Unusual AWS S3 Object Encryption with SSE-C
Identifies when AWS S3 objects stored in a bucket are encrypted using Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C). Adversaries with compromised AWS credentials can encrypt objects in an S3 bucket using…
Description
Identifies when AWS S3 objects stored in a bucket are encrypted using Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C). Adversaries with compromised AWS credentials can encrypt objects in an S3 bucket using their own encryption keys, rendering the objects unreadable or recoverable without the key. This can be used as a form of ransomware to extort the bucket owner for the decryption key. This is a New Terms rule that flags when this behavior is observed for the first time user and target bucket name.
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 use of Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C) to encrypt objects in an S3 bucket.
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/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/ServerSideEncryptionCustomerKeys.html | 2 |
| www.halcyon.ai/blog/abusing-aws-native-services-ransomware-encrypting-s3-buckets-with-sse-c | 3 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- c1a9ed70-d349-11ef-841c-f661ea17fbcd
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Amazon Web ServicesData Source: AWSData Source: AWS CloudTrailData Source: AWS S3Domain: CloudNoise: LowPerformance: NormalPlatform: AWSProfile: RecommendedResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: New TermsService: AWS S3Tactic: 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