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GKE CoreDNS or Kube-DNS Configuration Modified

Detects modifications to the CoreDNS or kube-dns ConfigMap in the kube-system namespace on GKE. These ConfigMaps control cluster DNS resolution for all pods. An attacker who modifies the CoreDNS Corefile can redirect…

Description

Detects modifications to the CoreDNS or kube-dns ConfigMap in the kube-system namespace on GKE. These ConfigMaps control cluster DNS resolution for all pods. An attacker who modifies the CoreDNS Corefile can redirect internal service DNS names to attacker-controlled IP addresses, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks against the Kubernetes API server, database services, and other internal endpoints. Pods that resolve service names via cluster DNS will transparently connect to the attacker instead of the legitimate service, allowing interception of service account tokens, database credentials, and API traffic. DNS poisoning at the cluster level is particularly dangerous because it affects every pod in every namespace simultaneously and does not require any modification to the victim workloads. CoreDNS configuration changes are rare in normal operations and any unexpected modification should be investigated immediately.

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
LinuxmacOSWindows

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

Log source category
event_index

Known benign triggers

  • Cluster administrators may legitimately update CoreDNS configuration for forwarding, stub domains, or cluster DNS troubleshooting. Baseline approved operators and automation identities; tune exclusions for known change pipelines.

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