This report from IBM X-Force analyzes the evolving cloud threat landscape in 2023, highlighting key vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and threat actor behaviors. It emphasizes the rise of cloud-related CVEs, misuse of legitimate credentials, and dark web activities involving cloud assets. #IBMXForce #CloudVulnerabilities
Keypoints
- Cybersecurity vendors annually publish comprehensive reports structured into sections such as introduction, threat insights, actionable recommendations, team information, and appendices, providing a holistic view of current threats and security practices.
- These reports typically include key statistics, such as the number of new vulnerabilities discovered (e.g., 632 cloud CVEs in 2023, a 194% increase from the previous year), notable trends like escalating cloud vulnerabilities, and significant findings like the prevalence of credential misuse (36% of incidents involve valid credentials).
- Trending attack techniques highlighted include exploitation of public-facing applications (notably Log4j), misconfigured cloud environments, container security missteps with custom resource definitions in Kubernetes, and the use of malicious cloud-based file hosting for malware distribution.
- Data indicates a shift towards growing dark web sales of cloud credentials—nearly 90% of cloud assets for sale involve stolen credentials, with pricing slightly decreasing to average USD 10.68—underscoring the value of compromised cloud access in threat actor economies.
- Recurring themes across reports involve increased vulnerabilities, targeted use of legitimate credentials for initial access, rising container security concerns, and a persistent dark web marketplace for cloud-related exploits, reflecting an urgent need for advanced cloud security strategies.
Source: Awesome Annual Security Reports - The reports in this collection are limited to content which does not require a paid subscription, membership, or service contract. (https://github.com/jacobdjwilson/awesome-annual-security-reports/)