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AWS IAM Long-Term Access Key First Seen from Source IP

Identifies the first time, within the configured history window, that a long-term IAM access key ID (prefix AKIA) is used successfully from a given source.ip in AWS CloudTrail. Long-term access keys belong to IAM…

Description

Identifies the first time, within the configured history window, that a long-term IAM access key ID (prefix AKIA) is used successfully from a given source.ip in AWS CloudTrail. Long-term access keys belong to IAM users or the account root user. They are a common target after credential theft or leakage, including supply-chain and exposed-key scenarios. Temporary security credentials (prefix ASIA) and console sessions are excluded so the signal emphasizes programmatic access patterns.

Detection logic

Its licence does not clear it for publishing here

Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.

Detection requirements

Platform
ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.

Log source category
event_index

Known benign triggers

  • Legitimate users may travel, rotate through VPN egress IPs, or run automation from new build hosts, producing a first-seen IP for an existing access key. Baseline the principal, confirm with the key owner, and extend the history window or add exceptions for known automation networks if needed.

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