Halberd: Your Swiss Army Knife for Multi-Cloud Security Testing

As businesses increasingly migrate to the cloud, maintaining robust security across diverse cloud platforms becomes paramount. Enter Halberd, a cutting-edge, multi-cloud security testing tool designed to help organizations proactively assess their defenses. Halberd’s user-friendly interface enables companies to simulate real-world attack scenarios across Entra ID, M365, Azure, and AWS, offering a cohesive approach to cloud security validation.

Key Capabilities of Halberd

1. Realistic Attack Simulations
   Halberd allows users to execute a broad spectrum of attack techniques on major cloud platforms, from Entra ID to AWS. By simulating realistic attacks, such as password sprays or resource deletions, Halberd helps identify weaknesses that could be exploited by actual threat actors.
2. Smart Recon Dashboards
   Halberd’s recon dashboards are built to gather and present critical intelligence, empowering users to approach cloud security like seasoned professionals. With modules dedicated to discovering resources, users, permissions, and more, Halberd shines a light on the shadowy parts of cloud infrastructure.
3. Customizable Attack Playbooks
   Halberd comes with attack playbooks that guide users through complex simulations, making the tool accessible even to those less experienced in security testing. These playbooks streamline the process of testing various attack methods, from lateral movement to credential dumping.
4. Insightful Reporting
   The tool generates detailed reports that break down vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential attack vectors. These reports serve as valuable resources for security teams looking to communicate risks to management or improve cloud defense postures.
5. User-Friendly Interface with CLI Access
   Designed to be intuitive, Halberd’s web interface simplifies security testing. For users who prefer a more hands-on approach, Halberd also provides command-line interface (CLI) access, allowing for deeper interaction and customization of test scenarios.

Modules and Techniques

Entra ID

Halberd supports modules that target common attack techniques in Entra ID environments, including:

• Initial Access: Methods like device code flow and delegated access, plus classic techniques like password spraying.
• Lateral Movement: Token-based access establishment.
• Privilege Escalation: Adding users to groups or generating app credentials.
• Persistence and Impact: Creating backdoor accounts or revoking access.

M365

For Microsoft 365, Halberd’s capabilities focus on data collection, lateral movement, and defense evasion:

• Collection: Email forwarding, mailbox exfiltration, and message searches in Outlook and Teams.
• Defense Evasion: Deployment of email deletion rules to mask activities.

AWS

AWS environments can be tested for vulnerabilities such as:

• Discovery: Identifying IAM roles, S3 bucket configurations, and over-permissive security groups.
• Defense Evasion: Disabling CloudTrail logging and modifying Guard Duty IP settings.
• Exfiltration and Impact: Exposing S3 buckets publicly and deleting resources like DynamoDB tables.

Azure

Halberd includes Azure modules for activities such as:

• Discovery: Enumerating virtual machines, resources, and role assignments.
• Execution: Deploying malicious VM extensions.
• Privilege Escalation and Defense Evasion: Elevating access and exposing storage accounts.

Why Choose Halberd?

Halberd is more than just a security testing tool; it’s a comprehensive solution for identifying and addressing cloud security gaps before attackers can exploit them. Its cross-platform compatibility, ease of use, and powerful attack simulations make it an essential tool for any organization managing a multi-cloud environment. By generating actionable insights and telemetry, Halberd not only helps improve security controls but also ensures that security operations centers (SOCs) stay ahead of potential threats.

Getting Started with Halberd:

Halberd is an open-source project, making it accessible to everyone. You can find the source code and documentation on GitHub. The developers have made a conscious effort to provide clear instructions and examples, making it easy to get started with Halberd, even if you’re new to cloud security testing