Researchers at Tenable have identified two significant attack methods targeting popular cloud infrastructure tools: HashiCorp’s Terraform and Open Policy Agent (OPA). These vulnerabilities affect tools that use specialized programming languages for cloud management and security policies.

Key Findings:

1. OPA Vulnerability:

– Attackers can exploit compromised access keys to insert malicious policies

– Two main attack vectors identified:

* Data exfiltration using the “http.send” function

* DNS tunneling through the “net.lookup_ip_addr” function

2. Terraform Vulnerability:

– Targets the “terraform plan” command during CI/CD processes

– Can execute malicious code through unreviewed changes

– Particularly dangerous in public repositories or when dealing with compromised insiders

Recommended Security Measures:

1. Access Control:

– Implement detailed role-based access control (RBAC)

– Follow least privilege principles

2. Monitoring:

– Enable comprehensive logging at both application and cloud levels

– Regular security analysis and monitoring

3. Prevention:

– Limit network and data access

– Prevent automatic execution of unreviewed code

– Use trusted third-party components only

4. Tools:

– Implement IaC scanning tools like Terrascan and Checkov

– Regular security audits and compliance checks

This discovery highlights that while specialized languages offer enhanced security, they aren’t completely immune to vulnerabilities. Organizations must remain vigilant and implement comprehensive security measures to protect their cloud infrastructure.