Exercise 9: Cloud Database Vulnerability Exploitation

Objective:

Understand the risks associated with poorly configured cloud databases. Learn how attackers exploit misconfigured database settings, such as weak credentials, lack of encryption, or public access, and implement best practices to secure cloud databases.

Scenario:

You are conducting a security assessment for a company that uses a cloud database, such as AWS RDS or Google Cloud SQL, to store sensitive customer data. During your evaluation, you discover that the database is publicly accessible with default or weak configurations. Your task is to demonstrate how attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities, access sensitive data, and recommend proper hardening techniques.

Lab Setup:

Prerequisites:

1. A cloud account:
   • AWS (for RDS) or Google Cloud (for Cloud SQL).
2. Installed tools:
   • SQLmap (Download SQLmap).
   • Burp Suite (Download Burp Suite).

Steps to Set Up the Lab:

Option 1: AWS RDS:

Launch an RDS Instance:

Navigate to RDS in the AWS Management Console.

Click Create database and choose:

Database engine: MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Deployment type: Standard create.

Use the following configurations:

Public access: Enabled.

Authentication: Use a simple username (e.g., admin) and weak password (e.g., password123).

Encryption: Leave encryption at rest and in transit disabled.

Complete the setup and note the endpoint URL.

Verify Public Access:

Open your terminal and test the database connectivity using mysql or psql:

mysql -h <rds-endpoint> -u admin -p

If accessible, you are connected to the database without any restrictions.

Option 2: Google Cloud SQL:

Launch a Cloud SQL Instance:

Navigate to Cloud SQL in the Google Cloud Console.

Click Create Instance and choose:

Database engine: MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Public IP: Enabled.

Authentication: Use a simple username and password.

Encryption: Leave SSL/TLS disabled.

Note the public IP of the instance.

Verify Public Access:

Test the connectivity using a SQL client or command-line tools:

mysql -h <cloud-sql-public-ip> -u admin -p

Exercise: Exploiting the Vulnerability

Objective:

Simulate an attacker exploiting the database through weak credentials, misconfigured access control, or lack of encryption.

Brute-Force Database Credentials:

Use SQLmap to test for weak credentials:

sqlmap -u "mysql://<rds-endpoint>:3306/" --batch --passwords

Attempt common username-password combinations (e.g., admin:password123).

Enumerate Database Metadata:

Use SQLmap to enumerate database details:

sqlmap -u "mysql://<rds-endpoint>:3306/" --dbs

List tables and extract sensitive data:

sqlmap -u "mysql://<rds-endpoint>:3306/" -D <database-name> --tables

Intercept Database Traffic:

If the database does not enforce encryption in transit, intercept credentials using Burp Suite or a packet sniffer (e.g., Wireshark).

Capture unencrypted queries sent to the database.

Exploit SQL Injection (if applicable):

If the database is connected to a vulnerable web application, use SQL injection to extract sensitive data.

Example SQLmap command:

sqlmap -u "http://vulnerable-site.com/page?id=1" --dbs

Tools Required:

1. AWS RDS or Google Cloud SQL: For setting up the database.
2. SQLmap: For automated exploitation of database vulnerabilities.
3. Burp Suite: For intercepting traffic and testing SQL injection.
4. Wireshark: For analyzing unencrypted traffic.

Deliverables:

1. Exploit Report:
   • Evidence of database access using weak credentials.
   • Screenshots of extracted sensitive data (e.g., user records, credentials).
   • Demonstration of intercepted unencrypted traffic.
2. Recommendations for Securing Cloud Databases:
   • Best practices for authentication, encryption, and access control.

Solution:

1. Identified Vulnerabilities:
   • Weak Authentication: Simple credentials allowed brute-forcing or unauthorized access.
   • Public Access: Database was accessible over the internet without IP whitelisting.
   • Lack of Encryption: Data in transit could be intercepted.
2. Consequences:
   • Data Breach: Sensitive customer data could be accessed or stolen.
   • Regulatory Non-Compliance: Failure to secure databases may violate GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulations.
   • Service Disruption: Attackers can manipulate or delete critical data.
3. Prevention Techniques:
   • Enforce Strong Authentication:
     • Use complex passwords and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) where supported.
   • Restrict Public Access:
     • Disable public access and use private subnets or VPNs for database access.
     • Implement security groups to whitelist specific IP addresses.
   • Enable Encryption:
     • Use database encryption at rest (e.g., AWS RDS encryption with KMS).
     • Enforce SSL/TLS for connections to encrypt data in transit.
   • Monitor Database Activity:
     • Enable database logs and audit logs to monitor access attempts.
     • Use AWS CloudTrail or Google Cloud Audit Logs to track database changes.
   • Regularly Rotate Credentials:
     • Rotate database credentials periodically to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Conclusion:

This exercise demonstrates the risks of misconfigured cloud databases and how attackers can exploit them to access sensitive data. By enforcing strong authentication, encryption, and private access configurations, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of database exploitation.