Researchers deployed digital tripwires disguised as AWS credentials in various public locations online to see how quickly threat actors would take advantage of them. The findings highlight the importance of strong password hygiene and data protection measures.
Canary Tokens: Secret Spies
Canary tokens are essentially fake credentials placed within systems to lure attackers. When a threat actor attempts to use these seemingly valid tokens, an alert is triggered, notifying the owner of a potential security breach.
The Experiment
The researchers strategically placed AWS credentials as canary tokens across various publicly accessible platforms, including code repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, DockerHub), self-managed public services (FTP server, web server, blog), SaaS services (Pastebin, JSFiddle), package managers (NPMJS, PyPi), and cloud storage buckets (AWS S3, GCP).
Swift Response from Threat Actors
The findings revealed surprisingly swift responses from malicious actors. Notably, tokens placed on GitHub and DockerHub were accessed within seconds and minutes, respectively. Pastebin proved to be a goldmine for exposed credentials, with unprotected tokens being snatched immediately. Interestingly, there were no attempts on Bitbucket or GitLab.
Scraping Bots on the Hunt
The analysis suggests the use of automated tools by threat actors to scrape public platforms for exposed credentials. This highlights the need for stricter access controls and proper token management practices.
Key Takeaways
- Public platforms like GitHub and Pastebin are prime targets for scraping sensitive information.
- Threat actors can move very quickly to exploit exposed credentials.
- Canary tokens offer a valuable tool for early detection of unauthorized access attempts.
Recommendations
- Implement strong password policies and enforce regular rotation of credentials.
- Grant least privilege access and restrict access to sensitive data.
- Utilize environment-specific tokens to minimize the impact of a potential breach.
- Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit.
- Conduct regular security audits and educate staff on best practices for handling sensitive information.
- Consider deploying canary tokens as an additional layer of security.
While limitations exist in pinpointing the exact malicious intent behind every access attempt, the research clearly demonstrates the ever-present threat landscape. By adopting a multi-layered approach that combines strong security practices with proactive measures like canary tokens, organizations can significantly improve their security posture.