GKE Exposed Service Created With Type NodePort
Detects creation or modification of a GKE Service with type NodePort. NodePort exposes a static port on every worker node that hosts matching pods, which widens the cluster's external attack surface and can bypass…
Description
Detects creation or modification of a GKE Service with type NodePort. NodePort exposes a static port on every worker node that hosts matching pods, which widens the cluster's external attack surface and can bypass load-balancer and firewall controls. Attackers may create NodePort Services to intercept traffic or establish a direct path into the cluster.
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
- ContainersLinuxmacOSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Developers may legitimately use NodePort for frontends without cloud load balancers, or for nonstandard networking. system:addon-manager patch reconciliation of existing NodePort Services is excluded; create and update from addon-manager still alert.
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 |
|---|---|
| kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#publishing-services-service-types | 2 |
| kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/#type-nodeport | 2 |
| www.tigera.io/blog/new-vulnerability-exposes-kubernetes-to-man-in-the-middle-attacks-heres-how-to-mitigate/ | 2 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 05ac190c-5d02-4b81-bb57-221d33479570
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: GCPData Source: Google Cloud PlatformDomain: CloudDomain: ContainersDomain: KubernetesNoise: HighPerformance: FastPlatform: GCPPlatform: KubernetesProfile: AggressiveResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: Initial AccessTactic: PersistenceUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3