GKE Secret Access via Unusual User Agent
Detects GKE secrets get or list requests from a previously unseen combination of source IP, identity, and user agent, excluding the default Kubernetes client placeholder. Attackers who compromise a pod or steal a…
Description
Detects GKE secrets get or list requests from a previously unseen combination of source IP, identity, and user agent, excluding the default Kubernetes client placeholder. Attackers who compromise a pod or steal a kubeconfig often use curl, custom scripts, or atypical clients from a new host to read service-account tokens, registry credentials, or application secrets. Anonymous identities are excluded; use dedicated anonymous-access rules for unauthenticated probing.
Detection logic
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Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Administrators or CI jobs using a new workstation, bastion, VPN egress, or nonstandard API client can produce a first-seen alert; confirm against change records and expected automation.
- Workloads or operators that change client libraries after a deploy may introduce a new user agent for an otherwise known identity; baseline 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 |
|---|---|
| attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/007/ | 12 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 854e89c1-f70c-4180-bc53-65999df9d3c3
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: GCPData Source: Google Cloud PlatformDomain: CloudDomain: ContainersDomain: KubernetesNoise: HighPerformance: FastPlatform: GCPPlatform: KubernetesProfile: AggressiveResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: New TermsTactic: Credential AccessUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3