Use of Service and Dormant Accounts. Sleeping Giants
The exploitation of service and dormant accounts by cyber actors represents a sophisticated and often overlooked vector of cyber-attacks. These accounts, which are created for various operational purposes within an organization's cloud and on-premises environments, can provide attackers with the access they need to carry out their objectives if not properly managed and secured.
Understanding Service and Dormant Accounts
Service accounts are specialized accounts used by applications or services to interact with the operating system or other services. They often have elevated privileges to perform specific tasks and may not be tied to an individual user's identity. Dormant accounts, on the other hand, are user accounts that are no longer actively used, either because the user has left the organization or the account's purpose has been fulfilled. These accounts are particularly risky because they are frequently forgotten, left with more privileges than necessary, and not monitored as closely as active user accounts.
Why Service and Dormant Accounts Are Targeted
đź“ŚElevated Privileges: Service accounts often have elevated privileges necessary for system tasks, which can be exploited to gain wide access to an organization's network.
đź“ŚLack of Monitoring: Dormant accounts are not regularly used, making them less likely to be monitored for suspicious activity, and thus an attractive target for attackers.
đź“ŚWeak or Default Credentials: Service accounts may be configured with weak or default credentials that are easier for attackers to guess or find through brute force attacks.
đź“ŚBypassing User Behavior Analytics: Since service accounts perform automated tasks, their behavior patterns can be predictable, allowing malicious activities to blend in with normal operations and evade detection.
The Threat Posed by Compromised Accounts
đź“ŚMove Laterally: Use the account's privileges to move laterally within the network, accessing other systems and data.
đź“ŚEscalate Privileges: Leverage the account to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to critical systems.
đź“ŚMaintain Persistence: Establish a persistent presence within the network, making it more difficult to detect and remove the attacker.
đź“ŚExfiltrate Data: Access and exfiltrate sensitive data, leading to data breaches and intellectual property theft.
Mitigating the Risks Associated with Service and Dormant Accounts
đź“ŚRegular Audits: Conduct regular audits of all accounts to identify and deactivate dormant accounts and ensure that service accounts have the minimum necessary privileges.
đź“ŚStrong Authentication Controls: Enforce strong password policies and use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for service accounts where possible.
đź“ŚMonitoring and Alerting: Implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual activities associated with service and dormant accounts.
đź“ŚSegregation of Duties: Apply the principle of segregation of duties to service accounts to limit the scope of access and reduce the risk of misuse.
đź“ŚAutomated Management Tools: Utilize automated account management tools to keep track of account usage and lifecycle, ensuring that accounts are deactivated when no longer needed.