# AWS - EC2 Persistence
{% hint style="success" %}
Learn & practice AWS Hacking: (1) (1) (1).png)
[**HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/arte)\
Learn & practice GCP Hacking:  (1).png)
[**HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/grte)
Support HackTricks
* Check the [**subscription plans**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
* **Join the** 💬 [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** us on **Twitter** 🐦 [**@hacktricks\_live**](https://twitter.com/hacktricks_live)**.**
* **Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the** [**HackTricks**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) and [**HackTricks Cloud**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks-cloud) github repos.
{% endhint %}
## EC2
For more information check:
{% content-ref url="../aws-services/aws-ec2-ebs-elb-ssm-vpc-and-vpn-enum/" %}
[aws-ec2-ebs-elb-ssm-vpc-and-vpn-enum](../aws-services/aws-ec2-ebs-elb-ssm-vpc-and-vpn-enum/)
{% endcontent-ref %}
### Security Group Connection Tracking Persistence
If a defender finds that an **EC2 instance was compromised** he will probably try to **isolate** the **network** of the machine. He could do this with an explicit **Deny NACL** (but NACLs affect the entire subnet), or **changing the security group** not allowing **any kind of inbound or outbound** traffic.
If the attacker had a **reverse shell originated from the machine**, even if the SG is modified to not allow inboud or outbound traffic, the **connection won't be killed due to** [**Security Group Connection Tracking**](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/security-group-connection-tracking.html)**.**
### EC2 Lifecycle Manager
This service allow to **schedule** the **creation of AMIs and snapshots** and even **share them with other accounts**.\
An attacker could configure the **generation of AMIs or snapshots** of all the images or all the volumes **every week** and **share them with his account**.
### Scheduled Instances
It's possible to schedule instances to run daily, weekly or even monthly. An attacker could run a machine with high privileges or interesting access where he could access.
### Spot Fleet Request
Spot instances are **cheaper** than regular instances. An attacker could launch a **small spot fleet request for 5 year** (for example), with **automatic IP** assignment and a **user data** that sends to the attacker **when the spot instance start** and the **IP address** and with a **high privileged IAM role**.
### Backdoor Instances
An attacker could get access to the instances and backdoor them:
* Using a traditional **rootkit** for example
* Adding a new **public SSH key** (check [EC2 privesc options](../aws-privilege-escalation/aws-ec2-privesc.md))
* Backdooring the **User Data**
### **Backdoor Launch Configuration**
* Backdoor the used AMI
* Backdoor the User Data
* Backdoor the Key Pair
### VPN
Create a VPN so the attacker will be able to connect directly through i to the VPC.
### VPC Peering
Create a peering connection between the victim VPC and the attacker VPC so he will be able to access the victim VPC.
{% hint style="success" %}
Learn & practice AWS Hacking:[**HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/arte)\
Learn & practice GCP Hacking: [**HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/grte)
Support HackTricks
* Check the [**subscription plans**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
* **Join the** 💬 [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** us on **Twitter** 🐦 [**@hacktricks\_live**](https://twitter.com/hacktricks_live)**.**
* **Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the** [**HackTricks**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) and [**HackTricks Cloud**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks-cloud) github repos.
{% endhint %}