name: Abnormally High AWS Instances Launched by User - MLTK
id: dec41ad5-d579-42cb-b4c6-f5dbb778bbe5
version: 2
date: '2020-07-21'
author: Jason Brewer, Splunk
type: batch
datamodel: []
description: This search looks for CloudTrail events where a user successfully launches
  an abnormally high number of instances. This search is deprecated and have been
  translated to use the latest Change Datamodel.
search: '`cloudtrail` eventName=RunInstances errorCode=success `abnormally_high_aws_instances_launched_by_user___mltk_filter`
  | bucket span=10m _time  | stats count as instances_launched by _time src_user  |
  apply ec2_excessive_runinstances_v1  | rename "IsOutlier(instances_launched)" as
  isOutlier  | where isOutlier=1'
how_to_implement: You must install the AWS App for Splunk (version 5.1.0 or later)
  and Splunk Add-on for AWS (version 4.4.0 or later), then configure your CloudTrail
  inputs. The threshold value should be tuned to your environment.
known_false_positives: Many service accounts configured within an AWS infrastructure
  are known to exhibit this behavior. Please adjust the threshold values and filter
  out service accounts from the output. Always verify if this search alerted on a
  human user.
references: []
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - AWS Cryptomining
  - Suspicious AWS EC2 Activities
  asset_type: AWS Instance
  cis20:
  - CIS 13
  kill_chain_phases:
  - Actions on Objectives
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1078.004
  nist:
  - DE.DP
  - DE.AE
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - eventName
  - errorCode
  - src_user
  risk_object: src_usr
  risk_object_type: user
  risk_score: 10
  security_domain: network
