Suspicious GCP Metadata Service Token Access via Command Line (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1552.005Cloud Instance Metadata API
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a command line that queries the GCP metadata service compute endpoint for a service account access token, the action used to steal cloud credentials after achieving code execution in an exposed Cloud Function. Adversaries harvest the default service account token to pivot into the wider cloud project, so metadata token retrieval from a runtime process is a high-value credential access indicator.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1552.005 — drag to rearrange

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Possible SSRF to Cloud Metadata via Nuxt _ipx Image Proxy

Suspicious Cloud Instance Metadata Access from Command Line (via process_creation)

Suspicious GCP Metadata Service Token Access via Command Line (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1552.005 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

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