Cloud Security - Exploring the AWS Lambda runtime execution environment
Serverless computing has been gaining popularity especially in the cloud. While the service provides much convenience for most users who have no access to the underlying environment, hackers are interested in understanding how things work behind the scene, and we want to answer some basic cybersecurity questions. For instance, what is the software used, including operating system and middleware, in the application stack? Where does the service store credentials in the environment? And most importantly, how can a serverless deployment be hacked or leveraged in an attack if ever possible? In the following video demonstration, we try to explore the AWS Lambda runtime execution environment, which is used in lots of use cases from developing application APIs to configuring cloud resources. A malicious Lambda reverse shell backdoor function is written and deployed allowing us to explore the runtime execution environment interactively - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khF1PMjQv_E&t=10s T