GCP Exempt Principals From Audit Log

Severity: high
Type: Alert
Author: Google Cloud Security
Source: github.com/chronicle/detection-rules

Detect when GCP Cloud Audit logs are exempted for principals in all services at project or organization level. Audit logging helps organizations maintain security and minimize risk.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Defense Impairment	`T1685.002` Disable or Modify Tools: Disable or Modify Cloud Log

Telemetry coverage

Platform	Record / event type
GCP	SetIamPolicy

Rules detecting the same action

These rules filter on the same operation.

Rule body

// Copyright 2024 Google LLC. Licensed under Apache-2.0.

 rule gcp_exempt_principals_from_audit_log  {

  meta:
    author = "Google Cloud Security"
    description = "Detect when GCP Cloud Audit logs are exempted for principals in all services at project or organization level. Audit logging helps organizations maintain security and minimize risk."
    rule_id = "mr_6ebf472c-bf50-468c-a0b1-e0f53dd91a61"
    rule_name = "GCP Exempt Principals From Audit Log"
    mitre_attack_tactic = "Defense Evasion"
    mitre_attack_technique = "Impair Defenses: Disable Cloud Logs"
    mitre_attack_url = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/008/"
    mitre_attack_version = "v14.1"
    type = "Alert"
    data_source = "GCP Cloud Audit"
    platform = "GCP"
    severity = "High"
    priority = "High"

  events:
    $gcp.metadata.event_type = "USER_RESOURCE_UPDATE_PERMISSIONS"
    $gcp.metadata.log_type = "GCP_CLOUDAUDIT"
    $gcp.metadata.product_event_type = "SetIamPolicy"
    $gcp.security_result.action = "ALLOW"
    $gcp.target.application = "cloudresourcemanager.googleapis.com"
    any $gcp.target.resource.attribute.labels.value = "ADD"
    any $gcp.target.resource.attribute.labels.value = "allServices"
    any $gcp.target.resource.attribute.labels.key = /service_data_policy_delta_audit_config_delta_.*_exempted_member/

  outcome:
    //Increase risk score if it is organization wide
    $risk_score = max(45 +
      if($gcp.target.resource.name = /organizations/,30,0)
    )
    $mitre_attack_tactic = "Defense Evasion"
    $mitre_attack_technique = "Impair Defenses: Disable Cloud Logs"
    $mitre_attack_technique_id = "T1562.008"
    $event_count = count_distinct($gcp.metadata.id)
    $network_http_user_agent = array_distinct($gcp.network.http.user_agent)
    $principal_ip = array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip)
    $principal_ip_country = array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip_geo_artifact.location.country_or_region)
    $principal_ip_state = array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip_geo_artifact.location.state)
    $principal_user_id = $gcp.principal.user.userid
    $principal_user_display_name = $gcp.principal.user.user_display_name
    $target_resource_name = $gcp.target.resource.name
    $event_name = $gcp.metadata.product_event_type

  condition:
    $gcp
}

YARA-L rule structure

Condition

Fires when at least one $gcp event.

Events

`$gcp` `USER_RESOURCE_UPDATE_PERMISSIONS`

metadata.log_type = "GCP_CLOUDAUDIT"
metadata.product_event_type = "SetIamPolicy"
security_result.action = "ALLOW"
target.application = "cloudresourcemanager.googleapis.com"
target.resource.attribute.labels.value = "ADD"
target.resource.attribute.labels.value = "allServices"
target.resource.attribute.labels.key matches "service_data_policy_delta_audit_config_delta_.*_exempted_member"

Outcome

Outcome variables add context to a detection. When the rule generates an alert, $risk_score is displayed with it.

Field	Expression
`risk_score`	`max(45 + if($gcp.target.resource.name = /organizations/,30,0) )`
`event_count`	`count_distinct($gcp.metadata.id)`
`network_http_user_agent`	`array_distinct($gcp.network.http.user_agent)`
`principal_ip`	`array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip)`
`principal_ip_country`	`array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip_geo_artifact.location.country_or_region)`
`principal_ip_state`	`array_distinct($gcp.principal.ip_geo_artifact.location.state)`
`principal_user_id`	`$gcp.principal.user.userid`
`principal_user_display_name`	`$gcp.principal.user.user_display_name`
`target_resource_name`	`$gcp.target.resource.name`
`event_name`	`$gcp.metadata.product_event_type`