What began as a single compromised identity quickly expanded into an organization’s development and cloud environments. In our latest Cyberattack Series report, we examine how the Microsoft Detection and Response Team (DART)—the team that delivers Microsoft Defender Experts Cybersecurity Incident Response—investigated activity by Storm-3068, a threat actor that turned a successful self-service password reset into access to Azure DevOps, development pipelines, and Kubernetes resources. By leveraging legitimate identity and cloud services rather than malware or software exploits, the threat actor established persistent access, enumerated repositories, and obtained credentials that opened a path into connected cloud infrastructure. This case highlights a growing challenge for defenders: when identities, source code, pipelines, and production environments are tightly linked, a single account compromise can provide a pathway to much broader access across the organization. Read on to learn more or access the full report. 

What happened? 

The intrusion began with Storm-3068 gaining access to a user account through a self-service password reset process and then taking full control of the identity by registering its own authentication methods. With persistent access established, the threat actor shifted its focus to Azure DevOps using legitimate administrative tools and automated scripts to enumerate repositories, projects, pipelines, and deployment environments.

TACTIC: Trusted pipelines were exploited
Rather than deploying malware, the threat actor modified development pipelines to collect Kubernetes credentials and expand access into cloud infrastructure.​​ 

Azure DevOps proved to be a high-value target because it sat at the intersection of identity, software development, and cloud operations. By mapping trusted deployment paths and connected resources, the threat actor was able to identify opportunities to expand beyond the initial compromise.

The investigation revealed that Storm-3068 created a malicious pipeline designed to harvest Kubernetes credentials at scale. The pipeline deployed a kube agent and executed multiple jobs intended to collect kubeconfig files containing cluster connection details and authentication information. Leveraging the permissions of the compromised account, the threat actor deployed the pipeline that was authorized to access more than 50 resources and authenticated to services. In addition to deploying a kube agent, the threat actor modified pipeline scripts to install the Atera remote management agent and download the Chisel tunneling utility. These tools were deployed in an attempt to provide the threat actor with alternative mechanisms for remote access and to expose the Kubernetes API server. Chisel commands were executed to establish a reverse tunnel to an external IP address to enable potential remote interaction with the Kubernetes clusters.

Using Azure DevOps audit logs and Git version history, investigators reconstructed the next stage of the intrusion. The threat actor added seven stolen kubeconfig files to a repository, providing the credentials needed to access targeted Kubernetes clusters.

INSIGHT: Azure DevOps can reveal much more than source code
Repositories, pipelines, service connections, and deployment settings can provide threat actors with a roadmap to an organization’s broader environment.

How did Microsoft respond? 

Once engaged, DART moved quickly to investigate the intrusion and disrupt the threat actor’s access. By analyzing telemetry across identity systems, development platforms, and cloud infrastructure, the team pieced together how the cyberattack unfolded and identified where the threat actor had expanded beyond the initial compromise.

Throughout the engagement, DART worked side by side with the customer, sharing findings through daily briefings and providing prioritized guidance to support containment and remediation efforts. As new details emerged, this close coordination helped the customer make informed decisions and respond quickly. DART also collaborated with Microsoft Threat Intelligence to place the activity in a broader threat context, helping refine the investigation and focus response efforts across affected environments.

Beyond containing the intrusion, DART provided recommendations to help improve resilience and reduce opportunities for future compromise. Read the full report to learn how the investigation uncovered the extent of the threat actor’s access and the key lessons organizations can apply to defend against similar identity-driven attacks. 

What can customers do to strengthen their defenses? 

 While the attack began with a compromised identity, its impact grew as the threat actor moved through development and cloud environments. Organizations can reduce similar risks by focusing on:

• Monitoring password reset activity for unusual patterns, including repeated reset attempts or activity targeting multiple users.
• Strengthening protection for privileged accounts by limiting exposure to self-service password reset workflows and requiring phishing-resistant multifactor authentication.
• Requiring approvals for code changes and enforcing branch protection policies to prevent unauthorized modifications.
• Restricting direct commits to critical branches so changes follow established review and approval processes.
• Controlling pipeline permissions and limiting who can create, modify, or execute build and deployment pipelines.
• Applying least-privilege access principles across identities, development platforms, and cloud resources to minimize the impact of a compromised account.

INSIGHT: Identities are the new attack path
This incident demonstrates how a single compromised identity can provide access to development platforms, cloud resources, and production environments when those systems are tightly connected.​ 

As this case demonstrates, a single compromised identity can become a pathway to much broader access when development platforms, deployment pipelines, and cloud infrastructure are tightly connected. Regular reviews of identity, DevOps, and cloud security controls can help reduce opportunities for threat actors to exploit those connections.

What is the Cyberattack Series? 

In our Cyberattack Series, customers discover how DART investigates unique and notable attacks. For each cyberattack story, we share: 

• How the cyberattack happened. 
• How the compromise was discovered. 
• Microsoft’s investigation and eviction of the threat actor. 
• Strategies to avoid similar cyberattacks. 

DART is made up of highly skilled investigators, researchers, engineers, and analysts who specialize in handling global security incidents. We’re here for customers with dedicated experts to work with you before, during, and after a cybersecurity incident.  

Learn more

To learn more about DART capabilities, please visit our website, or contact your Microsoft account manager or Premier Support contact. To learn more about the cybersecurity incidents described above, including more insights and information on how to protect your own organization, download the full report. 

To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

The post ​​Beyond source code: A path to the keys to the kingdom appeared first on Microsoft Security Blog.

Cybersecurity incidents can unfold in hours, but response plans often fail at the point of execution: ownership is unclear, investigation findings is difficult to access, and critical decisions are delayed. That is why incident response cannot be something your organization figures out in real time.

The Detection and Response Team (DART) – the Microsoft team that delivers Defender Experts Cybersecurity Incident Response – has supported organizations across 54 countries and regions through some of their most challenging security moments; and while we sincerely hope you never need to call us in the middle of a live incident, we do want to help you prepare for that possibility before it becomes real.

That’s exactly what the Cybersecurity Incident Response Readiness Workshop is designed to do.

What is the Cybersecurity Incident Response Readiness Workshop?

The Cybersecurity Incident Response Workshop is a collaborative, scenario driven workshop designed to evaluate your organization’s incident response (IR) plan against realistic, real-world security events, guided by DART researchers.

Rather than reviewing your plan in isolation, we work through simulated incidents together. Participants navigate realistic attack scenarios, present investigation findings, discuss decisions, and receive direct feedback from responders with extensive experience handling complex incidents worldwide.

What makes DART’s approach different?

DART’s approach combines active participation with lessons drawn from frontline incident response. Instead of reviewing a plan as a static document, the Cybersecurity Incident Response Workshop exercises how people, processes, and technology work together under pressure. Participants practice detection, containment, and response decisions while DART security researchers provide feedback grounded in real-world incident experience.

The workshop creates a controlled environment for teams to test how they detect, investigate, contain, and communicate during an incident. DART security researchers examine how people, processes, and technology work together across identity, endpoint, cloud, and communications, including whether the organization’s tools, logs, and telemetry support timely decisions against real threat actor behaviors.

Additionally, the workshop includes threat hunting exercises that let incident response teams investigate realistic scenarios with urgency but without the pressure of a live incident. This hands-on practice strengthens technical judgment and helps teams coordinate their response more effectively.

Why organizations run this workshop

The goal is not to pass or fail. It’s to discover how well your organization can make and execute critical response decisions under pressure, and where preparation today can prevent delay during a real incident.

During the Workshop, organizations are able to:

• Compare and contrast their incident response plan with insights drawn from DART’s experience across thousands of real‑world cases.
• Exercise response processes using real-world scenarios to identify strengths and improvement opportunities, including processes, threat hunting techniques, and the use of cybersecurity technologies.
• Identify potential gaps in both tools and procedures before a threat actor finds them.

In short: it’s a chance to see what holds up under pressure, where coordination or visibility begins to bend, and what your organization should reinforce before a threat actor puts the response plan to the test.

Our approach: How we assess your maturity

The workshop blends structured analysis with hands-on knowledge transfer, creating an experience that is both evaluative and practical.

The assessment examines how your organization’s people, processes, and technology support incident response across identity, endpoint, cloud, and communications. It also evaluates whether available tools and telemetry provide the visibility needed to respond to real threat actor tactics.

Additional knowledge transfer is delivered through interactive exercises led by DART, encouraging cross-team collaboration while sharing proven detection and containment practices drawn from real incidents.

What organizations walk away with

By the end of the workshop, organizations leave with a clearer view of how their incident response capability performs today and where focused improvements can strengthen readiness. You’ll take away:

• Clear identification of strengths and opportunities in IR preparation and execution.
• Insight into how tools, techniques, and available data perform during an incident.
• A summary of findings and prioritized recommendations to help strengthen incident response readiness and guide next steps.

Scope and structure

The engagement begins by aligning on objectives, participants, logistics, and expected outcomes so the scenarios and discussions can be tailored to the organization’s needs

The workshop spans 2 or 3 days, including:

• Kick off and introductions to understand who the audience is and what they hope to gain from the workshop; this helps us tailor our delivery approach for each unique organization
• Knowledge-transfer sessions
• Scenarios and guided discussions assessing current capabilities
• Closeout and recommended next steps

Practice before it matters

If your incident response plan lives mostly on paper, or if it’s never been exercised with the people who will use it, the Cybersecurity Incident Response Workshop provides a safe, structured way to change that. When a real incident happens, you don’t want your first conversation about roles, investigation findings, or decision-making to happen in the middle of a crisis.

Don’t wait for a live incident to test your response plan, if you have an established Unified Enterprise agreement with Microsoft, reach out to your Customer Success Account Manager (CSAM) to schedule a Cybersecurity Incident Response Workshop and give your teams the opportunity to practice before it matters most.

Learn more

• To learn more about DART capabilities, please visit our website, or contact your Microsoft Customer Success Account Manager or Premier Support contact.
• For the latest security research from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community, check out the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Blog.
• To get notified about new publications and to join discussions on social media, follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and Bluesky.
• To hear stories and insights from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community about the ever-evolving threat landscape, listen to the Microsoft Threat Intelligence podcast.

The post Cybersecurity IR Workshop: The workshop you shouldn’t miss appeared first on Microsoft Security Blog.