How Attackers Exploit Unmanaged NHIs and How to Prevent It

Today enterprises heavily rely on Non-Human Identities (NHIs) service accounts, APIs, bots, and cloud workloads—to streamline operations. However, when these NHIs are left unmanaged, they become prime targets for cybercriminals. Unmanaged NHIs can create hidden backdoors, facilitate lateral movement, and even enable privilege escalation attacks. This article explores how attackers exploit these vulnerabilities and provides actionable steps to prevent such risks.

Understanding Unmanaged NHIs

NHIs refer to machine-based identities that interact within IT ecosystems without human intervention. They include:

• Service Accounts: Used by applications to access databases or communicate with other services.
• APIs & Tokens: Allow seamless integration between applications and cloud platforms.
• Bots & Scripts: Automate workflows and administrative tasks.
• Cloud Workloads: Virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions requiring authentication.

While NHIs play a crucial role in modern enterprises, their sheer volume and complexity often lead to poor lifecycle management. This results in Unmanaged NHIs, which lack proper governance, making them attractive attack vectors for cybercriminals.

How Attackers Exploit Unmanaged NHIs

1. Credential Theft & Hardcoded Secrets

Many NHIs rely on hardcoded credentials stored in configuration files, scripts, or repositories. Attackers can extract these credentials through:

• Code leaks on GitHub
• Compromised CI/CD pipelines
• Insider threats or misconfigurations

Once attackers obtain these credentials, they can impersonate legitimate NHIs to access sensitive systems and data.

2. Privilege Escalation & Lateral Movement

Unmanaged NHIs often accumulate excessive privileges over time due to poor identity governance. Attackers exploit these permissions to:

• Escalate privileges and gain administrative access.
• Move laterally across systems, escalating attacks from one compromised NHI to another.

3. API & Token Exploitation

APIs are widely used for automation, but poor token management practices (e.g., long-lived API keys) lead to security gaps. Attackers can:

• Hijack valid API tokens to execute unauthorized actions.
• Deploy malicious workloads using compromised API access.
• Extract sensitive data from interconnected systems.

4. Orphaned NHIs as Persistent Threats

When NHIs outlive their intended use but remain active (orphaned NHIs), attackers exploit them as backdoors. These persistent NHIs often go unnoticed, enabling long-term undetected breaches.

5. Exploiting Weak IAM & PAM Controls

Without strict Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) policies, Unmanaged NHIs can:

• Lack visibility, making them easy targets.
• Operate with overprivileged access.
• Bypass security monitoring due to missing audit logs.

How to Prevent Attacks on Unmanaged NHIs

1. Implement Comprehensive Discovery & Visibility

The first step in securing Unmanaged NHIs is identifying all existing NHIs within an organization. Use tools such as:

• Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solutions to map all NHIs.
• Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools to monitor NHI activity.
• Network Monitoring to detect anomalies in NHI behavior.

2. Enforce Least Privilege Access

Adopt Zero Trust principles and ensure NHIs operate with minimal permissions necessary. This includes:

• Defining strict role-based access controls (RBAC).
• Limiting access to sensitive resources based on job function.
• Regularly reviewing and revoking unnecessary permissions.

3. Secure Credentials & Eliminate Hardcoded Secrets

Use secure methods to store and manage NHI credentials:

• Implement Secrets Management solutions (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager).
• Rotate credentials frequently and enforce short-lived API tokens.
• Detect and remove hardcoded secrets using automated scanning tools.

4. Automate NHI Lifecycle Management

Orphaned and outdated NHIs pose significant security risks. To prevent this:

• Establish automated provisioning and deprovisioning processes.
• Implement regular audits of NHI activity.
• Ensure NHIs have defined ownership and accountability.

5. Strengthen API Security Measures

To mitigate API-related risks:

• Enforce OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), and other secure authentication mechanisms.
• Implement API gateways with rate limiting and anomaly detection.
• Monitor API logs for unauthorized access attempts.

6. Integrate NHIs into PAM Solutions

Organizations must extend Privileged Access Management (PAM) controls to NHIs, ensuring:

• Secure vaulting of NHI credentials.
• Continuous monitoring and session recording.
• Granular access policies for high-risk NHIs.

7. Conduct Continuous Security Assessments

Regular security reviews help uncover and mitigate vulnerabilities in NHI management:

• Conduct penetration testing to simulate attacks on NHIs.
• Leverage SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) to analyze behavior.
• Enforce compliance frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, and CIS Benchmarks.

Conclusion

Unmanaged NHIs represent one of the most overlooked attack surfaces in cybersecurity. Attackers exploit these identities for credential theft, privilege escalation, API abuse, and persistent access. To mitigate these risks, organizations must adopt proactive security measures, including visibility enhancement, least privilege enforcement, API security, and robust IAM/PAM controls.

By prioritizing NHI lifecycle management, enterprises can significantly reduce their attack surface and fortify their defenses against modern cyber threats. Unmanaged NHIs are no longer a hidden risk—they are a critical security challenge that must be addressed immediately.