Adversaries may abuse cloud APIs to execute malicious commands. APIs available in cloud environments provide various functionalities and are a feature-rich method for programmatic access to nearly all aspects of a tenant. These APIs may be utilized through various methods such as command line interpreters (CLIs), in-browser Cloud Shells, PowerShell modules like Azure for PowerShell[1], or software developer kits (SDKs) available for languages such as Python.
Cloud API functionality may allow for administrative access across all major services in a tenant such as compute, storage, identity and access management (IAM), networking, and security policies.
With proper permissions (often via use of credentials such as Application Access Token and Web Session Cookie), adversaries may abuse cloud APIs to invoke various functions that execute malicious actions. For example, CLI and PowerShell functionality may be accessed through binaries installed on cloud-hosted or on-premises hosts or accessed through a browser-based cloud shell offered by many cloud platforms (such as AWS, Azure, and GCP). These cloud shells are often a packaged unified environment to use CLI and/or scripting modules hosted as a container in the cloud environment.
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0016 | APT29 |
APT29 has leveraged the Microsoft Graph API to perform various actions across Azure and M365 environments. They have also utilized AADInternals PowerShell Modules to access the API [2] |
| S1091 | Pacu | |
| G1053 | Storm-0501 |
Storm-0501 has leveraged Cloud CLI to execute commands and exfiltrate data from compromised environments.[4] |
| G0139 | TeamTNT |
TeamTNT has leveraged AWS CLI to enumerate cloud environments with compromised credentials.[5] |
| ID | Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1038 | Execution Prevention |
Use application control where appropriate to block use of PowerShell CmdLets or other host based resources to access cloud API resources. |
| M1026 | Privileged Account Management |
Use of proper Identity and Access Management (IAM) with Role Based Access Control (RBAC) policies to limit actions administrators can perform and provide a history of administrative actions to detect unauthorized use and abuse. |
| ID | Name | Analytic ID | Analytic Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET0078 | Behavioral Detection of Malicious Cloud API Scripting | AN0215 |
Detects adversarial use of cloud APIs for command execution, resource control, or reconnaissance. Focuses on CLI/SDK/scripting language abuse via stolen credentials or in-browser Cloud Shells. Monitors for anomalous API calls chained with authentication context shifts (e.g., stolen token -> privileged action) and cross-service impacts. |