T1562.007: Disable or Modify Cloud Firewall
Adversaries may disable or modify a firewall within a cloud environment to bypass controls that limit access to cloud resources. Cloud firewalls are separate from system firewalls that are described in Disable or Modify System Firewall.
Cloud environments typically utilize restrictive security groups and firewall rules that only allow network activity from trusted IP addresses via expected ports and protocols. An adversary may introduce new firewall rules or policies to allow access into a victim cloud environment. For example, an adversary may use a script or utility that creates new ingress rules in existing security groups to allow any TCP/IP connectivity, or remove networking limitations to support traffic associated with malicious activity (such as cryptomining).
Modifying or disabling a cloud firewall may enable adversary C2 communications, lateral movement, and/or data exfiltration that would otherwise not be allowed.
Positive Technologies products that cover the technique
MaxPatrol SIEM knowledge base
vk_cloud: PT-CR-2098: VK_Cloud_Security_Group_Rule_Operation: A user who is not on the allowed users list performed an operation with security group rules, which may indicate an attacker's attempt to change the network configuration vk_cloud: PT-CR-2099: VK_Cloud_Insecure_Address_Pairs_Assign: Traffic output from a port using mask "0.0.0.0/0" was allowed, which can be used to bypass all rules with source IP address restrictions for all ports that use the same security group. This may indicate an attacker's attempt to change the network configuration. vk_cloud: PT-CR-2097: VK_Cloud_Port_Security_Disabled: The use of security groups was disabled for a port, which may indicate an attacker's attempt to change the network configuration vk_cloud: PT-CR-2104: VK_Cloud_Port_Security_Group_Operation: Operations with port security groups that may indicate an attacker's attempt to change the network configuration
Detection
| ID | DS0018 | Data source and component | Firewall: Firewall Disable | Description | Monitor for changes in the status of the system firewall such as Windows Security Auditing events 5025 (The Windows firewall service has been stopped) and 5034 (The Windows firewall driver was stopped). |
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| ID | DS0018 | Data source and component | Firewall: Firewall Rule Modification | Description | Monitor cloud logs for modification or creation of new security groups or firewall rules. |
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Mitigation
| ID | M1047 | Name | Audit | Description | Routinely check account role permissions to ensure only expected users and roles have permission to modify cloud firewalls. |
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| ID | M1018 | Name | User Account Management | Description | Ensure least privilege principles are applied to Identity and Access Management (IAM) security policies. |
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