Threat Actors Target AWS EC2 Workloads to Steal Credentials - Join The Lights

However, if the port being probed is used by , the finding’s severity is High. An EC2 instance is querying a low reputation domain name that is suspicious in nature due to its age, or low popularity. If this activity is unexpected, your instance is likely compromised, see Remediating a compromised EC2 instance. In this tutorial on what is a botnet, you understood what a botnet is and how it works; you also learned its architecture.

This finding informs you that the listed EC2 instance in your AWS environment is trying to query domain generation algorithm domains. Such domains are commonly used by malware and could be an indication of a compromised EC2 instance. An EC2 instance is generating unusually large amounts of network traffic to a remote host. An EC2 instance is windows bug fills windows boot with communicating with a remote host on an unusual server port. To test how GuardDuty generates this finding type, you can make a DNS request from your instance against a test domain guarddutyc2activityb.com. For all EC2 findings, it is recommended that you examine the resource in question to determine if it is behaving in an expected manner.

A crypto-mining bot is stealing AWS logins to maintain its servers in a previously unseen type of attack. Cado Security continues to see a rise in attackers developing tools and techniques specifically targeting cloud and container environments. It is important organisations remain vigilant and continue to adapt to these new threats.

The researchers have linked the botnet to a cybercrime operation known as TeamTNT. This is a group of malefactors that UK-based Cado Security identified back in August 2020. At the time, the group was busy installing cryptocurrency-mining malware on misconfigured container platforms. The botnet infects a system’s “Docker,” a software tool to deploy applications, to infiltrate computers that run on top of, or use, the AWS infrastructure.

The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog “Security Affairs” recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Author of the Books “The Deep Dark Web” and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”. Sergiu Gatlan has covered cybersecurity, technology, and a few other topics for over a decade. As the researchers found, the attackers either manually checking the stolen AWS credentials or their automated checks aren’t yet operational. According to researchers at Cado Security this is the first-ever worm that comes with AWS credential theft functionality on top of run-of-the-mill cryptomining modules.

You had a look at the different types of botnets and how you can protect yourself from them. Those were a few of the destructive and dangerous botnets in history. So, heading to the next section of this tutorial on what is a botnet, you will learn how to protect yourself from a botnet attack. First discovered in 2016, 3ve was a different type of Botnet that did not steal data or money and instead generated fake clicks on online advertisements hosted by fake websites. The next part of this tutorial on what is a botnet will acquaint you with the famous botnets of all time. If you are seeking additional guidance in planning your cloud security program.

Resulting in subsequent transmission to attacker-controlled Crypto wallets. TeamTNT is a threat actor that conducts large-scale attacks against virtual and cloud solutions, like Kubernetes and Docker. Previous attacks displayed motives concerned with cryptocurrency mining and stealing credentials, but this time a new strategy that leverages AWS metadata was employed. Excessive permissions can be exploited in the cloud platform and may result in lateral movement attacks.

If you want to know more about these rules, you can check the full rule descriptions on GitHub. Techzine focusses on IT professionals and business decision makers by publishing the latest IT news and background stories. The goal is to help IT professionals get acquainted with new innovative products and services, but also to offer in-depth information to help them understand products and services better. Workday is the next major software company to offer a complete suite through a cloud platform. Oliveira warns that thanks to this new feature, “implementing API authentication is not enough.” He suggests that companies should make sure Docker management APIs aren’t exposed online in the first place. They also started employing LaZagne, another open-source application, to enhance their credential-stealing capabilities.

The other one checks the environment variables for AWS credentials; if these are present, they are uploaded to the C&C server.” continues the report. The BOtB tool brings several enhancements to the attack’s capabilities. It can find and identify Kubernetes account secrets, Docker daemons, sensitive metadata from AWS/ GCP endpoints, open UNIX sockets, data from Linux Kernel Keyrings, and sensitive strings in the environment. It enables hijacking of host binaries with custom payloads, can perform actions in CI