AWSCloudTrail - Changes made to AWS CloudTrail logs

Status: available
Severity: low
Time window: 1d
Group by: AWSRegion, AccountName, AccountUPNSuffix, EventName, EventSource, EventTypeName, RecipientAccountId, SessionMfaAuthenticated, SourceIpAddress, UserAgent, UserIdentityAccountId, UserIdentityPrincipalid, UserIdentityUserName
Source: github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel

Identifies manipulation of AWS CloudTrail, CloudWatch/EventBridge, or VPC Flow Logs that can indicate defense evasion. This alert identifies any manipulation of AWS CloudTrail, Cloudwatch/EventBridge or VPC Flow logs. More Information: AWS CloudTrail API: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awscloudtrail/latest/APIReference/API_Operations.html AWS Cloudwatch/Eventbridge API: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/APIReference/API_Operations.html AWS DelteteFlowLogs API : https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteFlowLogs.html '

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Stealth	`T1070` Indicator Removal

Rules detecting the same action

Other rules on this platform that filter on the same API call or operation.

A CloudTrail Was Created or Updated (Panther)
Account Security Configuration Changed (Panther)
ASL AWS Defense Evasion Delete Cloudtrail (Splunk)
ASL AWS Defense Evasion Stop Logging Cloudtrail (Splunk)
ASL AWS Defense Evasion Update Cloudtrail (Splunk)
AWS Lateral Movement from Kubernetes SA via AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity (Elastic)
AWS VPC Flow Logs Deleted (Sigma)
AWS VPC Flow Logs Removed (Panther)

Rule body kusto

id: 610d3850-c26f-4f20-8d86-f10fdf2425f5
name: AWSCloudTrail - Changes made to AWS CloudTrail logs
description: |
  Identifies manipulation of AWS CloudTrail, CloudWatch/EventBridge, or VPC Flow Logs that can indicate defense evasion.
  This alert identifies any manipulation of AWS CloudTrail, Cloudwatch/EventBridge or VPC Flow logs.
  More Information: AWS CloudTrail API: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awscloudtrail/latest/APIReference/API_Operations.html 
  AWS Cloudwatch/Eventbridge API: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/APIReference/API_Operations.html 
  AWS DelteteFlowLogs API : https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteFlowLogs.html ' 
severity: Low
status: Available
requiredDataConnectors:
  - connectorId: AWS
    dataTypes:
      - AWSCloudTrail
  - connectorId: AWSS3
    dataTypes:
      - AWSCloudTrail
queryFrequency: 1d
queryPeriod: 1d
triggerOperator: gt
triggerThreshold: 0
tactics:
  - DefenseEvasion
relevantTechniques:
  - T1070
query: |
  let EventNameList = dynamic(["UpdateTrail","DeleteTrail","StopLogging","DeleteFlowLogs","DeleteEventBus"]);
  AWSCloudTrail
  | where EventName in~ (EventNameList)
  | extend UserIdentityArn = iif(isempty(UserIdentityArn), tostring(parse_json(Resources)[0].ARN), UserIdentityArn)
  | extend UserName = tostring(split(UserIdentityArn, '/')[-1])
  | extend AccountName = case( UserIdentityPrincipalid == "Anonymous", "Anonymous", isempty(UserIdentityUserName), UserName, UserIdentityUserName)
  | extend AccountName = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 0)[0]), AccountName),
    AccountUPNSuffix = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 1)[0]), "")
  | summarize StartTimeUtc = min(TimeGenerated), EndTimeUtc = max(TimeGenerated) by EventName, EventTypeName, RecipientAccountId, AccountName, AccountUPNSuffix, UserIdentityAccountId, UserIdentityPrincipalid, UserAgent,
  UserIdentityUserName, SessionMfaAuthenticated, SourceIpAddress, AWSRegion, EventSource
entityMappings:
  - entityType: Account
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: Name
        columnName: AccountName
      - identifier: UPNSuffix
        columnName: AccountUPNSuffix
      - identifier: CloudAppAccountId
        columnName: RecipientAccountId
  - entityType: IP
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: Address
        columnName: SourceIpAddress
alertDetailsOverride:
  alertDisplayNameFormat: "AWS CloudTrail log manipulation detected by {{AccountName}} from {{SourceIpAddress}}"
  alertDescriptionFormat: "Event {{EventName}} occurred in {{AWSRegion}} for account {{RecipientAccountId}}"
customDetails:
  EventName: EventName
  EventTypeName: EventTypeName
  EventSource: EventSource
  AWSRegion: AWSRegion
  UserAgent: UserAgent
version: 1.0.5
kind: Scheduled

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

let EventNameList = dynamic(["UpdateTrail","DeleteTrail","StopLogging","DeleteFlowLogs","DeleteEventBus"]);

Stage 1: `source`

AWSCloudTrail

Stage 2: `where`

| where EventName in~ (EventNameList)

Stage 3: `extend` (4 consecutive steps)

| extend UserIdentityArn = iif(isempty(UserIdentityArn), tostring(parse_json(Resources)[0].ARN), UserIdentityArn)
| extend UserName = tostring(split(UserIdentityArn, '/')[-1])
| extend AccountName = case( UserIdentityPrincipalid == "Anonymous", "Anonymous", isempty(UserIdentityUserName), UserName, UserIdentityUserName)
| extend AccountName = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 0)[0]), AccountName),
  AccountUPNSuffix = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 1)[0]), "")

Stage 4: `summarize`

| summarize StartTimeUtc = min(TimeGenerated), EndTimeUtc = max(TimeGenerated) by EventName, EventTypeName, RecipientAccountId, AccountName, AccountUPNSuffix, UserIdentityAccountId, UserIdentityPrincipalid, UserAgent,
UserIdentityUserName, SessionMfaAuthenticated, SourceIpAddress, AWSRegion, EventSource

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

Field	Kind	Values
`EventName`	in	`DeleteEventBus` `DeleteFlowLogs` `DeleteTrail` `StopLogging` `UpdateTrail`

Output fields

Fields the rule emits when it matches. Chronicle authors list these in the outcome block; they appear on the detection and $risk_score drives alerting. Sentinel / Defender XDR rules build them up through project / summarize / extend stages. Sentinel maps these into alert fields via entityMappings and customDetails; Defender XDR custom detections surface them as alert fields directly.

Field	Source
`AWSRegion`	`summarize`
`AccountName`	`summarize`
`AccountUPNSuffix`	`summarize`
`EndTimeUtc`	`summarize`
`EventName`	`summarize`
`EventSource`	`summarize`
`EventTypeName`	`summarize`
`RecipientAccountId`	`summarize`
`SessionMfaAuthenticated`	`summarize`
`SourceIpAddress`	`summarize`
`StartTimeUtc`	`summarize`
`UserAgent`	`summarize`
`UserIdentityAccountId`	`summarize`
`UserIdentityPrincipalid`	`summarize`
`UserIdentityUserName`	`summarize`

`j` / `k`	Scroll down / up
`d` / `u`	Half-page down / up
`gg` / `G`	Top / bottom
`h` / `l`	History back / forward
`f`	Follow link (`Shift` = new tab)
`/`	Focus search
`?`	Toggle this help
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate search results
`Enter`	Open highlighted result
`Esc`	Close results / dialog

`type:`	`events` / `rules` / `providers`
`vendor:`	`sigma` / `elastic` / `splunk` / `kusto` / `chronicle` (vendor name alone also works: `sigma:`, `kql:`, `secops:`…)
`tactic:`	TA-id, slug, or name: `credential_access`, `TA0006`
`technique:`	technique or sub-technique ID: `T1003`, `T1003.001` (alias `tech:`)
`severity:`	`critical` / `high` / `medium` / `low` / `informational` (alias `sev:`)
`risk_score`	Numeric comparison on the Elastic risk score (0 to 100): `risk_score>50`, `risk_score<=20`, `risk_score=99` (alias `risk`; Elastic rules only)
`stages:`	Rules with exactly N pipeline stages
`correlation:`	`single_event` / `sequence` / `alternatives` / `alternatives_cross_log` / `all_required` / `correlated`
`with:`	Co-occurrence event-id; stacks (`with:4624 with:4769`) to require all, while a comma list in one occurrence (`with:4624,4769`) is an either-or group. Implies multi-event
`like:`	Structural neighbors of a rule slug (equivalents + subsumption stricter / broader): `like:comsvcs_lsass_memory_dump-splunk-sysmon`
`groupby:`	Entity-grouping substring match against `group_by_keys`: `groupby:user`, `groupby:host`
`uses:`	Rules whose predicate tree touches the field (any kind, any value): `uses:CommandLine`
`excludes:`	Rules with top-level `not()` clauses on the field (FP whitelists): `excludes:ParentImage`
`field:` / `value:`	Predicate search; narrows rule cards to those with a matching leaf and drives the indicator tier. Unquoted = substring, wildcards allowed (`value:mimikatz`)
`indicator:`	Shorthand for `field:F value:V`: `indicator:Image=*\powershell.exe`
`kind:`	Filter by predicate kind. Narrows rule cards to those carrying a matching predicate leaf (`vendor:elastic kind:cidr_match`) and drives the indicator tier: `contains` / `starts_with` / `ends_with` / `regex` / `cidr` / `eq` / `in` … (operator aliases `op:`/`match:`)
`has:` / `no:`	`sample`, `field`, `notes`, `refs`, `trace`, `thirdparty`, `rule`, `pattern`, `timewindow`, `threshold`, `newterms`, `sigma`/`elastic`/`splunk`/`kusto`/`chronicle`
`-op:val`	Exclude matches; works on most operators but not `type:`/`like:`/`has:`/`no:` (use `no:<flag>` to exclude a rule flag): `tactic:execution -vendor:splunk`. Standalone `-kind:`/`-field:`/`-value:` drop every rule carrying a matching predicate leaf (`type:rules -kind:is_null`)
`field:"…"` / `value:"…"`	Quoted value = anchored exact match (also allows spaces): `value:"net user"`
`a,b`	Comma = OR inside one operator (`vendor:sigma,elastic`, `severity:high,critical`); repeating a facet merges the same way. `field:`/`value:` never split (literal commas)
`vendors:` / `stage:`	Singular and plural spellings fold to the canonical operator and value: `tactics:` = `tactic:`, `type:event` = `type:events`, `correlation:sequences` = `correlation:sequence`, `has:thresholds` = `has:threshold`
`"quoted phrase"`	Exact-match a multi-word phrase (free text)

AWSCloudTrail - Changes made to AWS CloudTrail logs

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rules detecting the same action

Rule body kusto

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

Stage 1: `source`

Stage 2: `where`

Stage 3: `extend` (4 consecutive steps)

Stage 4: `summarize`

Indicators

Output fields

Keyboard shortcuts

Search operators

AWSCloudTrail - Changes made to AWS CloudTrail logs

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rules detecting the same action

Rule body kusto

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

Stage 1: source

Stage 2: where

Stage 3: extend (4 consecutive steps)

Stage 4: summarize

Indicators

Output fields

Stage 1: `source`

Stage 2: `where`

Stage 3: `extend` (4 consecutive steps)

Stage 4: `summarize`