AWS Backup Vault Deleted or Vault Lock Removed
Identifies deletion of an AWS Backup vault or removal of its Vault Lock configuration via DeleteBackupVault or DeleteBackupVaultLockConfiguration. A backup vault stores recovery points, and Vault Lock enforces WORM…
Description
Identifies deletion of an AWS Backup vault or removal of its Vault Lock configuration via DeleteBackupVault or DeleteBackupVaultLockConfiguration. A backup vault stores recovery points, and Vault Lock enforces WORM (write-once, read-many) immutability that prevents recovery points from being deleted before their retention expires. Removing the lock defeats the primary control designed to stop ransomware from destroying backups, and deleting the vault removes the backup container entirely. Both actions are strong anti-recovery signals and are rare in normal operations.
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 SuiteWindows
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
- Platform or infrastructure-as-code teams may delete empty or deprecated vaults during decommissioning, or adjust Vault Lock during a planned governance change (note that compliance-mode locks cannot be removed). Verify the principal in "aws.cloudtrail.user_identity.arn" and confirm the change aligns with an approved request. Known administration roles can be excluded after validation.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-backup/latest/devguide/API_DeleteBackupVault.html | Only this detection cites it |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-backup/latest/devguide/API_DeleteBackupVaultLockConfiguration.html | Only this detection cites it |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-backup/latest/devguide/vault-lock.html | 2 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 4ddac6c1-e4be-4e2b-95b5-0654cb8d423c
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Amazon Web ServicesData Source: AWSData Source: AWS BackupData Source: AWS CloudTrailDomain: CloudNoise: UnknownPerformance: FastPlatform: AWSProfile: RecommendedResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Service: AWS BackupTactic: Defense EvasionTactic: ImpactThreat: RansomwareUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3