cyberstrikeus T1578 Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure
High-Level Description
An adversary may attempt to modify a cloud account's compute service infrastructure to evade defenses. A modification to the compute service infrastructure can include the creation, deletion, or modification of one or more components such as compute instances, virtual machines, and snapshots.
Permissions gained from the modification of infrastructure components may bypass restrictions that prevent access to existing infrastructure. Modifying infrastructure components may also allow an adversary to evade detection and remove evidence of their presence.
Kill Chain Phase
- Defense Evasion (TA0005)
Platforms: IaaS
What to Check
- Identify if Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure technique is applicable to target environment
- Check IaaS systems for indicators of Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure
- Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (2 known mitigations)
- Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)
How to Test
Manual Testing
Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure by examining the target platforms (IaaS).
Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1578 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.
Execute Test: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.
Note: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.
Remediation Guide
M1018 User Account Management
Limit permissions for creating, deleting, and otherwise altering compute components in accordance with least privilege. Organizations should limit the number of users within the organization with an IAM role that has administrative privileges, strive to reduce all permanent privileged role assignments, and conduct periodic entitlement reviews on IAM users, roles and policies.
M1047 Audit
Routinely monitor user permissions to ensure only the expected users have the capability to modify cloud compute infrastructure components.
Detection
Detection Strategy for Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure technique applicable | Low | Defense Evasion |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| CWE-693 | Protection Mechanism Failure |