Azure Activity Logs: Kubernetes Network Policy Write/Delete Changes
Alerts on Azure Activity Log events that modify or remove Kubernetes network policies for connected clusters.
FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v5
- Product
- azure
- Service
- activitylogs
- Author
- Austin Songer @austinsonger (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2021-08-07
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
ImpactRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
What it detects
This rule identifies Azure Kubernetes network policy modifications or deletions by matching Activity Log operation names for network policy write and delete actions. Attackers may change network policies to disrupt segmentation or enable unintended pod-to-pod or pod-to-service communication. It relies on Azure Activity Log telemetry capturing the operationName and the identity associated with the change.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/resource-provider-operations#microsoftkubernetes
- microsoft.comhttps://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/03/23/secure-containerized-environments-with-updated-threat-matrix-for-kubernetes/
- microsoft.comhttps://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2020/04/02/attack-matrix-kubernetes/
- medium.comhttps://medium.com/mitre-engenuity/att-ck-for-containers-now-available-4c2359654bf1
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/activity_logs/azure_kubernetes_network_policy_change.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
azure-activity-logs-kubernetes-network-policy-write-delete-operations-08d6ac24
title: "Azure Activity Logs: Kubernetes Network Policy Write/Delete Changes"
id: 6c95d129-666f-43b6-b90e-90e3e5f0719f
status: test
description: This rule identifies Azure Kubernetes network policy modifications or deletions by matching Activity Log operation names for network policy write and delete actions. Attackers may change network policies to disrupt segmentation or enable unintended pod-to-pod or pod-to-service communication. It relies on Azure Activity Log telemetry capturing the operationName and the identity associated with the change.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/resource-provider-operations#microsoftkubernetes
- https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/03/23/secure-containerized-environments-with-updated-threat-matrix-for-kubernetes/
- https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2020/04/02/attack-matrix-kubernetes/
- https://medium.com/mitre-engenuity/att-ck-for-containers-now-available-4c2359654bf1
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/activity_logs/azure_kubernetes_network_policy_change.yml
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-08-07
modified: 2022-08-23
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.credential-access
- attack.t1485
- attack.t1496
- attack.t1489
logsource:
product: azure
service: activitylogs
detection:
selection:
operationName:
- MICROSOFT.KUBERNETES/CONNECTEDCLUSTERS/NETWORKING.K8S.IO/NETWORKPOLICIES/WRITE
- MICROSOFT.KUBERNETES/CONNECTEDCLUSTERS/NETWORKING.K8S.IO/NETWORKPOLICIES/DELETE
- MICROSOFT.KUBERNETES/CONNECTEDCLUSTERS/EXTENSIONS/NETWORKPOLICIES/WRITE
- MICROSOFT.KUBERNETES/CONNECTEDCLUSTERS/EXTENSIONS/NETWORKPOLICIES/DELETE
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Network Policy being modified and deleted may be performed by a system administrator. Verify whether the user identity, user agent, and/or hostname should be making changes in your environment.
- Network Policy being modified and deleted from unfamiliar users should be investigated. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be exempted from the rule.
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 08d6ac24-c927-4469-b3b7-2e422d6e3c43
type: derived