GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc
👉 Overview
👀 What ?
GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc is a tactic used by attackers to escalate their privileges on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This is achieved by abusing generic, or 'wildcard', permissions that have been carelessly assigned. These permissions can allow an attacker to gain access to resources they should not have access to, and carry out malicious activities.
🧐 Why ?
Understanding GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc is crucial because incorrect assignment of permissions is a common security issue on cloud platforms. If an attacker gains escalated privileges, they can cause significant harm, including data theft, disruption of services, and even full takeover of the cloud environment. Therefore, it's important to understand this tactic to better secure your GCP environment.
⛏️ How ?
To prevent GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc, follow these steps: \n1. Understand and adhere to the principle of least privilege - only assign the minimum permissions necessary for a user or service to function. \n2. Regularly review and audit permissions to identify any that are unnecessary or too broad. \n3. Implement robust monitoring and logging to detect unusual activity. \n4. Use Google's security tools, such as the IAM Recommender, which can help identify overly permissive roles.
⏳ When ?
The concept of privilege escalation has been a known issue in cybersecurity for many years, but with the advent of cloud computing, it has taken on new forms. GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc has become a notable issue as more organizations migrate to the cloud and struggle with correctly managing permissions.
⚙️ Technical Explanations
GCP - Generic Permissions Privesc exploits the wildcard permissions feature in GCP. This feature allows administrators to grant a user or service all permissions within a specific category, using an asterisk () as a placeholder. For example, the permission 'storage.objects.' would grant access to all actions within the 'storage.objects' category. While this can be useful for quickly assigning permissions, it can also lead to over-permission if not used carefully. An attacker who gains access to an account with wildcard permissions can carry out any action within that category, potentially leading to data exposure, service disruption, or other malicious activities.