huntrule

AWS RDS Security Group Changes via CloudTrail

Flags CloudTrail RDS events that create, delete, or change DB security group ingress rules.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v5
Product
aws
Service
cloudtrail
Author
jamesc-grafana (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2024-07-11
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies CloudTrail events where RDS database security group settings are modified, including authorizing ingress, creating security groups, revoking ingress, and deleting security groups. Attackers and misconfigurations can use these actions to widen network access to a database or disrupt connectivity by removing or changing security group rules. The detection relies on CloudTrail eventSource and eventName telemetry for RDS API calls affecting database security group entries.

Reporting behind it

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AWS RDS Security Group Changes via CloudTrail
Pivot detection · T1190 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
  1. v5
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v4
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  3. v3
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  4. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  5. v1
    No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.