Uncovering the Latest Identity and Access Management (IAM) Pivot Tactics

A software developer receives a seemingly genuine message from a recruiter on LinkedIn. The job opportunity appears legitimate, but the coding assessment involves installing a package. Unbeknownst to the developer, this package is designed to extract all cloud credentials from their machine. Within minutes, sensitive information such as GitHub personal access tokens, AWS API keys, Azure service principals, and more are compromised, allowing the attacker to infiltrate the cloud environment effortlessly.

Despite robust email security measures in place, the attack goes undetected. While a dependency scanner may have flagged the malicious package, the lack of real-time monitoring means no one is aware of the subsequent actions taken by the adversary.

This attack method, known as the IAM pivot, exposes a critical gap in how organizations monitor identity-based threats. Recent research by CrowdStrike Intelligence sheds light on how threat actors are exploiting this tactic on a large scale. By leveraging recruitment fraud to deliver trojanized Python and npm packages, adversaries can swiftly transition from stolen developer credentials to complete cloud IAM compromise.

One notable incident involved a European FinTech company falling victim to attackers who used recruitment-themed lures to deliver malicious Python packages. This led to a breach of cloud IAM configurations, resulting in the diversion of cryptocurrency to the attackers’ wallets.

What’s concerning is that these attacks bypass traditional email security measures entirely, leaving little to no digital footprint for investigators to trace.

The Changing Landscape of Entry Vectors

Attackers are constantly evolving their tactics to bypass conventional security controls. Rather than relying on typosquatting techniques, they now employ more sophisticated methods, such as delivering trojanized packages through personal messaging channels and social platforms that are not typically monitored by corporate email gateways.

CrowdStrike’s research highlights how threat actors tailor their attacks to specific industries and roles, with specialized malware being deployed in sectors like FinTech. These tactics have been observed as recently as June 2025, indicating an ongoing and evolving threat landscape.

A recent advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned of a widespread npm supply chain compromise targeting key credentials like GitHub personal access tokens and API keys for major cloud service providers. Malicious code embedded in packages was designed to extract and exfiltrate sensitive information during installation.

While dependency scanning tools can help detect malicious packages, they fall short in identifying real-time credential exfiltration. Organizations need to complement these tools with runtime behavioral monitoring to detect suspicious activities during the installation process.

The Rise of Identity-Centric Attacks

Google Cloud’s Threat Horizons Report revealed that weak or compromised credentials contributed to nearly half of all cloud security incidents in the first half of 2025. This persistent issue underscores the importance of robust identity and access management practices.

Recent research by Sysdig highlighted how attackers can escalate privileges within cloud environments rapidly. In one documented case, compromised credentials enabled the attackers to gain cloud administrator privileges in just eight minutes, showcasing the speed and efficiency of modern identity-based attacks.

According to industry experts like Ram Varadarajan, CEO of Acalvio, organizations need to adopt identity threat detection and response (ITDR) solutions that monitor identity behavior within cloud environments. This proactive approach can help organizations detect and respond to potential threats before they escalate.

Despite the growing sophistication of attacks, many organizations have yet to fully embrace ITDR solutions, leaving them vulnerable to identity-centric threats.

The Role of AI Gateways in Mitigating Threats

While AI gateways play a crucial role in validating authentication requests, they may fall short in detecting anomalous behavior within cloud environments. Attackers can exploit valid credentials to bypass these gateways and gain unauthorized access to critical resources.

It’s essential for organizations to implement AI-specific access controls that not only validate tokens but also monitor usage patterns and behaviors. By correlating access requests with historical data, organizations can identify and flag suspicious activities in real-time.

The integration of AI-driven security measures can help organizations stay one step ahead of cyber threats and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and resources.

Addressing Control Gaps and Enhancing Security Posture

Organizations must take a multi-faceted approach to enhance their security posture and mitigate the risks associated with identity-based attacks. This involves addressing control gaps at each stage of the attack chain:

• Entry: Deploying runtime behavioral monitoring to detect credential exfiltration during package installation.
• Pivot: Implementing ITDR solutions to monitor identity behavior across cloud environments and detect lateral movement patterns.
• Objective: Enhancing AI-specific access controls to validate usage patterns and behaviors, in addition to token validation.

By proactively addressing these control gaps and leveraging advanced security measures, organizations can bolster their defenses against evolving cyber threats and safeguard their critical assets.

Conclusion

As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations must adapt their security strategies to mitigate the risks associated with identity-based attacks. By implementing robust identity and access management practices, leveraging AI-driven security solutions, and enhancing monitoring capabilities, organizations can strengthen their security posture and effectively combat modern cyber threats.

Stay informed, stay vigilant, and stay secure.