Azure Penetration Testing: Spot Misconfigurations & Risks

Azure Cloud Penetration Testing, figuring it out one login at a time.

When I first started poking around Azure, I will be honest I felt a little lost.

Coming from the usual world of on-prem boxes or even AWS, Azure just felt a bit different. The services had their own names. The layout was… well, it made sense after a while. But not right away.

Still, once you start pulling the threads, Azure has a lot to offer — especially from a testing perspective. Whether you are doing an internal assessment, a red team run or just exploring how secure your own environment is, Azure gives you enough space to get curious.

So here is a quick walk-through what Azure cloud penetration testing looks like in the real world.

First, What Does Microsoft Allow for Azure Penetration Testing

Let’s get this part out of the way first. Because Azure penetration testing without checking the rules is never a good idea.

Microsoft does allow penetration testing in Azure, but there are limits. You can test your own systems. That means resources you own or control under your tenant. But you cannot go scanning shared infrastructure or try taking down a region. That will land you in trouble fast.

Good thing is you do not need to submit a form or ask for permission like in the old days. But still, always check the latest acceptable use policy before you begin. And keep your tests focused on your own stuff.

Read Similar: Expert Tips on Shopify Penetration Testing

Azure Cloud Pentesting Getting Started with Identity

If there is one thing Azure is built around, it is identity. Azure Active Directory is at the center of almost everything. Which means most of your attack paths will start or end there.

One of the first things I check is what kind of access a regular user has. Can they list directory info? Can they read other users’ details? Can they register apps?

App registration is a sneaky one. If a low-privileged user can register an app and assign permissions, you might be able to escalate that to access APIs, grab tokens, or move laterally.

So yeah, identity is where you begin. And where you usually come back.

Subscription Level Misconfigurations

Azure subscriptions are like boundaries for what resources live where. Sometimes people create new subscriptions but forget to limit who can deploy inside them.

I have seen cases where someone accidentally had Contributor rights to a test subscription and ended up spinning up VMs, storage accounts, and even new users without meaning to.

If you are doing a test, always check role assignments. Especially the ones that give wide permissions like Owner, Contributor or User Access Administrator. These are often the open door you need.

Storage Accounts – A Quiet Weak Spot

This one is easy to miss. Azure Storage accounts can host blobs, files, tables and queues. And misconfigurations here are more common than people think.

Some storage accounts are open to public access. Others allow anonymous listing or even write access.

During one test, I found a storage container that had sensitive logs just sitting there with public read access. Nobody meant to make it public. It just slipped through.

So always try browsing to blob URLs. Use tools like Azure Storage Explorer. Look for SAS tokens left in code or configs. Sometimes that is all it takes.

App Services and Exposed Secrets

Azure App Services often have secrets tucked away in environment variables or misconfigured identity roles.

For Azure cloud penetration testing, I would like to check if Managed Identities are enabled and what permissions they have. Can they access Key Vaults? Can they pull secrets? Can they write to logs that nobody is watching?

Also, sometimes people forget to turn off debug settings or leave a test endpoint wide open. Always worth checking.

Logging and Detection

If you can do all of this and nobody notices, that is a whole other problem.

Azure has decent logging tools — like Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Defender for Cloud. But they need to be turned on and configured.

During a test, one of my favorite checks is doing something loud on purpose. Maybe a fake brute force or privilege escalation. Then I ask the client, did anything alert you?

Most times, the answer is no.

Some Quick Azure Cloud Penetration Testing Tips

• Try everything with a user account first. Start low and work your way up.
• Use PowerShell and Azure CLI. Sometimes they reveal things the portal hides.
• Document everything. Azure has a lot of layers, and you can get lost fast.
• Keep it legal. Stay in your environment and always have written permission if it is not yours.

Wrapping Up

Azure has its own way of doing things. But once you learn the flow, it becomes kind of fun to explore.

Azure cloud penetration testing is not always about flashy exploits. Most of the time, it is about spotting what got left open. The extra permission. The old endpoint. The default setting nobody changed.

If you are learning cloud security or planning to do an Azure test soon, take your time. Build a small lab. Break things safely. Watch how Azure reacts.

And if you have already done some testing in Azure, I would love to hear what you ran into. Always something new to learn in this space.

Let’s keep sharing. The more we talk about it, the better we all get.