GCP - IAM Post Exploitation

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Identity and Access Management (IAM) post-exploitation refers to the techniques and strategies that attackers employ after gaining unauthorized access to a GCP IAM environment.

🧐 Why ?

Understanding GCP IAM post-exploitation is crucial as it provides insights into security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals. By understanding these tactics, organizations can enhance their security measures and develop more robust defense strategies.

⛏️ How ?

GCP IAM post-exploitation can be implemented by firstly gaining unauthorized access to a GCP environment. This can be achieved through various methods such as phishing, exploiting security vulnerabilities, or using compromised credentials. Once access is gained, the attacker can then move laterally within the environment, escalate privileges, or exfiltrate sensitive data.

⏳ When ?

The practice of GCP IAM post-exploitation began as organizations started moving their operations to the cloud. As the utilization of cloud services increased, so did the attacks targeting these environments.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

GCP IAM allows organizations to manage access control by defining who (identity) has what access (role) for which resource. In a post-exploitation scenario, an attacker, having gained unauthorized access, can exploit various aspects of the IAM. For instance, they can impersonate legitimate users, manipulate IAM policies, or exploit misconfigurations to escalate privileges. They can also perform actions that the compromised account is permitted to, such as accessing data stored in the cloud, modifying resources, or even creating new accounts for persistent access. Mitigating such risks involves implementing robust security measures such as strong authentication, least privilege access, and regular auditing and monitoring.