Client Profile
A leading software development company with a DevOps-driven CI/CD pipeline relied on cloud-native infrastructure, containerized applications, and automated deployments to deliver software at scale. With rapid development cycles and multiple integrations, the company needed to ensure its DevOps environment was secure from misconfigurations, privilege escalations, supply chain threats, and insider risks.
Challenges Faced
Before undergoing DevOps Penetration Testing, the company identified several security concerns:
- Misconfigured CI/CD pipelines, allowing unauthorized code execution and privilege escalation.
- Hardcoded secrets and API keys, exposing sensitive credentials in repositories and build logs.
- Weak access controls in DevOps tools, enabling unrestricted access to critical environments.
- Unverified dependencies, introducing supply chain vulnerabilities in containerized applications.
- Insecure Kubernetes and Docker configurations, increasing risks of container breakouts and privilege escalation.
- Compliance concerns with ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and NIST DevSecOps guidelines.
Our Approach
To strengthen DevOps security, we conducted a comprehensive DevOps Penetration Testing engagement, identifying vulnerabilities and providing remediation strategies.
1. Scoping & Threat Modeling
We collaborated with the client to define:
- Scope of testing, including CI/CD pipelines, cloud environments, Kubernetes clusters, repositories, and DevOps tooling.
- Threat models specific to DevOps environments, such as insider threats, supply chain attacks, and privilege escalations.
- Testing methodologies, including Black Box, Gray Box, and White Box testing.
2. Security Testing Execution
Using industry-standard frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK for Cloud, OWASP DevSecOps, NIST 800-190 (Container Security), and CIS Kubernetes Benchmark, we conducted rigorous DevOps security testing, covering:
- CI/CD Pipeline Security Testing – Identifying misconfigurations in Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, CircleCI, and Azure DevOps.
- Secrets Management Testing – Searching for hardcoded credentials, API keys, and environment variables in repositories and logs.
- Container & Kubernetes Security Testing – Assessing Docker images, Kubernetes RBAC, Pod Security Policies, and container escape vulnerabilities.
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security Review – Testing Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, and Kubernetes YAML files for misconfigurations.
- Cloud Security Testing – Evaluating AWS, Azure, GCP configurations, IAM roles, S3 bucket security, and cloud network segmentation.
- Supply Chain Security Testing – Analyzing third-party libraries, package managers (npm, pip, Maven), and dependency vulnerabilities.
- Runtime Security Assessment – Identifying privilege escalations, lateral movement, and attack paths in cloud-native environments.
- Log & Monitoring Security Testing – Ensuring proper logging, SIEM integration, and anomaly detection mechanisms.
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 misconfigurations and privilege escalations.
- A prioritized remediation roadmap, helping the company fix vulnerabilities efficiently.
4. Remediation Support & DevSecOps Best Practices
To ensure continuous security in DevOps pipelines, we provided:
- Secure CI/CD pipeline configurations, enforcing least privilege and role-based access control (RBAC).
- Implementation of secrets management tools, such as Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, and GitHub Secrets.
- Container hardening recommendations, including non-root users, minimal base images, and runtime protections.
- Automated security scanning tools, like SAST, DAST, IaC security checks, and dependency scanning.
- Cloud security best practices, ensuring secure IAM policies, encryption, and network segmentation.
- Re-testing of critical vulnerabilities, ensuring proper remediation.
5. Compliance & Continuous Security
After implementing security fixes, the company achieved:
- Stronger DevOps security posture, reducing risks of unauthorized access and supply chain threats.
- Compliance readiness for SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and NIST DevSecOps best practices.
- Improved monitoring and logging, ensuring real-time threat detection.
- Implementation of a proactive DevSecOps culture, integrating security at every stage of the CI/CD pipeline.
Results Achieved
Within six weeks, the company successfully:
- Eliminated all critical DevOps security vulnerabilities.
- Enhanced CI/CD pipeline security, preventing unauthorized code execution.
- Hardened Kubernetes and cloud configurations, reducing attack surfaces.
- Adopted a proactive DevSecOps approach, integrating security into every stage of development.
Conclusion
By leveraging our DevOps Penetration Testing expertise, we helped the software company proactively identify vulnerabilities, strengthen CI/CD pipeline security, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Our structured approach, from threat modeling to remediation, ensured the DevOps environment remained resilient against modern 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 DevOps Security services relevant to this case study, including:
- DevOps Penetration Testing: Comprehensive security assessments for DevOps pipelines, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and NIST DevSecOps guidelines.
- Cloud Penetration Testing: Broader security assessments covering various cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, addressing general security risks related to cloud-native infrastructures.
- API Security Testing: Focused on securing APIs within DevOps 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:
- Application Security: Comprehensive testing for Web, Mobile, and Thick Client applications, ensuring protection from vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Network & Hardware Penetration Testing: Identifying vulnerabilities within network infrastructures and hardware devices, ensuring secure connections and preventing unauthorized access.
- Operational Technology & IoT Security: Securing IoT devices and Operational Technology (OT) systems from exploitation, ensuring safe, secure operations.
- Red Teaming & Social Engineering: Simulating real-world cyberattacks to evaluate an organization’s defensive capabilities through phishing, physical security tests, and penetration attempts.
- DevSecOps: Integrating security into the DevOps pipeline for continuous protection, including automated security testing and code reviews to ensure secure software development.