AI Cyber Defense / Cloud, Kubernetes and software supply chain
AI Cyber Defense: Constrain instance metadata access from application workloads
Use the provider's supported metadata protections, least-privileged workload identity and application egress restrictions. Containers and sidecars may need additional isolation.
Environment and inputs: Cloud control planes, workload identity, Kubernetes clusters, CI/CD pipelines and immutable deployment artifacts; provider support varies.
Scenario and goal
A server-side request flaw can expose workload credentials through a metadata service if network and platform controls permit it.
Why it matters
For this scenario, an attacker can automate permitted API operations after gaining a workload or pipeline identity. Review who can change trust, who can assume the resulting identity and what resources it can reach. Keep source review, build provenance, deployment authorization and runtime permissions as distinct checks. A configuration object or successful deployment does not prove the intended runtime boundary is enforced.
Evidence to collect
Inspect metadata-service configuration, workload network paths, process ownership and API calls made by the instance role.
Validate with an authorized exercise
In a lab, verify an unprivileged test fetcher cannot reach prohibited metadata while the approved workload identity flow continues to obtain only its intended permissions.
Rollout and checks
Evaluate effective permissions and runtime behavior in a disposable account or namespace before production rollout. Retain the approved source revision, resulting artifact and independent audit trail. Plan recovery if identity, policy or admission dependencies fail. Reconcile running assets after the change because resources created outside the normal pipeline can otherwise remain outside its checks.
Scope and limits
This guide proposes a defensive test; it is not a tested production design. Check platform support and local requirements. References explain the mechanisms but do not certify the design. Behavior alone does not prove AI involvement.