Kubernetes Unauthorized or Unauthenticated Access
Detects when a request to the Kubernetes API is rejected due to lack of authorization or due to an expired authentication token being used. This may indicate an attacker attempting to leverage credentials they have…
Description
Detects when a request to the Kubernetes API is rejected due to lack of authorization or due to an expired authentication token being used. This may indicate an attacker attempting to leverage credentials they have obtained.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Log source product
- kubernetes
- Log source service
- audit
Known benign triggers
- A misconfigured RBAC policy, a mistake by a valid user, or a wider issue with authentication tokens can also generate these errors.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
Not mapped to ATT&CK.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| kubernetes.io/docs/reference/config-api/apiserver-audit.v1/ | 5 |
| www.datadoghq.com/blog/monitor-kubernetes-audit-logs/#monitor-api-authentication-issues | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 0d933542-1f1f-420d-97d4-21b2c3c492d9
- Tagged by the source as
- attack.privilege-escalation
Licence
- Published under
- Detection Rule License 1.1Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1