Storm-3168: Agentic-driven cloud attacks using compromised service principals
Microsoft details Storm-3168 (JADEPUFFER) destroying Azure resources via compromised service principals in the first documented agentic ransomware operation's Azure activity.
Microsoft tracks JADEPUFFER, discovered by Sysdig in July 2026 as the first documented agentic ransomware operation, as Storm-3168. In one tenant, two compromised service principals performed 300+ read operations over 15.5 hours of Azure reconnaissance, then executed a 7-minute destructive sequence including 100+ storage account deletion attempts, plus deletion of an Azure Key Vault, Function App, and App Service plan. The actor then sent 30+ successful ListKeys requests to collect storage account access keys; initial access may have come from a service principal secret exposed in a public GitHub issue's edit history. Azure resource locks and deletion protection blocked some destruction, showing the value of independent safeguards.
- JADEPUFFER (Storm-3168) is the first documented agentic ransomware operation, per Sysdig
- 150+ destructive and credential-collection operations executed in 35 minutes via compromised service principals
- Azure resource locks and deletion protection blocked some deletions despite broad admin permissions
- Exposed secret remained valid via GitHub edit history; redaction alone does not remediate
- Microsoft highlights shift toward AI-orchestrated attacks across cloud environments
- ATT&CK
- T1078.004 Cloud AccountsT1580 Cloud Infrastructure DiscoveryT1485 Data DestructionT1552.001 Credentials In FilesT1530 Data from Cloud Storage
- Tags
- storm-3168jadepufferazureservice-principalagentic-ransomwarecloud-attacksresource-destructioncredential-exposure
- Threat actors
- Storm-3168
- Organizations
- MicrosoftSysdigJADEPUFFERAzure
From the original article
11 min read at microsoft.com
Microsoft details JADEPUFFER-linked Azure reconnaissance, resource deletion, and credential access using compromised service principals, identifying the activity as associated with Storm-3168 and providing guidance for defenders. The post Storm-3168: Agentic-driven cloud attacks using compromised service principals appeared first on Microsoft Security Blog.
By Microsoft Security Research, Yossi Weizman and Tushar Mudi · microsoft.com
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