Episode 7 — Assess metadata service hardening to block credential harvesting paths
This episode focuses on practical defenses for metadata attacks, emphasizing how to evaluate whether hardening is real or merely assumed. You’ll connect hardening controls to the attack paths from the prior episode, including SSRF-to-metadata, compromised host-to-metadata, and misconfigured routing that unintentionally exposes metadata. We’ll cover design choices such as requiring stronger request characteristics, restricting which processes or network paths can reach metadata, and limiting the data returned so a single query cannot yield powerful credentials. You’ll also learn troubleshooting considerations: what breaks when you harden metadata, how to test that applications still function, and how to validate that tokens are not accidentally being logged or cached. A scenario walkthrough shows a team tightening metadata access, then confirming success by attempting the original exploitation chain in a controlled test. Produced by BareMetalCyber.com, where you’ll find more cyber audio courses, books, and information to strengthen your educational path. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news, visit DailyCyber.News for a newsletter you can use, and a daily podcast you can commute with.
