ASL AWS IAM Successful Group Deletion
The following analytic detects the successful deletion of a group within AWS IAM, leveraging CloudTrail IAM events. This action, while not inherently malicious, can serve as a precursor to more sinister activities,…
Description
The following analytic detects the successful deletion of a group within AWS IAM, leveraging CloudTrail IAM events. This action, while not inherently malicious, can serve as a precursor to more sinister activities, such as unauthorized access or privilege escalation attempts. By monitoring for such deletions, the analytic aids in identifying potential preparatory steps towards an attack, allowing for early detection and mitigation. The identification of this behavior is crucial for a SOC to prevent the potential impact of an attack, which could include unauthorized access to sensitive resources or disruption of AWS environment operations.
Detection logic
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
- asl_aws_cloudtrail
Known benign triggers
- This detection will require tuning to provide high fidelity detection capabilties. Tune based on src addresses (corporate offices, VPN terminations) or by groups of users. Not every user with AWS access should have permission to delete groups (least privilege).
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 |
|---|---|
| awscli.amazonaws.com/v2/documentation/api/latest/reference/iam/delete-group.html | 5from 2 sources |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteGroup.html | 5from 2 sources |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 1bbe54f1-93d7-4764-8a01-ddaa12ece7ac
- Tagged by the source as
- AWS IAM Privilege EscalationAWS AccountcloudSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securityaccess
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1