TL;DR
Exposed AWS credentials cost $5,000-100,000+ when attackers use them for crypto mining. Bots find exposed keys within minutes and immediately spin up expensive GPU instances. A weekend exposure can result in $20,000-50,000 in charges. AWS sometimes offers partial refunds but this is not guaranteed. The only reliable protection is never exposing credentials in the first place through proper environment variables, billing alerts, and service control policies.
$50,000 average AWS bill from credential abuse incidents Source: GitGuardian State of Secrets Sprawl 2024
How AWS Credential Abuse Works
Step 1: Discovery
Attackers run bots that continuously scan:
- GitHub public repository pushes (real-time API)
- GitLab public repositories
- Public websites and JavaScript files
- Pastebin and similar code sharing sites
Step 2: Validation
Within seconds of finding potential credentials, bots validate them against AWS APIs. If valid, they immediately proceed to exploitation.
Step 3: Exploitation
Attackers typically:
- Spin up p4d.24xlarge instances (most expensive GPU instances)
- Deploy across all available regions simultaneously
- Run cryptocurrency mining software
- Continue until credentials are revoked or limits hit
Speed of attack: Research has documented AWS credentials being exploited within 30 seconds of being pushed to a public GitHub repository. If you accidentally commit credentials, rotate them immediately, even if you delete the commit right away.
Real Cost Scenarios
Instance Types Attackers Use
| Instance Type | Hourly Cost | 24-Hour Cost (all regions) |
|---|---|---|
| p4d.24xlarge | $32.77/hour | $12,600+ (16 regions) |
| p3.16xlarge | $24.48/hour | $9,400+ (16 regions) |
| g5.48xlarge | $16.29/hour | $6,300+ (16 regions) |
| inf2.48xlarge | $12.98/hour | $5,000+ (16 regions) |
Getting a Refund from AWS
AWS may offer refunds, but success depends on several factors:
- Speed of reporting: Report within hours, not days
- First-time incident: AWS is more lenient for first occurrences
- Billing alerts: Having alerts enabled shows good faith
- Account history: Good standing helps your case
- Remediation evidence: Show you have fixed the vulnerability
No guarantees: AWS is under no obligation to refund charges from credential abuse. Their terms explicitly state you are responsible for credential security. Never assume a refund will cover your losses.
Prevention Measures
Immediate Actions
- Never commit credentials: Use environment variables always
- Enable billing alerts: Set alerts at $10, $50, $100, $500
- Use IAM roles: Avoid long-term access keys when possible
- Enable MFA: On root and all IAM users
Advanced Protections
- Service Control Policies: Restrict which services can be used
- Region restrictions: Limit to regions you actually use
- Instance quotas: Request lower limits on expensive instances
- AWS Config rules: Alert on unusual resource creation
Best practice: Set an aggressive billing alert (e.g., $100) and configure AWS to email you immediately. The cost of a false positive is zero, but catching abuse early can save $50,000+.
How much does AWS credential abuse cost?
AWS credential abuse typically costs $5,000-100,000+ depending on how long the credentials are exposed. Weekend exposure can result in $20,000-50,000 in compute charges. The average incident reported to AWS security teams involves approximately $50,000 in unauthorized charges.
Will AWS refund charges from stolen credentials?
AWS sometimes provides partial refunds for first-time credential abuse incidents, but this is not guaranteed. Refunds depend on how quickly you report the issue, whether you had billing alerts enabled, and your account history. Never assume a refund will cover your losses.
How quickly are exposed AWS keys exploited?
Exposed AWS keys are typically exploited within minutes. Automated bots scan GitHub and other public sources continuously for AWS key patterns. Research has shown keys can be discovered and abused within 30 seconds of being pushed to a public repository.
What should I do if I accidentally exposed AWS credentials?
Immediately: (1) Rotate the credentials in AWS IAM, (2) Check CloudTrail for unauthorized activity, (3) Terminate any unknown EC2 instances, (4) Contact AWS support, (5) Review billing for charges. Do not just delete the commit, the credentials are already compromised.
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