Google Cloud's service-account model is powerful and easy to over-provision. Our GCP penetration testing hunts the privilege-escalation paths that turn a single compromised workload or key into project-wide access.
We review IAM bindings, service accounts and resource exposure, then demonstrate concrete escalation chains across your projects.
Our Google Cloud penetration testing concentrates on the service-account and IAM escalation paths that most often turn a single workload or leaked key into project-wide access. We review service-account impersonation and keys, IAM bindings, public storage buckets, compute metadata and workload-identity abuse, and secrets in code and pipelines — demonstrating concrete escalation chains across your projects and folders, mapped to the CIS GCP Foundations Benchmark.
Why it matters
Google Cloud's service-account model is powerful and very easy to over-provision, so a single compromised workload or key frequently escalates into project-wide access. Default and inherited permissions hide real attack paths.
GCP penetration testing hunts those service-account and IAM escalation chains, demonstrating concretely how a foothold becomes broad control across your projects.
What we test
- Service account impersonation & key abuse
- IAM privilege escalation paths
- Cloud Storage bucket exposure
- Compute metadata & workload identity abuse
- Project & folder-level misconfiguration
- Secrets exposure in code and pipelines
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Service account impersonation and key abuse
- IAM privilege escalation paths
- Public Cloud Storage buckets
- Compute metadata and workload-identity abuse
- Project and folder misconfiguration
- Secrets exposed in code and pipelines
Our GCP Penetration Testing methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your gcp penetration testing, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely closed.
Tools & techniques
We assess Google Cloud with IAM analysis tooling and manual testing focused on service-account and privilege-escalation paths. We test impersonation and key abuse, IAM bindings, public storage, compute metadata and workload-identity abuse, and secrets in code and pipelines, mapping findings to the CIS GCP Foundations Benchmark and MITRE ATT&CK Cloud.
When you need GCP Penetration Testing
- For organizations running workloads on Google Cloud
- When service-account sprawl makes privilege paths unclear
- Before or after major GCP deployments
- As part of a multi-cloud security assessment
What you receive
- Project attack-path mapping
- Escalation PoCs with evidence
- IAM least-privilege remediation
- Free retest of remediated projects
What’s included in your report
Every gcp penetration testing engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
CIS GCP Foundations Benchmark
MITRE ATT&CK Cloud
Google security best practices
Outcomes you can expect
After your gcp penetration testing, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every gcp penetration testing starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense for GCP Penetration Testing
Our gcp penetration testing is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
GCP Penetration Testing is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
- AWS Penetration Testing — AWS penetration testing — IAM privilege escalation, S3 and storage exposure, SSRF-to-metadata, and misconfiguration review mapped…
- Kubernetes Penetration Testing — Kubernetes penetration testing — container escape, RBAC misconfiguration, exposed control plane, and pod-to-cluster-admin escalation across your…
- Cloud Configuration Review — Cloud configuration review across AWS, Azure and GCP — CIS benchmark gaps, IAM hygiene, exposure and…
Frequently asked questions
What's the biggest risk in GCP?
Over-privileged service accounts and their keys. They are the most common pivot from a single workload to broad project compromise.
Do you test GKE as well?
Yes. Kubernetes on GCP is covered here or in depth via our dedicated Kubernetes penetration testing service.
Does Google require notification?
For testing your own GCP resources, prior notification is generally not required, but we confirm scope against current Google policy first.
Does Google require prior notification?
For testing your own GCP resources, prior notification is generally not required, but we confirm scope against current Google policy first.
Do you test GKE clusters?
Yes — Kubernetes on GCP is covered here or in depth via our dedicated Kubernetes penetration testing service.
Does Google require notification before testing?
For your own GCP resources, prior notification is generally not required, but we confirm scope against current Google policy first.
Do you test GKE clusters as part of this?
Yes — Kubernetes on GCP is covered here or in depth via our dedicated Kubernetes penetration testing service.
How long does GCP penetration testing take?
Typically one to two weeks depending on the number of projects and services, plus a retest window.
Do you also cover GKE?
Kubernetes on GCP is covered here or in depth via our dedicated Kubernetes penetration testing service.