accounts and credentials can be used and by using local device credential protection
features.
Segment networks to help prevent unauthorized access by malicious actors or the spread
of malware.
Identify, detect, and investigate abnormal activity with network-monitoring tools that log
and report all network traffic, including lateral movement on a network.
Use anomaly detection tools that identify an unusual increase in traffic and failed
authentication attempts.
Enforce principle of least privilege through authorization policies. Account privileges
should be clearly defined, narrowly scoped, and regularly audited against usage patterns.
Secure and closely monitor remote desktop protocol (RDP) use.
o Limit access to resources over internal networks, especially by restricting RDP and
using virtual desktop infrastructure. If RDP is deemed operationally necessary,
restrict the originating sources and require MFA to mitigate credential theft and
reuse. If RDP must be available externally, use a VPN, virtual desktop
infrastructure, or other means to authenticate and secure the connection before
allowing RDP to connect to internal devices. Monitor remote access/RDP logs,
enforce account lockouts after a specified number of attempts to block brute force
campaigns, log RDP login attempts, and disable unused remote access/RDP ports.
o Ensure devices are properly configured and that security features are enabled.
Disable ports and protocols that are not being used for a business purpose (e.g.,
RDP Transmission Control Protocol Port 3389).
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
o Restrict Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol within the network to only access
servers that are necessary, and remove or disable outdated versions of SMB (i.e.,
SMB version 1). Threat actors use SMB to propagate malware across organizations.
o Review the security posture of third-party vendors and those interconnected with
your organization. Ensure all connections between third-party vendors and outside
software or hardware are monitored and reviewed for suspicious activity.
o Implement listing policies for applications and remote access that only allow
systems to execute known and permitted programs under an established security
policy.
Document external remote connections. Organizations should document approved
solutions for remote management and maintenance, and immediately investigate if an
unapproved solution is installed on a workstation.
Reporting Notice
The FBI encourages recipients of this document to report information concerning suspicious or
criminal activity to their local FBI field office. Field office contacts can be identified at
www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices. When available, each report submitted should include
the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people, and type of equipment used for the
activity, the name of the submitting company or organization, and a designated point of
contact.
Administrative Note
This product is marked TLP:WHITE. Subject to standard copyright rules, the information in this
product may be shared without restriction.
Your Feedback Regarding this Product is Critical
Please take a few minutes to send us your feedback. Your feedback submission
may be anonymous. We read each submission carefully, and your feedback will
be extremely valuable to the FBI. Feedback should be specific to your
experience with our written products to enable the FBI to make quick and
continuous improvements to these products. Feedback may be submitted
online here: https://www.ic3.gov/PIFSurvey
The following information is being provided by the FBI, with no guarantees or warranties, for potential
use at the sole discretion of recipients to protect against cyber threats. This data is provided to help
cyber security professionals and system administrators guard against the persistent malicious actions
of cyber actors. This PIN was coordinated with DHS/CISA.
This PIN has been released TLP:WHITE
Please contact the FBI with any questions related to this Private Industry
Notification via your local FBI Cyber Squad.
www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
26 May 2022
20220526-001
Compromised US Academic Credentials Identified
Across Various Public and Dark Web Forums
Summary
The FBI is informing academic partners of identified US college and university credentials
advertised for sale on online criminal marketplaces and publically accessible forums. This
exposure of sensitive credential and network access information, especially privileged user
accounts, could lead to subsequent cyber attacks against individual users or affiliated
organizations.
Threat
Cyber actors continue to conduct attacks against US colleges and universities leading to the
exposure of user information on public and cyber criminal forums. Credential harvesting against
an organization is often a byproduct of spear-phishing, ransomware, or other cyber intrusion
tactics. For example, in 2017, cyber criminals targeted universities to hack .edu accounts by
cloning university login pages and embedding a credential harvester link in phishing emails.
Successfully harvested credentials were then sent to the cyber criminals in an automated email
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
from their servers. Such tactics have continued to prevail and ramped up with COVID-themed
phishing attacks to steal university login credentials, according to security researchers from a
US-based company in December 2021.
The FBI has observed incidents of stolen higher education credential information posted on
publically accessible online forums or listed for sale on criminal marketplaces. The exposure of
usernames and passwords can lead to brute force credential stuffing computer network
attacks, whereby attackers attempt logins across various internet sites or exploit them for
subsequent cyber attacks as criminal actors take advantage of users recycling the same
credentials across multiple accounts, internet sites, and services. If attackers are successful in
compromising a victim account, they may attempt to drain the account of stored value,
leverage or re-sell credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information, submit
fraudulent transactions, exploit for other criminal activity against the account holder, or use for
subsequent attacks against affiliated organizations.
As of January 2022, Russian cyber criminal forums offered for sale or posted for public
access the network credentials and virtual private network accesses to a multitude of
identified US-based universities and colleges across the country, some of which included
screenshots as proof of access. Sites posting credentials for sale typically listed prices
varying from a few to multiple thousands of US dollars.
In May 2021, over 36,000 email and password combinations (some of which may have
been duplicates) for email accounts ending in .edu were identified on a publically
available instant messaging platform. The group posting the compromised data
appeared to be involved in the trafficking of stolen login credentials and other cyber
criminal activities.
In late 2020, US territory-based university account usernames and passwords with the
domain .edu were found for sale on the dark web. The seller listed approximately 2,000
unique usernames with accompanying passwords and asked for donations be made to
an identified bitcoin wallet. As of early 2022, the site containing the credentials was no
longer accessible.
Recommendations
The FBI recommends colleges, universities, and all academic entities establish and maintain
strong liaison relationships with the FBI Field Office in their region. The location and contact
information for all FBI Field Offices can be located at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices.
Through these partnerships, the FBI can assist with identifying vulnerabilities to academia and
mitigating potential threat activity.
The FBI further recommends that academic entities review and, if needed, update incident
response and communication plans that list actions an organization will take if impacted by a
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
cyber incident. In addition, consider the following mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of
compromise:
Keep all operating systems and software up to date. Timely patching is one of the most
efficient and cost-effective steps an organization can take to minimize its exposure to
cybersecurity threats. Regularly check for software updates and end of life (EOL)
notifications, and prioritize patching known exploited vulnerabilities. Automate software
security scanning and testing when possible.
Implement user training programs and phishing exercises for students and faculty to
raise awareness about the risks of visiting suspicious websites, clicking on suspicious
links, and opening suspicious attachments.
Require strong, unique passwords for all accounts with password logins and establish
lock-out rules for incorrect password attempts. Avoid password reuse across multiple
accounts or stored on the system where an adversary may gain access.
Require multi-factor authentication (MFA), preferably using phishing-resistant
authenticators, for as many services as possible - particularly for accounts that access
critical systems, webmail, virtual private networks (VPN), and privileged accounts that
manage backups.
Reduce credential exposure and enforce credential protection by restricting where
accounts and credentials can be used and by using local device credential protection
features.
Segment networks to help prevent unauthorized access by malicious actors or the spread
of malware.
Identify, detect, and investigate abnormal activity with network-monitoring tools that log
and report all network traffic, including lateral movement on a network.
Use anomaly detection tools that identify an unusual increase in traffic and failed
authentication attempts.
Enforce principle of least privilege through authorization policies. Account privileges
should be clearly defined, narrowly scoped, and regularly audited against usage patterns.
Secure and closely monitor remote desktop protocol (RDP) use.
o Limit access to resources over internal networks, especially by restricting RDP and
using virtual desktop infrastructure. If RDP is deemed operationally necessary,
restrict the originating sources and require MFA to mitigate credential theft and
reuse. If RDP must be available externally, use a VPN, virtual desktop
infrastructure, or other means to authenticate and secure the connection before
allowing RDP to connect to internal devices. Monitor remote access/RDP logs,
enforce account lockouts after a specified number of attempts to block brute force
campaigns, log RDP login attempts, and disable unused remote access/RDP ports.
o Ensure devices are properly configured and that security features are enabled.
Disable ports and protocols that are not being used for a business purpose (e.g.,
RDP Transmission Control Protocol Port 3389).
TLP:WHITE
TLP:WHITE
o Restrict Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol within the network to only access
servers that are necessary, and remove or disable outdated versions of SMB (i.e.,
SMB version 1). Threat actors use SMB to propagate malware across organizations.
o Review the security posture of third-party vendors and those interconnected with
your organization. Ensure all connections between third-party vendors and outside
software or hardware are monitored and reviewed for suspicious activity.
o Implement listing policies for applications and remote access that only allow
systems to execute known and permitted programs under an established security
policy.
Document external remote connections. Organizations should document approved
solutions for remote management and maintenance, and immediately investigate if an
unapproved solution is installed on a workstation.
Reporting Notice
The FBI encourages recipients of this document to report information concerning suspicious or
criminal activity to their local FBI field office. Field office contacts can be identified at
www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices. When available, each report submitted should include
the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people, and type of equipment used for the
activity, the name of the submitting company or organization, and a designated point of
contact.
Administrative Note
This product is marked TLP:WHITE. Subject to standard copyright rules, the information in this
product may be shared without restriction.
Your Feedback Regarding this Product is Critical
Please take a few minutes to send us your feedback. Your feedback submission
may be anonymous. We read each submission carefully, and your feedback will
be extremely valuable to the FBI. Feedback should be specific to your
experience with our written products to enable the FBI to make quick and
continuous improvements to these products. Feedback may be submitted
online here: https://www.ic3.gov/PIFSurvey
