name: AWS CreateAccessKey
id: 2a9b80d3-6340-4345-11ad-212bf3d0d111
version: 5
date: '2024-10-17'
author: Bhavin Patel, Splunk
status: production
type: Hunting
description: The following analytic identifies the creation of AWS IAM access keys by a user for another user, which can indicate privilege escalation. It leverages AWS CloudTrail logs to detect instances where the user creating the access key is different from the user for whom the key is created. This activity is significant because unauthorized access key creation can allow attackers to establish persistence or exfiltrate data via AWS APIs. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized access to AWS services, data exfiltration, and long-term persistence in the environment.
data_source:
- AWS CloudTrail CreateAccessKey
search: '`cloudtrail` eventName = CreateAccessKey userAgent !=console.amazonaws.com errorCode = success | eval match=if(match(userIdentity.userName,requestParameters.userName),1,0) | search match=0 | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by requestParameters.userName src eventName eventSource aws_account_id errorCode userAgent eventID awsRegion userIdentity.principalId user_arn | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` |`aws_createaccesskey_filter`'
how_to_implement: You must install splunk AWS add on and Splunk App for AWS. This search works with AWS CloudTrail logs.
known_false_positives: While this search has no known false positives, it is possible that an AWS admin has legitimately created keys for another user.
references:
- https://bishopfox.com/blog/privilege-escalation-in-aws
- https://rhinosecuritylabs.com/aws/aws-privilege-escalation-methods-mitigation-part-2/
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - AWS IAM Privilege Escalation
  asset_type: AWS Account
  confidence: 90
  impact: 70
  message: User $user_arn$ is attempting to create access keys for $requestParameters.userName$ from this IP $src$
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1136.003
  - T1136
  observable:
  - name: src
    type: IP Address
    role:
    - Attacker
  - name: user_arn
    type: User
    role:
    - Attacker
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - eventName
  - userAgent
  - errorCode
  - requestParameters.userName
  risk_score: 63
  security_domain: network
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1078/aws_createaccesskey/aws_cloudtrail_events.json
    sourcetype: aws:cloudtrail
    source: aws_cloudtrail
    update_timestamp: true