Securing AWS Cloud Infrastructure Through Penetration Testing

Client Profile

A fast-growing fintech company relied on AWS cloud infrastructure to host its customer-facing applications, databases, and payment processing systems. As the company scaled, it needed to ensure its AWS environment was secure from misconfigurations, unauthorized access, privilege escalations, and compliance violations. Given the sensitivity of financial data, achieving a robust AWS security posture was critical to meeting PCI DSS, SOC 2, and GDPR compliance requirements.

Challenges Faced

Before undergoing AWS Penetration Testing, the company identified several security concerns:

  • Over-permissioned IAM roles and policies, increasing the risk of privilege escalation.
  • Misconfigured AWS S3 buckets, potentially exposing sensitive customer data.
  • Publicly accessible EC2 instances and databases, increasing risks of unauthorized access.
  • Unrestricted security groups, allowing unnecessary inbound/outbound traffic.
  • Weak encryption settings, leaving data at risk of exposure.
  • Insecure API Gateway configurations, leading to unauthorized API access.
  • Lack of centralized logging and monitoring, making threat detection difficult.
  • Compliance gaps with AWS Security Best Practices, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53.
Our Approach

To enhance AWS security, we conducted a comprehensive AWS Penetration Testing engagement, identifying vulnerabilities and providing tailored remediation strategies.

1. Scoping & Threat Modeling

We collaborated with the client to define:

  • Scope of testing, including AWS IAM, EC2, S3, RDS, API Gateway, Lambda, CloudTrail, Security Groups, and VPC configurations.
  • Threat models specific to AWS, such as misconfigurations, unauthorized privilege escalations, insider threats, and API security flaws.
  • Testing methodologies, including Black Box, Gray Box, and White Box testing.
2. Security Testing Execution

Using industry-standard frameworks like AWS Well-Architected Framework, CIS AWS Benchmark, OWASP Cloud Security Top 10, and NIST 800-53, we conducted rigorous AWS security testing, covering:

  • IAM Security Testing – Identifying over-permissioned IAM roles, weak access policies, and privilege escalation paths.
  • S3 Bucket Security Testing – Assessing public access misconfigurations, weak bucket policies, and data exposure risks.
  • EC2 Instance Security Testing – Identifying insecure SSH/RDP configurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, and network exposures.
  • VPC & Security Group Review – Analyzing firewall rules, open ports, and unauthorized network access points.
  • API Gateway Security Testing – Assessing API authentication, authorization mechanisms, and input validation flaws.
  • AWS Lambda Security Testing – Evaluating function permissions, event triggers, and insecure environment variables.
  • Database Security Testing (RDS, DynamoDB) – Ensuring secure database access controls, encryption configurations, and least privilege permissions.
  • AWS CloudTrail & Logging Review – Ensuring logging, monitoring, and anomaly detection were configured correctly.
  • Encryption & Data Protection Assessment – Evaluating KMS configurations, encryption at rest, and transit security.
  • AWS Compliance Gap Analysis – Mapping security findings against PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53.
3. Findings & Risk Assessment

After completing the penetration test, we provided a detailed security report, including:

  • Critical, High, Medium, and Low-risk vulnerabilities, with business impact analysis.
  • Proof-of-Concept (PoC) exploits, demonstrating how attackers could exploit AWS misconfigurations and escalate privileges.
  • A prioritized remediation roadmap, helping the company address security issues efficiently.
4. Remediation Support & AWS Security Best Practices

To ensure continuous security in AWS, we provided:

  • IAM role and permission hardening, enforcing least privilege access controls.
  • S3 bucket access restrictions, preventing public exposure of sensitive data.
  • Network segmentation and firewall improvements, securing EC2 instances and databases.
  • Secure API Gateway authentication and input validation, mitigating unauthorized API access.
  • AWS Lambda function security improvements, reducing exposure to event-triggered attacks.
  • Implementation of AWS Security Hub, GuardDuty, and CloudWatch for real-time threat detection.
  • Re-testing of critical vulnerabilities, ensuring proper remediation and security hardening.
5. Compliance & Continuous Security

After implementing security fixes, the company achieved:

  • Stronger AWS security posture, reducing risks of data breaches and privilege escalations.
  • Compliance readiness for PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53.
  • Improved real-time threat monitoring and alerting, ensuring early detection of security incidents.
  • Proactive AWS security management, establishing continuous security monitoring and risk management practices.
Results Achieved

Within six weeks, the company successfully:

  • Eliminated all critical AWS security vulnerabilities.
  • Hardened IAM roles and security policies, reducing privilege escalation risks.
  • Secured S3 buckets, databases, and EC2 instances, preventing unauthorized access.
  • Implemented cloud security best practices, ensuring ongoing AWS security resilience.
Conclusion

By leveraging our AWS Penetration Testing expertise, we helped the company proactively identify vulnerabilities, enhance AWS infrastructure security, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Our structured approach, from threat modeling to remediation, ensured the AWS environment remained resilient against emerging cyber threats.

COE Security LLC

COE Security is a leading cybersecurity services provider, offering comprehensive solutions to address the evolving threat landscape. We have a proven track record of helping organizations of all sizes mitigate risks, strengthen defenses, and recover from cyberattacks. Our team of experienced cybersecurity professionals possesses deep expertise in the latest technologies and best practices, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions that meet your unique security needs.

We offer targeted AWS Security services relevant to this case study, including:

  1. AWS Penetration Testing: Comprehensive security assessments for AWS infrastructure, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance with PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53.
  2. Cloud Penetration Testing: Broader security assessments covering various cloud platforms like Azure, GCP, and AWS, addressing general security risks related to cloud infrastructure.
  3. API Security Testing: Focused on securing APIs within cloud environments, preventing unauthorized access and potential data breaches through proper API authentication, authorization mechanisms, and input validation.

We also provide a broader range of security services, including:

  1. Application Security: Comprehensive testing for Web, Mobile, and Thick Client applications, ensuring protection from vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
  2. Network & Hardware Penetration Testing: Identifying vulnerabilities within network infrastructures and hardware devices, ensuring secure connections and preventing unauthorized access.
  3. Operational Technology & IoT Security: Securing IoT devices and Operational Technology (OT) systems from exploitation, ensuring safe, secure operations.
  4. Red Teaming & Social Engineering: Simulating real-world cyberattacks to evaluate an organization’s defensive capabilities through phishing, physical security tests, and penetration attempts.
  5. DevSecOps: Integrating security into the DevOps pipeline for continuous protection, including automated security testing and code reviews to ensure secure software development.