Detection: AWS UpdateLoginProfile

Updated Date: 2025-02-10 ID: 2a9b80d3-6a40-4115-11ad-212bf3d0d111 Author: Bhavin Patel, Splunk Type: TTP Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects an AWS CloudTrail event where a user with permissions updates the login profile of another user. It leverages CloudTrail logs to identify instances where the user making the change is different from the user whose profile is being updated. This activity is significant because it can indicate privilege escalation attempts, where an attacker uses a compromised account to gain higher privileges. If confirmed malicious, this could allow the attacker to escalate their privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over sensitive resources within the AWS environment.

1`cloudtrail` eventName = UpdateLoginProfile userAgent !=console.amazonaws.com errorCode = success 
2| eval match=if(match(userIdentity.userName,requestParameters.userName), 1,0) 
3| search match=0 
4| rename user_name as user 
5| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by signature dest user user_agent src vendor_account vendor_region vendor_product 
6| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
7| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
8| `aws_updateloginprofile_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source
AWS CloudTrail UpdateLoginProfile AWS icon AWS 'aws:cloudtrail' 'aws_cloudtrail'

Macros Used

Name Value
cloudtrail sourcetype=aws:cloudtrail
aws_updateloginprofile_filter search *
aws_updateloginprofile_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK
+ Kill Chain Phases
+ NIST
+ CIS
- Threat Actors
ID Technique Tactic
T1136.003 Cloud Account Persistence
Installation
DE.CM
CIS 10

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Setting Value
Disabled true
Cron Schedule 0 * * * *
Earliest Time -70m@m
Latest Time -10m@m
Schedule Window auto
Creates Notable Yes
Rule Title %name%
Rule Description %description%
Notable Event Fields user, dest
Creates Risk Event True
This configuration file applies to all detections of type TTP. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting and generate Notable Events.

Implementation

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.

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

From IP address $src$, user agent $user_agent$ has trigged an event UpdateLoginProfile for updating the existing login profile, potentially giving user $user$ more access privilleges

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
user user 30 src

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset aws_cloudtrail aws:cloudtrail
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset aws_cloudtrail aws:cloudtrail

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 9