# Pentesting Cloud Methodology

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<figure><img src="../images/CLOUD-logo-letters.svg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Basic Methodology

Each cloud has its own peculiarities but in general there are a few **common things a pentester should check** when testing a cloud environment:

- **Benchmark checks**
  - This will help you **understand the size** of the environment and **services used**
  - It will allow you also to find some **quick misconfigurations** as you can perform most of this tests with **automated tools**
- **Services Enumeration**
  - You probably won't find much more misconfigurations here if you performed correctly the benchmark tests, but you might find some that weren't being looked for in the benchmark test.
  - This will allow you to know **what is exactly being used** in the cloud env
  - This will help a lot in the next steps
- **Check exposed assets**
  - This can be done during the previous section, you need to **find out everything that is potentially exposed** to the Internet somehow and how can it be accessed.
    - Here I'm taking **manually exposed infrastructure** like instances with web pages or other ports being exposed, and also about other **cloud managed services that can be configured** to be exposed (such as DBs or buckets)
  - Then you should check **if that resource can be exposed or not** (confidential information? vulnerabilities? misconfigurations in the exposed service?)
- **Check permissions**
  - Here you should **find out all the permissions of each role/user** inside the cloud and how are they used
    - Too **many highly privileged** (control everything) accounts? Generated keys not used?... Most of these check should have been done in the benchmark tests already
    - If the client is using OpenID or SAML or other **federation** you might need to ask them for further **information** about **how is being each role assigned** (it's not the same that the admin role is assigned to 1 user or to 100)
  - It's **not enough to find** which users has **admin** permissions "\*:\*". There are a lot of **other permissions** that depending on the services used can be very **sensitive**.
    - Moreover, there are **potential privesc** ways to follow abusing permissions. All this things should be taken into account and **as much privesc paths as possible** should be reported.
- **Check Integrations**
  - It's highly probably that **integrations with other clouds or SaaS** are being used inside the cloud env.
    - For **integrations of the cloud you are auditing** with other platform you should notify **who has access to (ab)use that integration** and you should ask **how sensitive** is the action being performed.\
      For example, who can write in an AWS bucket where GCP is getting data from (ask how sensitive is the action in GCP treating that data).
    - For **integrations inside the cloud you are auditing** from external platforms, you should ask **who has access externally to (ab)use that integration** and check how is that data being used.\
      For example, if a service is using a Docker image hosted in GCR, you should ask who has access to modify that and which sensitive info and access will get that image when executed inside an AWS cloud.

### Hunt autonomous data streams writing to globally-unique storage

During post-exploitation, review long-lived exports such as log sinks, subscriptions, replication jobs, Firehose streams, and diagnostic settings that write to buckets or storage accounts by globally-unique name. If the destination can be deleted and the same name can be recreated under attacker control, the upstream service might keep delivering sensitive data to the replacement destination even when the attacker cannot update the router resource itself.

Focus this check in the relevant service pages:

{{#ref}}
gcp-security/gcp-post-exploitation/gcp-logging-post-exploitation.md
{{#endref}}

{{#ref}}
gcp-security/gcp-post-exploitation/gcp-pub-sub-post-exploitation.md
{{#endref}}

{{#ref}}
gcp-security/gcp-post-exploitation/gcp-storage-post-exploitation.md
{{#endref}}

{{#ref}}
aws-security/aws-post-exploitation/aws-s3-post-exploitation/README.md
{{#endref}}

{{#ref}}
azure-security/az-post-exploitation/az-blob-storage-post-exploitation.md
{{#endref}}

## Multi-Cloud tools

There are several tools that can be used to test different cloud environments. The installation steps and links are going to be indicated in this section.

### [PurplePanda](https://github.com/carlospolop/purplepanda)

A tool to **identify bad configurations and privesc path in clouds and across clouds/SaaS.**

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}

```bash
# You need to install and run neo4j also
git clone https://github.com/carlospolop/PurplePanda
cd PurplePanda
python3 -m venv .
source bin/activate
python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt
export PURPLEPANDA_NEO4J_URL="bolt://neo4j@localhost:7687"
export PURPLEPANDA_PWD="neo4j_pwd_4_purplepanda"
python3 main.py -h # Get help
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```bash
export GOOGLE_DISCOVERY=$(echo 'google:
- file_path: ""

- file_path: ""
  service_account_id: "some-sa-email@sidentifier.iam.gserviceaccount.com"' | base64)

python3 main.py -a -p google #Get basic info of the account to check it's correctly configured
python3 main.py -e -p google #Enumerate the env
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [Prowler](https://github.com/prowler-cloud/prowler)

It supports **AWS, GCP & Azure**. Check how to configure each provider in [https://docs.prowler.cloud/en/latest/#aws](https://docs.prowler.cloud/en/latest/#aws)

```bash
# Install
pip install prowler
prowler -v

# Run
prowler <provider>
# Example
prowler aws --profile custom-profile [-M csv json json-asff html]

# Get info about checks & services
prowler <provider> --list-checks
prowler <provider> --list-services
```

### [CloudSploit](https://github.com/aquasecurity/cloudsploit)

AWS, Azure, Github, Google, Oracle, Alibaba

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}

```bash
# Install
git clone https://github.com/aquasecurity/cloudsploit.git
cd cloudsploit
npm install
./index.js -h
## Docker instructions in github
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```bash
## You need to have creds for a service account and set them in config.js file
./index.js --cloud google --config </abs/path/to/config.js>
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [ScoutSuite](https://github.com/nccgroup/ScoutSuite)

AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}

```bash
mkdir scout; cd scout
virtualenv -p python3 venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install scoutsuite
scout --help
## Using Docker: https://github.com/nccgroup/ScoutSuite/wiki/Docker-Image
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```bash
scout gcp --report-dir /tmp/gcp --user-account --all-projects
## use "--service-account KEY_FILE" instead of "--user-account" to use a service account

SCOUT_FOLDER_REPORT="/tmp"
for pid in $(gcloud projects list --format="value(projectId)"); do
    echo "================================================"
    echo "Checking $pid"
    mkdir "$SCOUT_FOLDER_REPORT/$pid"
    scout gcp --report-dir "$SCOUT_FOLDER_REPORT/$pid" --no-browser --user-account --project-id "$pid"
done
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [Steampipe](https://github.com/turbot)

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}
Download and install Steampipe ([https://steampipe.io/downloads](https://steampipe.io/downloads)). Or use Brew:

```
brew tap turbot/tap
brew install steampipe
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```bash
# Install gcp plugin
steampipe plugin install gcp

# Use https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-gcp-compliance.git
git clone https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-gcp-compliance.git
cd steampipe-mod-gcp-compliance
# To run all the checks from the dashboard
steampipe dashboard
# To run all the checks from rhe cli
steampipe check all
```

<details>

<summary>Check all Projects</summary>

In order to check all the projects you need to generate the `gcp.spc` file indicating all the projects to test. You can just follow the indications from the following script

```bash
FILEPATH="/tmp/gcp.spc"
rm -rf "$FILEPATH" 2>/dev/null

# Generate a json like object for each project
for pid in $(gcloud projects list --format="value(projectId)"); do
echo "connection \"gcp_$(echo -n $pid | tr "-" "_" )\" {
    plugin  = \"gcp\"
    project = \"$pid\"
}" >> "$FILEPATH"
done

# Generate the aggragator to call
echo 'connection "gcp_all" {
  plugin      = "gcp"
  type        = "aggregator"
  connections = ["gcp_*"]
}' >> "$FILEPATH"

echo "Copy $FILEPATH in ~/.steampipe/config/gcp.spc if it was correctly generated"
```

</details>

To check **other GCP insights** (useful for enumerating services) use: [https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-gcp-insights](https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-gcp-insights)

To check Terraform GCP code: [https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-terraform-gcp-compliance](https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-terraform-gcp-compliance)

More GCP plugins of Steampipe: [https://github.com/turbot?q=gcp](https://github.com/turbot?q=gcp)
{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="AWS" }}

```bash
# Install aws plugin
steampipe plugin install aws

# Modify the spec indicating in "profile" the profile name to use
nano ~/.steampipe/config/aws.spc

# Get some info on how the AWS account is being used
git clone https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-aws-insights.git
cd steampipe-mod-aws-insights
steampipe dashboard

# Get the services exposed to the internet
git clone https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-aws-perimeter.git
cd steampipe-mod-aws-perimeter
steampipe dashboard

# Run the benchmarks
git clone https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-aws-compliance
cd steampipe-mod-aws-compliance
steampipe dashboard # To see results in browser
steampipe check all --export=/tmp/output4.json
```

To check Terraform AWS code: [https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-terraform-aws-compliance](https://github.com/turbot/steampipe-mod-terraform-aws-compliance)

More AWS plugins of Steampipe: [https://github.com/orgs/turbot/repositories?q=aws](https://github.com/orgs/turbot/repositories?q=aws)
{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [~~cs-suite~~](https://github.com/SecurityFTW/cs-suite)

AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean.\
It requires python2.7 and looks unmaintained.

### Nessus

Nessus has an _**Audit Cloud Infrastructure**_ scan supporting: AWS, Azure, Office 365, Rackspace, Salesforce. Some extra configurations in **Azure** are needed to obtain a **Client Id**.

### [**cloudlist**](https://github.com/projectdiscovery/cloudlist)

Cloudlist is a **multi-cloud tool for getting Assets** (Hostnames, IP Addresses) from Cloud Providers.

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Cloudlist" }}

```bash
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/projectdiscovery/cloudlist/releases/latest/download/cloudlist_1.0.1_macOS_arm64.zip
unzip cloudlist_1.0.1_macOS_arm64.zip
chmod +x cloudlist
sudo mv cloudlist /usr/local/bin
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="Second Tab" }}

```bash
## For GCP it requires service account JSON credentials
cloudlist -config </path/to/config>
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [**cartography**](https://github.com/lyft/cartography)

Cartography is a Python tool that consolidates infrastructure assets and the relationships between them in an intuitive graph view powered by a Neo4j database.

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}

```bash
# Installation
docker image pull ghcr.io/lyft/cartography
docker run --platform linux/amd64 ghcr.io/lyft/cartography cartography --help
## Install a Neo4j DB version 3.5.*
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```bash
docker run --platform linux/amd64 \
     --volume "$HOME/.config/gcloud/application_default_credentials.json:/application_default_credentials.json" \
     -e GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/application_default_credentials.json" \
     -e NEO4j_PASSWORD="s3cr3t" \
     ghcr.io/lyft/cartography  \
     --neo4j-uri bolt://host.docker.internal:7687 \
     --neo4j-password-env-var NEO4j_PASSWORD \
     --neo4j-user neo4j


# It only checks for a few services inside GCP (https://lyft.github.io/cartography/modules/gcp/index.html)
## Cloud Resource Manager
## Compute
## DNS
## Storage
## Google Kubernetes Engine
### If you can run starbase or purplepanda you will get more info
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [**starbase**](https://github.com/JupiterOne/starbase)

Starbase collects assets and relationships from services and systems including cloud infrastructure, SaaS applications, security controls, and more into an intuitive graph view backed by the Neo4j database.

{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="Install" }}

```bash
# You are going to need Node version 14, so install nvm following https://tecadmin.net/install-nvm-macos-with-homebrew/
npm install --global yarn
nvm install 14
git clone https://github.com/JupiterOne/starbase.git
cd starbase
nvm use 14
yarn install
yarn starbase --help
# Configure manually config.yaml depending on the env to analyze
yarn starbase setup
yarn starbase run

# Docker
git clone https://github.com/JupiterOne/starbase.git
cd starbase
cp config.yaml.example config.yaml
# Configure manually config.yaml depending on the env to analyze
docker build --no-cache -t starbase:latest .
docker-compose run starbase setup
docker-compose run starbase run
```

{{#endtab }}

{{#tab name="GCP" }}

```yaml
## Config for GCP
### Check out: https://github.com/JupiterOne/graph-google-cloud/blob/main/docs/development.md
### It requires service account credentials

integrations:
  - name: graph-google-cloud
    instanceId: testInstanceId
    directory: ./.integrations/graph-google-cloud
    gitRemoteUrl: https://github.com/JupiterOne/graph-google-cloud.git
    config:
      SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_FILE: "{Check https://github.com/JupiterOne/graph-google-cloud/blob/main/docs/development.md#service_account_key_file-string}"
      PROJECT_ID: ""
      FOLDER_ID: ""
      ORGANIZATION_ID: ""
      CONFIGURE_ORGANIZATION_PROJECTS: false

storage:
  engine: neo4j
  config:
    username: neo4j
    password: s3cr3t
    uri: bolt://localhost:7687
    #Consider using host.docker.internal if from docker
```

{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}

### [**SkyArk**](https://github.com/cyberark/SkyArk)

Discover the most privileged users in the scanned AWS or Azure environment, including the AWS Shadow Admins. It uses powershell.

```bash
Import-Module .\SkyArk.ps1 -force
Start-AzureStealth

# in the Cloud Console
IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cyberark/SkyArk/master/AzureStealth/AzureStealth.ps1')
Scan-AzureAdmins
```

### [Cloud Brute](https://github.com/0xsha/CloudBrute)

A tool to find a company (target) infrastructure, files, and apps on the top cloud providers (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, DigitalOcean, Alibaba, Vultr, Linode).

### [CloudFox](https://github.com/BishopFox/cloudfox)

- CloudFox is a tool to find exploitable attack paths in cloud infrastructure (currently only AWS & Azure supported with GCP upcoming).
- It is an enumeration tool which is intended to compliment manual pentesting.
- It doesn't create or modify any data within the cloud environment.

### More lists of cloud security tools

- [https://github.com/RyanJarv/awesome-cloud-sec](https://github.com/RyanJarv/awesome-cloud-sec)

## Google

### GCP

{{#ref}}
gcp-security/
{{#endref}}

### Workspace

{{#ref}}
workspace-security/
{{#endref}}

## AWS

{{#ref}}
aws-security/
{{#endref}}

## Azure

{{#ref}}
azure-security/
{{#endref}}

## Common Cloud Security Features

### Confidential Computing

{{#ref}}
confidential-computing/luks2-header-malleability-null-cipher-abuse.md
{{#endref}}

## References

- [The Global Namespace Risk: Universal Bucket Hijacking Technique for Cloud Data Exfiltration](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-bucket-hijacking-risks/)
- [Cloud Logging routing and sinks](https://docs.cloud.google.com/logging/docs/export/configure_export_v2)
- [Amazon S3 replication](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/replication.html)
- [Azure Monitor diagnostic settings](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/platform/diagnostic-settings)

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