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AWS IAM Login Profile Added for Root

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IMPORTANT: This documentation is no longer updated. Refer to Elastic's version policy and the latest documentation.

AWS IAM Login Profile Added for Root

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Detects when an AWS IAM login profile is added to a root user account and is self-assigned. Adversaries, with temporary access to the root account, may add a login profile to the root user account to maintain access even if the original access key is rotated or disabled.

Rule type: esql

Rule indices: None

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

  • Domain: Cloud
  • Data Source: AWS
  • Data Source: Amazon Web Services
  • Data Source: AWS IAM
  • Use Case: Identity and Access Audit
  • Tactic: Persistence
  • Resources: Investigation Guide

Version: 1

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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Investigating AWS IAM Login Profile Added for Root

This rule detects when a login profile is added to the AWS root account. Adding a login profile to the root account, especially if self-assigned, is highly suspicious as it might indicate an adversary trying to establish persistence in the environment.

Possible Investigation Steps

  • Identify the Source and Context of the Action:
  • Examine the source.address field to identify the IP address from which the request originated.
  • Check the geographic location (source.address) to determine if the access is from an expected or unexpected region.
  • Look at the user_agent.original field to identify the tool or browser used for this action.
  • For example, a user agent like Mozilla/5.0 might indicate interactive access, whereas aws-cli or SDKs suggest scripted activity.
  • Confirm Root User and Request Details:
  • Validate the root user’s identity through aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.arn and ensure this activity aligns with legitimate administrative actions.
  • Review aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.access_key_id to identify if the action was performed using temporary or permanent credentials. This access key could be used to pivot into other actions.
  • Analyze the Login Profile Creation:
  • Review the aws.cloudtrail.request_parameters and aws.cloudtrail.response_elements fields for details of the created login profile.
  • For example, confirm the userName of the profile and whether passwordResetRequired is set to true.
  • Compare the @timestamp of this event with other recent actions by the root account to identify potential privilege escalation or abuse.
  • Correlate with Other Events:
  • Investigate for related IAM activities, such as:
  • CreateAccessKey or AttachUserPolicy events targeting the root account.
  • Unusual data access, privilege escalation, or management console logins.
  • Check for any anomalies involving the same source.address or aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.access_key_id in the environment.
  • Evaluate Policy and Permissions:
  • Verify the current security policies for the root account:
  • Ensure password policies enforce complexity and rotation requirements.
  • Check if MFA is enforced on the root account.
  • Assess the broader IAM configuration for deviations from least privilege principles.

False Positive Analysis

  • Routine Administrative Tasks: Adding a login profile might be a legitimate action during certain administrative processes. Verify with the relevant AWS administrators if this event aligns with routine account maintenance or emergency recovery scenarios.
  • Automation: If the action is part of an approved automation process (e.g., account recovery workflows), consider excluding these activities from alerting using specific user agents, IP addresses, or session attributes.

Response and Remediation

  • Immediate Access Review:
  • Disable the newly created login profile (aws iam delete-login-profile) if it is determined to be unauthorized.
  • Rotate or disable the credentials associated with the root account to prevent further abuse.
  • Enhance Monitoring and Alerts:
  • Enable real-time monitoring and alerting for IAM actions involving the root account.
  • Increase the logging verbosity for root account activities.
  • Review and Update Security Policies:
  • Enforce MFA for all administrative actions, including root account usage.
  • Restrict programmatic access to the root account by disabling access keys unless absolutely necessary.
  • Conduct Post-Incident Analysis:
  • Investigate how the credentials for the root account were compromised or misused.
  • Strengthen the security posture by implementing account-specific guardrails and continuous monitoring.

Additional Resources

Rule query

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from logs-aws.cloudtrail* metadata _id, _version, _index
| where
    // filter for CloudTrail logs from IAM
    event.dataset == "aws.cloudtrail"
    and event.provider == "iam.amazonaws.com"

    // filter for successful CreateLoginProfile API call
    and event.action == "CreateLoginProfile"
    and event.outcome == "success"

    // filter for Root member account
    and aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.type == "Root"

    // filter for an access key existing which sources from AssumeRoot
    and aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.access_key_id IS NOT NULL

    // filter on the request parameters not including UserName which assumes self-assignment
    and NOT TO_LOWER(aws.cloudtrail.request_parameters) LIKE "*username*"
| keep
    @timestamp,
    aws.cloudtrail.request_parameters,
    aws.cloudtrail.response_elements,
    aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.type,
    aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.arn,
    aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.access_key_id,
    cloud.account.id,
    event.action,
    source.address

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

« Appendix V: Downloadable rule update v8.16.3 AWS Bedrock Invocations without Guardrails Detected by a Single User Over a Session »