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Midnight Blizzard: Understanding the Attack and Importance of adaptive and automated PenTesting
Prancer
February 2, 2024
Midnight Blizzard

“The Midnight Blizzard incident”, a sophisticated cyber attack, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities present in modern web apps delegated with user permissions to access the protected resources. This post breaks down the attack’s sequence and highlights the critical security gaps at each stage. Additionally, it underscores the importance of Penetration Testing (PenTesting) in preventing such breaches and why customizable PenTest modules are essential for enterprises.

Attack Breakdown and Security Gaps

  1. Stage 1: Password Spray on Office 365 Non-Prod Account
    • Compromise/Risk Description: Attackers used a password spray technique to compromise a non-production user account in Office 365, often lacking Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
    • Security Gap: Lack of MFA on non-production accounts.
  2. Stage 2: Access to Non-Prod Azure AD Tenant
    • Compromise/Risk Description: The compromised account was used to access a non-production Azure AD tenant, discovering a legacy Azure AD OAuth app with overprivileged access to the entire AD forest.
    • Security Gap: Overprivileged legacy applications and inadequate monitoring of non-production environments.
  3. Stage 3: Creation of Malicious Entities in Prod Azure AD
    • Compromise/Risk Description: Attackers gained a foothold in the production Azure AD forest, creating a new admin user and a malicious app, subsequently granting permissions to this app.
    • Security Gap: Insufficient control and monitoring of administrative privileges and application permissions.
  4. Stage 4: Malicious App Gaining Access
    • Compromise/Risk Description: The malicious app was then able to read Exchange Online and other data as per its accepted permissions.
    • Security Gap: Overly permissive application scopes and lack of effective application vetting processes.

The Role of PenTesting in Prevention

PenTesting, especially when customizable and automated, plays a pivotal role in identifying and mitigating such security flaws at scale. Here’s how:

  1. Identifying Vulnerabilities: Customizable PenTests can emulate specific attack vectors, like password spraying, to identify vulnerabilities in non-production environments and applications.

  2. Assessing Privilege Mismanagement: PenTests can simulate the escalation of privileges and uncover overprivileged roles assiciated with Azure AD o-auth based applications, highlighting areas that require stricter controls.

  3. Testing Against Complex Attack Chains: Unlike Basic DAST or config monitoring ior Attack Simulation (BAS) that focus on standard config or attack paths, customizable PenTests can emulate complex, chained attack scenarios, closely mirroring sophisticated real-world attacks specific to your environments like Midnight Blizzard.

  4. Enhancing Security Posture: Through continuous and automated attack simulations, enterprises can constantly evaluate and improve their security measures, making it harder for such attacks to succeed.

Why Customizable PenTests are Crucial

Enterprises need customizable PenTest modules for several reasons:

  • Adaptability: They can be tailored to the specific security architecture and potential threats faced by an organization.

  • Complex Attack Simulation: They allow for the simulation of complex, multi-stage attacks, providing a more realistic assessment of security resilience.

  • Continuous Improvement: Automated and customizable PenTests facilitate regular security assessments, helping to identify and address new vulnerabilities as they arise.

In conclusion, the Midnight Blizzard attack exemplifies the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats and the importance of a robust, adaptable, and proactive security strategy. Customizable PenTesting is a critical tool in this regard, offering the depth and flexibility needed to defend against complex cyber attacks.

Prancer’s role in Pen Testing as a Response to these Complex Cyber Threats

Prancer’s automated Pen Testing as a Code platform is a great tool for countering advanced cyber threats like the Midnight Blizzard attack. Features like the following make it an essential component of a robust cyber defence strategy:

  1. Custom Attack Simulation at scale: Prancer excels in simulating authenticated cyber-attacks, using custom scripts that reflect real-world scenarios like OAuth, MFA, Bruteforce Password scripts etc.

  2. Seamless System Integration: The platform integrates effortlessly with existing security infrastructures, like Azure AD and SSO without requiring any system overhauls.

  3. Continuous Compliance Adaptive Testing: Prancer provides ongoing testing that adapts to the compliances most prioritised by your company like SOC compliance, ensuring constant security readiness.

  4. Cost-Effective Solution: Prancer delivers high-level security testing at a fraction of the usual cost, making advanced PenTesting accessible to businesses of all sizes.

  5. Expertise-Driven Intelligence: Combining expert knowledge with AI, Prancer continuously updates its methodologies to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.

Prancer’s approach to PenTesting enables businesses to proactively adapt to cyber threats, ensuring robust digital security in a cost-effective and efficient manner.