Shattering the Illusion: How Quickly Leaked AWS Keys Are Exploited

Researchers found that even after AWS automatically quarantines leaked access keys, attackers can exploit them within minutes for data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and other malicious activities. Traditional key rotation strategies are insufficient against the speed of attackers. A new tool, AWSKeyLockdown, instantly revokes keys upon quarantine, mitigating this threat. The research highlights the importance of Zero Trust architecture and ephemeral identities, urging organizations to shift from reactive to proactive security measures.