Open SesameOp: Abusing trusted AI platforms to host a C2 server
To kick off Season 3 of Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Microsoft security researchers Anna Seitz and Jonathan Checchi.
Our guests examine two developments shaping today’s threat landscape: the cloud-native evolution of ransomware group Storm-0501 and the SesameOp backdoor’s abuse of trusted AI platforms for stealthy command-and-control. The discussion highlights how identity, hybrid-cloud pivot points, and federated authentication enable high-impact attacks without traditional malware, and why policy-compliant platform abuse is becoming harder to detect.
Sherrod, Anna, and Jonathan provide guidance for defenders around enforcing MFA, tightening conditional access and identity controls, monitoring across cloud and on-prem environments, and partnering with platform providers to disrupt emerging attacker tradecraft.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- What happens when threat actors gain control of highly privileged identities
- Why monitoring identity behavior is as critical as monitoring endpoints
- How attacker tactics are adapting to environments that blend cloud and on-prem systems
Some questions we ask:
- What does recent threat activity tell us about where the landscape is headed?
- How is Storm-0501 using federated authentication in their operations?
- What should security teams focus on as AI becomes more integrated into systems?
Resources:
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The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is produced by Microsoft, Hangar Studios and distributed as part of N2K media network.
Microsoft Threat Intelligence 
Microsoft Threat Intelligence 