AWS RDS Instance or Cluster Deleted

Status: Experimental
Severity: high
Group by: awsRegion, recipientAccountId, requestParameters.dBInstanceIdentifier
Log types: AWS.CloudTrail
Tags: AWS, Impact, Data Destruction, RDS
Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_DeleteInstance.html
Source: github.com/panther-labs/panther-analysis

Detects RDS database instance or cluster deletion. Deletions that skip final snapshots result in permanent data loss and may indicate ransomware, insider threats, or compromised credentials being used to destroy data.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Impact	`T1485` Data Destruction, `T1531` Account Access Removal

Rules detecting the same action

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

AWS RDS DB Instance or Cluster Deleted (Elastic)
Modification or Deletion of an AWS RDS Cluster (Sigma)

Rule body yaml

AnalysisType: rule
Filename: aws_rds_instance_deletion.py
RuleID: "AWS.RDS.InstanceDeletion"
DisplayName: "AWS RDS Instance or Cluster Deleted"
Enabled: true
Status: Experimental
LogTypes:
  - AWS.CloudTrail
Tags:
  - AWS
  - Impact
  - Data Destruction
  - RDS
Severity: High
Description: >
  Detects RDS database instance or cluster deletion. Deletions that skip final snapshots
  result in permanent data loss and may indicate ransomware, insider threats, or
  compromised credentials being used to destroy data.
Runbook: |
  1. Find all RDS API calls by the user ARN in the 48 hours before the alert to identify precursor activities
  2. Check if this user has deleted databases in the past 90 days to determine if this is unusual behavior
  3. Look for deletion protection changes from this user in the 24 hours before the deletion
Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_DeleteInstance.html
Reports:
  MITRE ATT&CK:
    - TA0040:T1485  # Data Destruction
    - TA0040:T1531  # Account Access Removal
DedupPeriodMinutes: 60
SummaryAttributes:
  - eventName
  - userIdentity:principalId
  - requestParameters:dBInstanceIdentifier
  - requestParameters:dBClusterIdentifier
  - requestParameters:skipFinalSnapshot
  - p_any_aws_account_ids
Threshold: 1
Tests:
  - Name: RDS Instance Deleted With Final Snapshot
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      eventVersion: "1.08"
      userIdentity:
        type: AssumedRole
        principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE:admin"
        arn: "arn:aws:sts::123456789012:assumed-role/DBARole/admin"
        accountId: "123456789012"
        accessKeyId: "ASIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE"
        sessionContext:
          sessionIssuer:
            type: Role
            principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE"
            arn: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/DBARole"
            accountId: "123456789012"
            userName: DBARole
      eventTime: "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
      eventSource: rds.amazonaws.com
      eventName: DeleteDBInstance
      awsRegion: us-east-1
      sourceIPAddress: "10.0.1.100"
      userAgent: "aws-cli/2.13.0"
      requestParameters:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "production-mysql-db"
        skipFinalSnapshot: false
        finalDBSnapshotIdentifier: "production-mysql-db-final-snapshot-2024-01-15"
        deleteAutomatedBackups: false
      responseElements:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "production-mysql-db"
        dBInstanceStatus: "deleting"
        dBInstanceArn: "arn:aws:rds:us-east-1:123456789012:db:production-mysql-db"
      requestID: "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890"
      eventID: "f1e2d3c4-b5a6-7890-1234-567890abcdef"
      readOnly: false
      eventType: AwsApiCall
      managementEvent: true
      recipientAccountId: "123456789012"
      eventCategory: Management

  - Name: RDS Instance Deleted Without Final Snapshot - Critical
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      eventVersion: "1.08"
      userIdentity:
        type: IAMUser
        principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE"
        arn: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:user/contractor"
        accountId: "123456789012"
        accessKeyId: "AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE"
        userName: contractor
      eventTime: "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
      eventSource: rds.amazonaws.com
      eventName: DeleteDBInstance
      awsRegion: us-west-2
      sourceIPAddress: "203.0.113.45"
      userAgent: "Boto3/1.26.0"
      requestParameters:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "customer-data-db"
        skipFinalSnapshot: true
        deleteAutomatedBackups: true
      responseElements:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "customer-data-db"
        dBInstanceStatus: "deleting"
      requestID: "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f1234567890a"
      eventID: "g2f3e4d5-c6b7-8901-2345-678901bcdefg"
      readOnly: false
      eventType: AwsApiCall
      managementEvent: true
      recipientAccountId: "123456789012"
      eventCategory: Management

  - Name: RDS Cluster Deleted
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      eventVersion: "1.08"
      userIdentity:
        type: AssumedRole
        principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE:user"
        arn: "arn:aws:sts::123456789012:assumed-role/Admin/user"
        accountId: "123456789012"
        accessKeyId: "ASIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE"
      eventTime: "2024-01-15T15:00:00Z"
      eventSource: rds.amazonaws.com
      eventName: DeleteDBCluster
      awsRegion: us-east-1
      sourceIPAddress: "10.0.1.50"
      userAgent: "console.amazonaws.com"
      requestParameters:
        dBClusterIdentifier: "aurora-cluster-prod"
        skipFinalSnapshot: false
        finalDBClusterSnapshotIdentifier: "aurora-cluster-prod-final-2024-01-15"
      responseElements:
        dBClusterIdentifier: "aurora-cluster-prod"
        status: "deleting"
        dBClusterArn: "arn:aws:rds:us-east-1:123456789012:cluster:aurora-cluster-prod"
      requestID: "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cdef-1234567890ab"
      eventID: "h3g4f5e6-d7c8-9012-3456-789012cdefgh"
      readOnly: false
      eventType: AwsApiCall
      managementEvent: true
      recipientAccountId: "123456789012"
      eventCategory: Management

  - Name: RDS Deletion Failed - Access Denied
    ExpectedResult: false
    Log:
      eventVersion: "1.08"
      userIdentity:
        type: IAMUser
        principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE"
        arn: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:user/developer"
        accountId: "123456789012"
        accessKeyId: "AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE"
        userName: developer
      eventTime: "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
      eventSource: rds.amazonaws.com
      eventName: DeleteDBInstance
      awsRegion: us-east-1
      sourceIPAddress: "10.0.2.100"
      userAgent: "aws-cli/2.13.0"
      requestParameters:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "production-db"
        skipFinalSnapshot: true
      errorCode: AccessDenied
      errorMessage: "User: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:user/developer is not authorized to perform: rds:DeleteDBInstance"
      requestID: "d4e5f6a7-b8c9-0123-def0-1234567890bc"
      eventID: "i4h5g6f7-e8d9-0123-4567-890123defghi"
      readOnly: false
      eventType: AwsApiCall
      managementEvent: true
      recipientAccountId: "123456789012"
      eventCategory: Management

  - Name: Different RDS Event
    ExpectedResult: false
    Log:
      eventVersion: "1.08"
      userIdentity:
        type: AssumedRole
        principalId: "AIDAI23HXS3EXAMPLE:user"
        arn: "arn:aws:sts::123456789012:assumed-role/Admin/user"
        accountId: "123456789012"
      eventTime: "2024-01-15T14:30:00Z"
      eventSource: rds.amazonaws.com
      eventName: ModifyDBInstance
      awsRegion: us-east-1
      sourceIPAddress: "10.0.1.100"
      requestParameters:
        dBInstanceIdentifier: "my-db"
        allocatedStorage: 100
      requestID: "e5f6a7b8-c9d0-1234-ef01-234567890bcd"
      eventID: "j5i6h7g8-f9e0-1234-5678-901234efghij"
      readOnly: false
      eventType: AwsApiCall
      managementEvent: true
      recipientAccountId: "123456789012"
      eventCategory: Management

Detection logic

Condition

eventSource eq "rds.amazonaws.com"
eventName in ["DeleteDBInstance", "DeleteDBCluster"]
errorCode is_null

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
`errorCode`	is_null	(no value, null check)
`eventName`	in	`DeleteDBCluster` `DeleteDBInstance`
`eventSource`	eq	`rds.amazonaws.com`

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
`eventName`
`eventSource`
`awsRegion`
`recipientAccountId`
`sourceIPAddress`
`userAgent`
`userIdentity`
`dBInstanceIdentifier`	`requestParameters.dBInstanceIdentifier`
`userName`	`userIdentity.userName`

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`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)