Open Doors in the Cloud: Identifying Resources Publicly Exposed via Network Interfaces

Network interface misconfigurations are among the most common and consequential cloud security failures. Security group rules with overly permissive inbound access. Network ACLs that allow traffic from any source. Virtual network configurations that inadvertently route internal resources to public subnets. Load balancers are configured to forward traffic to instances that shouldn’t be externally reachable. Each of these creates a path through which external attackers can reach cloud resources that were never intended to be publicly accessible.

The problem is compounded by the speed of change in the cloud. A configuration that was correct yesterday may have been modified by automated infrastructure code, a developer making a quick fix, or an auto-scaling event that provisioned new instances in unexpected network contexts. Without continuous monitoring, exposure created by network interface changes may go undetected for days or weeks.

Identifying cloud resources publicly exposed via network interfaces means continuously assessing the network configuration of cloud resources — security groups, network ACLs, routing tables, load balancer rules, and public IP assignments — to identify any resource that is accessible from the internet through any network path, whether intentionally or accidentally.

Cloud provider security services and CSPM tools check network configurations against defined rules — flagging security groups with rules permitting inbound access from 0.0.0.0/0, for example. These checks are valuable but often evaluate individual configuration elements in isolation rather than modeling the full network path from internet to resource. A resource may be technically protected by a security group rule while still being reachable through a misconfigured routing configuration that bypasses it.

1. Creates a unified asset inventory

Saner Cloud brings together compute, storage, database, and network resources across cloud accounts and subscriptions, so teams can quickly find which assets may be publicly exposed.

2. Identifies internet-facing resources

It detects resources exposed through public IPs, open network interfaces, permissive access settings, and externally reachable services.

3. Shows exposure context clearly

Saner Cloud maps resource distribution by provider, account, region, and service, helping teams understand where exposed assets sit and which environments carry higher risk.

4. Monitors for new exposure continuously

It tracks configuration changes and drift over time, so teams can catch when a private resource becomes publicly reachable.

5. Supports faster attack-surface reduction

By highlighting critical exposed assets, stale resources, and exposure hotspots, Saner Cloud helps teams prioritize remediation and reduce unnecessary public access.