Serverless development appears to be an ideal solution for programmers. No infrastructure headaches, no server maintenance, just instant scalability. AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions operate as the full hosting solution.
Many believe, “No servers, no security risks.” That’s a myth. Nowadays, attackers take advantage of the specific security weaknesses found in serverless platforms. A recent documented example of this exploitation risk materialized as the 2023 AWS S3 Lambda backdoor exploit. Hackers successfully installed malicious functions that entered an AWS environment. Attackers took advantage of unsecured triggers to break in and both obtain access and steal data. The worst part? The attack went unnoticed until it was already too advanced.
How Attackers Exploit Your Serverless Systems
Let’s take a look at how hackers hijack triggers, inject malicious code, and exploit supply chains.
1. Code Injection in Serverless Functions
The serverless functions activate after specified events occur through S3 uploads, database changes, and message queues. Hackers misappropriate these trigger mechanisms to run their damaging code.
The hacker exploited an S3 bucket that was connected to a Lambda function. The malicious payload is delivered through an uploaded file. The processed function enables the hacker to execute the injected code, which results in obtaining control. The attack results in data theft and account control as soon as the unauthorized action occurs.
2. Supply Chain Attacks & Data Theft
All serverless applications need third-party libraries for operation. Each function that depends on the compromised component becomes vulnerable to attack.
An npm package experienced a hijack attack when hackers inserted a secret entry into its system. The incorporation of code by AWS Lambda resulted in the silent extraction of all environment variables. The unauthorized loss of API keys, credentials, and sensitive data, together with all other valuable information. The process finished in milliseconds, which was too brief for any security system to identify.
3. Using Serverless Functions as Command-and-Control (C2) Servers
Advanced hackers utilize serverless functions as temporary infrastructure that functions as C2 servers. Because functions operate for very brief periods, they remain unseen by security systems.
How it works:
- Attackers activate brief-lived AWS Lambda functions as part of their operations.
- The functions act as intermediaries that both receive and transmit instructions to attacked devices.
- The execution terminates the functions, so they leave no detectable remnants.
Growing Threat Landscape of Serverless Computing
Serverless computing is here to stay. But as it grows, attackers will keep finding new ways in. Traditional tools won’t cut it anymore. As more companies are adopting serverless technologies, security risks become more widespread. So, it’s fundamental to validate that serverless environments are secure. Let’s explore the facts. Research dictates that serverless computing is expected to grow rapidly. According to Gartner’s July 2025 forecast, global IT spending will climb to $5.43 trillion, with enterprises investing billions into AI-driven cloud and data center infrastructure, making serverless platforms an increasingly critical, but often overlooked, security target. According to a 2023 Cloud Security Alliance report, over 70% of companies still lack dedicated serverless security controls. This means the majority are vulnerable.
Real-World Breaches
Misconfigured permissions are among the biggest risks. These systems’ mis-settings allow attackers to gain unauthorized access and escalate their privileges.
Take the 2019 Capital One breach as an example. The attack exploited a misconfigured AWS Lambda function, exposing 100 million records of customer data.
The OWASP Serverless Top 10 lists misconfigurations and lack of access control as the top security concerns. The listed security problems create more vulnerability targets that attackers can use to exploit your serverless environment.
Ephemeral Execution: Logs and Evidence Disappear Within Milliseconds
Serverless functions activate quickly after launching their code execution before they immediately shut down. When an attacker inserts malicious code into the system, it has no time to run an investigation because functions execute instantly. Standard logging instruments face challenges because all evidence disappears after the function's termination. Real-time monitoring systems are necessary to detect attacks because attacks could otherwise occur undetected when no monitoring exists.
Limited Visibility in Cloud Provider Dashboards
The monitoring tools of cloud providers include AWS CloudWatch and Azure Monitor. The serverless execution receives minimal in-depth analysis from these dashboards. Security teams receive function logs at the highest levels while lacking real-time monitoring of attacks. The lack of transparency enables attackers to use available functions to steal data while escaping undetected before detection occurs.
How to Secure Your Serverless Applications
Since traditional defenses don’t work, security teams need a new approach. Here’s how to lock down serverless environments:
Tighten IAM Permissions
The access scope of serverless functions should match their operational requirements exactly. Roles that contain excessive permissions present additional access power to attackers who succeed in breaching them. Every action must receive limited privileges through the principle of least privilege (PoLP). The assessment of IAM roles should occur periodically to eliminate permissions that serve no purpose.
Deploy Runtime Security Tools
The traditional security tools do not operate effectively with ephemeral functions. AWS Lambda security monitoring allows users to identify peculiar function activities. Your system should monitor the execution of functions and API activity while also stopping harmful payloads from executing. Real-time threats get detected by the security tools Palo Alto Prisma, VMware Wavefront and Datadog.
Scan Dependencies for Vulnerabilities
The operations of serverless applications depend extensively on external third-party library dependencies. Attackers succeed by taking advantage of old dependencies. These are either outdated or compromised to insert backdoors. Client systems should leverage Snyk and Dependabot or AWS CodeGuru for dependency vulnerability detection. An automated vulnerability scanner should be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline to detect threats during the early stages.
Enable Event Anomaly Detection
When attackers want to execute malicious functions, they exploit cloud events for their purposes. The execution patterns of AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config should be monitored for any unexpected activity. Your system should implement anomaly detection tools to detect aberrant API calls and unauthorized deployment activities. Your security system should trigger notifications when there is an unexpected increase in traffic and when functions run abnormally.
Expert Opinions on Serverless Security
“You can’t defend against an attack if you don’t know where it’s coming from.”
- Troy Hunt, Cybersecurity Expert and Creator of Have I Been Pwned
Source: Troy Hunt - Have I Been Pwned
In 2016, hackers breached Uber systems by accessing a private GitHub repository containing AWS credentials. It allowed attackers to access sensitive data, exposing the personal information of 57 million users, including 600,000 U.S. drivers. This incident resulted in substantial financial and reputational damages.
The Third Annual Study on the State of Endpoint Security Risk 2020 revealed that 56% of organizations lack visibility in their serverless environments. This lack of oversight contributes to security vulnerabilities, such as configuration errors and unauthorized access.
The next major cloud breach could start with a single misconfigured function. Could your current security strategy withstand an attack? As attackers become more sophisticated, will your team adapt quickly enough to stop them?
Final Verdict
The growing use of serverless technologies makes environmental security essential for businesses at an unprecedented level. Do your existing security protocols have the ability to stop serverless system breaches? Advancing adoption levels of serverless functions leads to increased complexity, which needs to be secured.
CISOs and DevSecOps teams need better visibility, runtime security, and strict access controls. Attackers are getting smarter.Your security should, too.
Real-world incidents serve as the best learning experiences for professionals in cybersecurity. Security professionals require specific defense strategies that they can execute to protect against serverless threats. The information presented in this article guides CISOs, Cloud Engineers, and Security Architects through the process of serverless environment hardening. Most security discussions focus on traditional cloud threats. Serverless attacks fly under the radar. Theory alone doesn’t help security teams. Thus, security teams need solutions, not just warnings.
