Hacker Exploits Misconfigured Cloud Environments for Large-scale Ransomware Campaign
Taipei, Taiwan – A significant cybersecurity incident has been uncovered, with researchers from Palo Alto Networks revealing that over 110,000 domains have been compromised due to inappropriate cloud application settings. The attackers have managed to steal sensitive data and leverage it to extort money from affected organizations.
The report, published on August 19, 2024, highlights the vulnerabilities in cloud operator accounts where overly permissive Identity & Authentication Management (IAM) settings have been enabled. These misconfigurations have allowed hackers to gain access to critical information, including authentication credentials stored in environment variable files (.env).
Hacker’s Strategy and Impact
The campaign targeted organizations that deployed cloud operator accounts without adhering to best practices in cloud security. The .env files, which contain sensitive information such as access keys, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) API keys, and database login details, were exposed due to the negligence of the affected organizations. This exposure was not due to application or service vulnerabilities or improper settings by product vendors but rather due to the organizations’ own configuration mistakes, such as infrequent password changes or ignoring the principle of least privilege.
According to the Unite 24 cybersecurity research team, the attackers set up attack infrastructure across multiple Amazon Web Services (AWS) accounts. They began by scanning the internet for publicly exposed buckets and then abused the leaked environment variables. The campaign targeted 110,000 domains, successfully obtaining over 90,000 unique variables, including 7,000 from organizational cloud services and 1,500 from social media accounts.
Attack Execution and Ransom Methods
The attackers used various discovery APIs to target AWS services such as IAM, Security Token Service (STS), Simple Storage Service (S3), and Simple Email Service (SES). This allowed them to obtain AWS UserID, account numbers, and Amazon Resource Names (ARN). Further investigation of the ARN files provided access to associated AWS services, cloud regions hosting AWS resources, AWS accounts, and IAM credentials related to resource types such as users or groups.
With these IAM credentials in hand, the attackers launched privilege escalation and code execution attacks on AWS EC2 and AWS Lambda services. They then used data within cloud containers to extort money from the victim organizations.
The ransomware campaign involved the use of the Tor network for initial reconnaissance and access, VPNs for lateral movement and data theft, and Virtual Private Server (VPS) endpoints for other operations. Notably, the attackers did not use encryption but left ransom messages inside the victims’ cloud containers after stealing the data.
Response and Recommendations
Palo Alto Networks did not disclose who was behind the attacks but reported the exposed buckets to AWS, which has since resolved the issue. The company recommends that users enhance their cloud security measures by implementing firewalls, DNS security, URL filtering, and IAM solutions.
Conclusion
The large number of affected domains suggests that the attackers used automated methods to carry out the campaign. The sophisticated approach indicates that the attackers have a deep understanding of cloud architecture processes and techniques.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper cloud configuration and the need for organizations to adhere to security best practices. As cyber threats continue to evolve, businesses must remain vigilant and proactive in protecting their data and systems from potential breaches and extortion attempts.
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