Kubernetes Creation or Modification of Sensitive Role
Detects the creation or modification of Kubernetes Roles or ClusterRoles that grant high-risk permissions, such as wildcard access or RBAC escalation verbs (e.g., bind, escalate, impersonate), which may enable privilege escalation or unauthorized access within the cluster.
Rule type: esql
Rule indices:
Rule Severity: medium
Risk Score: 47
Runs every:
Searches indices from: ``
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
- https://heilancoos.github.io/research/2025/12/16/kubernetes.html#overly-permissive-role-based-access-control
Tags:
- Data Source: Kubernetes
- Domain: Kubernetes
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Persistence
- Tactic: Privilege Escalation
Version: 1
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
FROM logs-kubernetes.audit_logs-* metadata _id, _index, _version
| WHERE
kubernetes.audit.objectRef.resource in ("roles", "clusterroles") and
kubernetes.audit.verb in ("create", "update", "patch") and
`kubernetes.audit.annotations.authorization_k8s_io/decision` == "allow" and
kubernetes.audit.level == "RequestResponse" and kubernetes.audit.stage == "ResponseComplete" and
KQL("""kubernetes.audit.requestObject.rules.verbs:("*" or "escalate" or "bind" or "impersonate") or kubernetes.audit.requestObject.rules.resources:("clusterroles" or "clusterrolebindings" or "roles" or "rolebindings")""")
| KEEP
@timestamp,
data_stream.namespace,
`kubernetes.audit.annotations.authorization_k8s_io/decision`,
kubernetes.audit.level,
kubernetes.audit.objectRef.name,
kubernetes.audit.objectRef.resource,
kubernetes.audit.requestURI,
kubernetes.audit.responseStatus.code,
kubernetes.audit.sourceIPs,
kubernetes.audit.stage,
kubernetes.audit.user.groups,
kubernetes.audit.user.username,
kubernetes.audit.userAgent,
kubernetes.audit.verb,
_id,
_index,
_version
Framework: MITRE ATT&CK
Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- Id: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Account Manipulation
- Id: T1098
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/
Sub Technique:
- Name: Additional Container Cluster Roles
- Id: T1098.006
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/006/
Framework: MITRE ATT&CK
Tactic:
- Name: Privilege Escalation
- Id: TA0004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/
Technique:
- Name: Account Manipulation
- Id: T1098
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/
Sub Technique:
- Name: Additional Container Cluster Roles
- Id: T1098.006
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/006/