Deciphering the Risks of AWS SSM in Hybrid Environments

Introduction 

Hybrid cloud environments are becoming the backbone of enterprise IT infrastructure, offering unparalleled scalability and flexibility. However, this interconnected architecture introduces new vulnerabilities, especially through tools like AWS Systems Manager (SSM). In our latest research, we explore how AWS SSM, a tool designed for streamlined host administration, can be exploited by attackers for lateral movement, privilege escalation, and persistence.

Read the full research article to dive deeper

Who Should Read This?

• Security researchers and red teamers: Explore attack scenarios and techniques leveraging AWS SSM.
• Enterprise security professionals: Gain actionable insights into mitigating risks in hybrid environments.
• IT administrators: Understand how attackers can exploit legitimate management tools and how to secure them.

Summary

AWS Systems Manager (SSM) is a management tool that bridges the gap between on-premises and cloud resources, enabling centralized control over hybrid environments. While highly beneficial for administrators, its capabilities—such as elevated privileges, trusted binary status, and seamless integration—make it equally attractive to attackers.

Our research demonstrates how attackers leverage AWS SSM to execute lateral movements, bypass firewalls, and harvest sensitive credentials. For example, we showcase:

• Basic Attack Scenarios: A phishing attack to gain AWS credentials, followed by leveraging SSM agents installed on on-premises servers to harvest sensitive data and create persistent backdoors.
• Advanced Attack Scenarios: Circumventing strict on-premises firewall configurations using SSM to access restricted segments, execute commands, and exfiltrate sensitive data.
• Exploitation with Automation: Using scripts to enumerate SSM-managed devices and execute payloads, such as extracting SSH keys, enabling further network propagation.

These attack scenarios highlight the dual-edged nature of AWS SSM in hybrid environments, emphasizing the need for robust security measures.

Does This Apply to My Organization?

Hybrid network environments are widespread, with many enterprise cloud setups implemented as hybrid architectures. Organizations leveraging AWS SSM—especially those with on-premises managed devices—are at potential risk. Sectors with stringent regulatory requirements or complex hybrid infrastructures should pay particular attention to these findings.

Who might be impacted?

• Enterprises using AWS SSM for fleet and session management.
• Organizations with on-premises servers integrated into AWS ecosystems.
• Teams relying on automation tools that use high-privilege access within hybrid architectures.

Impact

The misuse of AWS SSM can lead to severe consequences, including:

• Credential Compromise: Attackers gaining access to sensitive credentials through compromised SSM agents.
• Lateral Movement: Exploiting trusted communication channels to propagate across network segments.
• Persistent Backdoors: Using high privileges to create unauthorized accounts and maintain stealthy access.
• Regulatory and Compliance Risks: Breaches involving sensitive data stored on-premises or in the cloud.

Mitigations

To reduce exposure to AWS SSM exploitation, organizations should implement the following strategies:

1. Apply Least Privilege Principles
2. Regular Credential Rotation
3. Monitor SSM User Accounts
4. Enable Detailed Logging
5. Limit SSM Deployment

These mitigations ensure the advantages of AWS SSM and hybrid environments are not overshadowed by security risks.

Conclusion

AWS SSM exemplifies the balance between functionality and risk in hybrid cloud environments. By understanding how attackers exploit these tools, organizations can proactively mitigate threats while maintaining operational efficiency.

Read the full research article to learn more

For any questions, please contact us at [email protected].