Welcome back, aspiring cyberwarriors!
Every day, we use various applications on our phones, laptops, or desktops, and the data from these applications can be stored in different locations, such as locally on the device, in a data center, or in the cloud. Additionally, many users have access to different types of data. From a security perspective, it’s essential to grant the appropriate permissions to the relevant individuals at the correct time. This practice, known in the field of cybersecurity as identity and access management (IAM), ensures that users have the access they need.
In this article, we will discuss what IAM is, the core pillars of IAM, and common attacks targeting it. Let’s get rolling!
Step #1: Understanding IAM
Identity management, often abbreviated as IAM (Identity and Access Management), is the framework of policies, processes, and technologies that ensures the right individuals have appropriate access to the right resources at the right times for the right reasons. At it’s core, IAM has two main phases:
Configuration Phase: This is where access rights are set up and approved.
Operation Phase: This is where a person’s identity is verified, and their access is controlled.
Modern Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems concentrate on a few key areas to effectively manage digital identities.
The first aspect is identity creation, which involves the creation, management, and deletion of unique identities. Once identities are established, user access, or authentication, becomes necessary. This allows individuals to log in as their digital identity across various applications, verifying their identity through methods such as passwords, biometric data, or specific behaviors, like touchscreen gestures.
Following authentication, authorization, and role management play a significant role. Here, the system determines what actions users can undertake. This is commonly implemented through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), where actions are categorized by roles associated with job functions. This ensures that users have the appropriate permissions necessary for their tasks.
Additionally, identity federation is a required component, as it enables users to access multiple services based on trusted relationships between different systems. An Identity Provider (IdP) verifies the user’s identity and notifies a Service Provider (SP) securely, allowing users to avoid re-entering their passwords for each service they wish to access.
Finally, a strong IAM framework incorporates an audit function that continuously monitors for potential problems and suspicious activities.
Step #2: Common Identity Management Vulnerabilities and Attack Techniques
Let’s explore the most common attack vectors and how they work in practice.
Weak Password Policies and Credential Reuse
The weakest link in most identity management systems is the password itself. Despite decades of security awareness training, users continue to choose weak passwords and reuse the same passwords across multiple services. This creates a cascading vulnerability where a breach at one service can compromise user accounts at many other services.
Attackers often maintain or purchase databases of usernames and passwords that have been leaked from data breaches. These databases can contain billions of credentials harvested from compromised websites, forums, and services. For example, an attacker might take a list of email addresses and passwords from a breach at an online shopping site and test those same credentials against corporate VPNs, email systems, and cloud services. Since many users tend to reuse passwords, a surprising number of these attempts can be successful. We discussed how to find breached emails, passwords, and other credentials in our OSINT series. Check it out to avoid any illusions about the security of your passwords.
Another popular and effective technique is password spraying. Instead of trying multiple passwords on one account, which could trigger lockout policies, attackers attempt one common password across many accounts. You might think this is a script kiddie technique, but advanced persistent threats like APT28, APT29, and APT33 have weaponized password spraying for attacks against government and defense sectors.
Authentication Protocol Vulnerabilities
The protocols and mechanisms used for user authentication can have vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit. For instance, older protocols like NTLM (NT LAN Manager) are still commonly used in Windows environments for backward compatibility, despite having known weaknesses. These weaknesses can allow attackers to capture and crack password hashes or relay authentication attempts to other systems.
Pass-the-hash attacks take advantage of how Windows systems manage authentication. Instead of requiring the actual password, an attacker who obtains the NTLM hash of a password can directly use that hash to authenticate to other systems. This is possible because many Windows services accept the hash as proof of identity without needing the underlying password. If an attacker compromises one system and extracts password hashes, they can use those hashes to move laterally to other systems within the network. Notably, Ukrainian cyber warriors have employed this technique to hack a Russian Dispatch Service.
Single Sign-On and Federation Attacks
Single sign-on (SSO) systems enhance user experience and centralize security controls, but they also create high-value targets for attackers. Compromising an SSO system allows an attacker to access all connected applications. If an attacker obtains the signing keys used by an SSO provider, they can forge authentication tokens that grant access to any connected service. The Golden SAML attack exemplifies this principle. In this technique, attackers compromise the private key used to sign SAML assertions in an identity provider. With this key, they can create their own SAML tokens, claiming to be any user within the organization and possessing any permissions they desire. Downstream applications trust these forged tokens because they are signed with the legitimate key.
OAuth and OpenID Connect, which are popular federation protocols for web and mobile applications, can also be exploited in various ways. Authorization code interception attacks trick users into authorizing a malicious application, allowing the attacker to intercept the authorization code before the legitimate application can exchange it for an access token.
Privilege Escalation and Account Compromise Chains
Once attackers gain access to an initial account, even one with limited privileges, they quickly look for ways to escalate their access to higher privilege levels. This often involves exploiting misconfigurations related to how permissions are assigned or maintained.
In Active Directory environments, attackers search for accounts that are unjustifiably members of privileged groups, service accounts with unnecessary administrative rights, or delegation settings that allow them to impersonate other users. Tools like BloodHound automatically map these relationships, revealing the shortest path from their compromised account to domain administrator privileges. This tactic is actively exploited in the wild, as discussed in the following article.
The principle of least privilege states that accounts should only have the minimum permissions necessary to perform their functions. However, in practice, many environments significantly violate this principle. Users accumulate permissions over time as they change roles, but old permissions are rarely revoked. Service accounts are often granted broad administrative rights because it’s simpler than determining the specific permissions needed. As a result, the environment becomes vulnerable, allowing attackers to easily escalate from initial compromise to full domain control.
Summary
The significance of identity management cannot be overstated. Recent reports show that over eighty percent of data breaches happen because of compromised credentials. It’s much easier for attackers to steal someone’s password than to hunt down and exploit a zero-day vulnerability.
This article highlights why Identity and Access Management (IAM) is so crucial for cybersecurity. It covers the key parts of IAM, like creating identities, authenticating users, granting access, and the ongoing monitoring needed to defend against vulnerabilities. We also looked at common attack methods, such as weak password policies and flaws in authentication protocols, that can threaten IAM systems.
Keep pushing forward, aspiring cyberwarriors! We’ll keep exploring cybersecurity and sharing valuable insights in our upcoming articles.
Source: HackersArise
Source Link: https://hackers-arise.com/infosec-getting-started-with-identity-and-access-management-iam/