exfiltration_s3_bucket_replicated_to_external_account.toml

[metadata]
creation_date = "2024/07/12"
integration = ["aws"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2024/07/12"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
description = """
Identifies when the `PutBucketReplication` operation is used to replicate S3 objects to a bucket in another AWS account. Adversaries may use bucket replication to exfiltrate sensitive data to an environment they control.
"""
false_positives = [
    """
    Bucket replication accross accounts is a legitimate practice in some AWS environments. Ensure that the sharing is authorized before taking action.
    """,
]
from = "now-6m"
index = ["filebeat-*", "logs-aws.cloudtrail-*"]
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "AWS S3 Bucket Replicated to Another Account"
note = """
## Triage and Analysis

### Investigating AWS S3 Bucket Replicated to Another Account

This rule identifies when an S3 bucket is replicated to another AWS account. While sharing bucket replication is a common practice, adversaries may exploit this feature to exfiltrate data by replicating objects to external accounts under their control.

#### Possible Investigation Steps

- **Identify the Actor**: Review the `aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.arn` and `aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.access_key_id` fields to identify who made the change. Verify if this actor typically performs such actions and if they have the necessary permissions.
- **Review the Sharing Event**: Identify the S3 bucket involved and review the event details. Look for `PutBucketReplication` actions where an `Account` key-value pair is included signifying replication to an external account.
    - **Request and Response Parameters**: Check the `aws.cloudtrail.request_parameters` and `aws.cloudtrail.response_elements` fields in the CloudTrail event to identify the role used and account ID where the bucket was replicated.
- **Verify the Shared Bucket**: Check the S3 bucket that was replicated and its contents to determine the sensitivity of the data stored within it.
- **Validate External Account**: Examine the AWS account to which the bucket was replicated. Determine whether this account is known and previously authorized to access such resources.
- **Contextualize with Recent Changes**: Compare this sharing event against recent changes in S3 configurations. Look for any other recent permissions changes or unusual administrative actions.
- **Correlate with Other Activities**: Search for related CloudTrail events before and after this change to see if the same actor or IP address engaged in other potentially suspicious activities.
- **Interview Relevant Personnel**: If the share was initiated by a user, verify the intent and authorization for this action with the person or team responsible for managing DB backups and snapshots.

### False Positive Analysis

- **Legitimate Backup Actions**: Confirm if the S3 bucket replication aligns with scheduled backups or legitimate automation tasks.
- **Consistency Check**: Compare the action against historical data of similar actions performed by the user or within the organization. If the action is consistent with past legitimate activities, it might indicate a false alarm.

### Response and Remediation

- **Immediate Review and Reversal**: If the change was unauthorized, update the S3 configurations to remove any unauthorized replication rules.
- **Enhance Monitoring and Alerts**: Adjust monitoring systems to alert on similar actions, especially those involving sensitive data or permissions.
- **Policy Update**: Review and possibly update your organization’s policies on S3 bucket/object sharing to tighten control and prevent unauthorized access.
- **Incident Response**: If malicious intent is confirmed, consider it a data breach incident and initiate the incident response protocol. This includes further investigation, containment, and recovery.

### Additional Information:

For further guidance on managing and securing S3 buckets in AWS environments, refer to the [AWS S3 documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/security.html/) and AWS best practices for security.
"""
references = [
    "https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/replication-walkthrough-2.html/",
    "https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/API/API_PutBucketReplication.html/",
]
risk_score = 47
rule_id = "d488f026-7907-4f56-ad51-742feb3db01c"
severity = "medium"
tags = [
    "Domain: Cloud",
    "Data Source: AWS",
    "Data Source: Amazon Web Services",
    "Data Source: AWS S3",
    "Resources: Investigation Guide",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Exfiltration",
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
any where event.dataset == "aws.cloudtrail" 
   and event.action == "PutBucketReplication"
   and event.outcome == "success" 
   and stringContains(aws.cloudtrail.request_parameters, "Account")
'''

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1537"
name = "Transfer Data to Cloud Account"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1537/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0010"
name = "Exfiltration"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0010/"