Azure AKS API Server Proxying Request to Kubelet
Detects a non-system identity using the AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service) API server nodes/proxy subresource to reach a node's Kubelet. Proxying through the API server reaches the Kubelet API to enumerate pods or run…
Description
Detects a non-system identity using the AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service) API server nodes/proxy subresource to reach a node's Kubelet. Proxying through the API server reaches the Kubelet API to enumerate pods or run commands on nodes, a lateral-movement and privilege-escalation vector (kubeletctl, Peirates). Node, control-plane, and kube-system service account identities that routinely proxy for monitoring are excluded, so remaining matches, including compromised workload service accounts, are surfaced for review.
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
- ContainersESXiLinuxmacOSWindows
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
- Monitoring and log-collection agents that run outside kube-system (for example a metrics agent in its own namespace) proxy to the Kubelet on every scrape and will match repeatedly. Add targeted exclusions for verified monitoring service accounts and namespaces after review.
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 |
|---|---|
| github.com/inguardians/peirates | 6 |
| horizon3.ai/attack-research/when-read-only-isnt-k8s-nodes-proxy-get-to-rce/ | 2 |
| kubernetes.io/docs/reference/access-authn-authz/kubelet-authn-authz/ | Only this detection cites it |
| microsoft.github.io/Threat-Matrix-for-Kubernetes/ | 15 |
| stratus-red-team.cloud/attack-techniques/kubernetes/k8s.privilege-escalation.nodes-proxy/ | 3 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- dd43c618-6a5b-465b-8ae4-ce69e34ddac0
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: AzureData Source: Azure Platform LogsData Source: KubernetesDomain: CloudDomain: ContainersDomain: KubernetesNoise: UnknownPerformance: FastPlatform: AzurePlatform: KubernetesResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: ExecutionTactic: Lateral MovementUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3