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AWS Discovery API Calls via CLI from a Single Resource
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Data Source: AWS Data Source: AWS EC2 Data Source: AWS IAM Data Source: AWS S3 Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Data Source: AWS RDS Data Source: AWS Lambda Data Source: AWS STS Data Source: AWS KMS Data Source: AWS SES Data Source: AWS Cloudfront Data Source: AWS DynamoDB Data Source: AWS Elastic Load Balancing Data Source: AWS Organizations Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Discovery Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: Medium Performance: Normal Rule Type: ES|QL Platform: AWS Service: AWS IAM Service: AWS S3 Service: AWS EC2 Service: AWS Lambda Service: AWS RDS Service: AWS KMS Service: AWS STS Service: AWS SES Service: AWS DynamoDB ·Detects when a single AWS resource is running multiple read-only, discovery API calls in a 10-second window. This behavior could indicate an actor attempting to discover the AWS infrastructure using compromised credentials or a compromised instance. Adversaries may use this information to identify potential targets for further exploitation or to gain a better understanding of the target's infrastructure.
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AWS IAM Sensitive Operations via Lambda Execution Role
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Domain: Identity Data Source: AWS Data Source: Amazon Web Services Data Source: AWS IAM Data Source: AWS Lambda Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Privilege Escalation Tactic: Persistence Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: Low Performance: Normal Rule Type: Custom Query (KQL) Platform: AWS Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Service: AWS IAM Service: AWS Lambda ·Detects successful IAM API calls that create or empower IAM users and roles, attach or embed policies, or wire roles to instance profiles when the caller is an assumed role session associated with AWS Lambda. Serverless execution roles are often over-permissioned; an adversary who can run or compromise function code can abuse these APIs for privilege escalation and persistence—for example creating users or roles, issuing keys, attaching managed or inline policies, or preparing EC2 instance profiles for lateral movement.
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AWS Lambda Event Source Mapping Creation
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Data Source: AWS Data Source: Amazon Web Services Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Data Source: AWS Lambda Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Persistence Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: Unknown Performance: Fast Rule Type: Custom Query (KQL) Platform: AWS Service: AWS Lambda ·Identifies the creation of an AWS Lambda event source mapping, which connects an event source such as an Amazon SQS queue, an Amazon Kinesis or DynamoDB stream, an Amazon MSK or self-managed Apache Kafka topic, or an Amazon MQ broker to a Lambda function so the function is automatically invoked when new records arrive. Adversaries with "lambda:CreateEventSourceMapping" permissions can abuse this to establish stealthy, event-driven persistence and execution, or to continuously siphon records from a stream or queue into attacker-controlled function code. Because the function then runs on its own whenever the source produces events, this grants durable execution without any further interactive activity by the adversary.
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AWS Lambda Function High-Frequency Invocation by a Single Principal
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Data Source: AWS Data Source: Amazon Web Services Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Data Source: AWS Lambda Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Impact Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: High Performance: Fast Profile: Aggressive Rule Type: ES|QL Platform: AWS Service: AWS Lambda ·Identifies a single principal directly invoking AWS Lambda functions at a high volume within a one-hour window. Adversaries may drive excessive invocations to abuse functions for resource hijacking or cryptomining, to inflate costs in a denial-of-wallet attack, or to enumerate function behavior. This is a volumetric heuristic: the threshold is environment-dependent and high-throughput applications can exceed it, so tune it to the deployment. This rule relies on AWS Lambda data event logging, which is not enabled by default.
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Identifies an AWS Lambda function invoked by a principal whose AWS account differs from the account that owns the function (a cross-account invocation). The caller's account is parsed from the invoking principal's ARN and compared to the function account. Adversaries who have been granted invoke permission on a function from an external account, or who operate from a separate attacker-controlled account, can use cross-account invocation to execute functions or retrieve the data they return. This is the data-plane counterpart to detecting the cross-account grant itself, and relies on AWS Lambda data event logging, which is not enabled by default.
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AWS Lambda Function Invoked from an Unusual Source ASN
Identifies an AWS Lambda function invoked directly by a principal from a source network (ASN) not seen for that principal in the prior 10 days, excluding common cloud provider networks. Direct invocation from an unfamiliar external network can indicate use of stolen execution-role or user credentials from attacker-controlled infrastructure to execute functions or retrieve the data they return. This rule relies on AWS Lambda data event logging, which is not enabled by default.
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AWS Lambda Function Policy Updated to Allow Cross-Account Invocation
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Data Source: AWS Data Source: Amazon Web Services Data Source: AWS Lambda Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Persistence Tactic: Defense Evasion Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: Unknown Performance: Normal Rule Type: Event Correlation (EQL) Platform: AWS Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Service: AWS Lambda ·Identifies a change to an AWS Lambda function resource policy that grants invoke permissions to an AWS account principal. Using AddPermission, an adversary can authorize a principal in another account to call a function, creating a cross-account backdoor for execution or for relaying data to attacker-controlled infrastructure without modifying the function's code. This rule excludes public grants (principal set to "*"), which are covered by a separate rule, and grants to AWS service principals, which are common for legitimate event triggers.
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AWS Lambda Layer Shared Externally
Sep 19, 2026 · Domain: Cloud Data Source: AWS Data Source: Amazon Web Services Data Source: AWS Lambda Use Case: Threat Detection Tactic: Execution Tactic: Defense Evasion Resources: Investigation Guide Noise: Unknown Performance: Fast Rule Type: Custom Query (KQL) Platform: AWS Data Source: AWS CloudTrail Service: AWS Lambda ·Identifies the modification of an AWS Lambda layer permission policy to grant another AWS account, an AWS Organization, or the public the ability to use a layer version. Lambda layers package code and dependencies that are loaded into the execution environment of any function that references them. Sharing a layer with an external account or with everyone can leak proprietary code or secrets bundled in the layer, and can serve as a supply-chain mechanism whereby downstream functions load attacker-influenced code. Layer sharing should be infrequent and deliberate, so newly granted external or public access warrants review.
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