- Microsoft researchers warn Storm‑2949 is abusing the Self‑Service Password Reset flow to hijack accounts
- Attackers trick victims into approving MFA prompts via phone calls, then reset passwords and exfiltrate sensitive data
- The campaign targets Microsoft 365 and Azure environments, with Microsoft urging tighter RBAC controls and monitoring of high‑risk operations
A hacking group known as Storm-2949 is abusing the password reset feature in Microsoft’s services to steal people’s login credentials, access their accounts, and exfiltrate as much sensitive data as possible.
A new report published by the Microsoft Defender Security Research Team claims that at the heart of this campaign is the Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) flow found in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Usually, when an employee forgets their credentials and clicks the “Forgot my password” button, Microsoft sends an MFA prompt to their registered secondary device. When the employee approves it, they are allowed to set a new password through the same device the process was initiated at first.
How to defend
Storm-2949 was abusing it in highly targeted attacks. First, they would identify their target, obtain their phone number, as well as the email used to log into Microsoft’s services. Then, they would initiate the password reset flow and simultaneously call the victims on the phone.
They would introduce themselves as IT technicians and would convince the victims into approving the MFA prompt, effectively being allowed to create a new password.
The next step is to push the victim out of the account and exfiltrate as much information as possible.
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence team described the campaign as “methodical, sophisticated, and multi-layered” targeting Microsoft 365 applications, file-hosting services, and Azure-hosted production environments.
“In one instance, Storm-2949 used the OneDrive web interface to download thousands of files in a single action to their own infrastructure,” Microsoft said. “This pattern of data theft was repeated across all compromised user accounts, likely because different identities had access to different folders and shared directories.”
To defend against this campaign, Microsoft suggests users limit Azure RBAC permissions, retain Azure Key Vault logs for a year, reduce access to Key Vault, and restrict public access to Key Vaults. It also advises using data protection options in Azure Storage, and monitoring for high-risk Azure management operations.
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