AWS Exfiltration via Bucket Replication
The following analytic detects API calls to enable S3 bucket replication services. It leverages AWS CloudTrail logs to identify `PutBucketReplication` events, focusing on fields like `bucketName`,…
Description
The following analytic detects API calls to enable S3 bucket replication services. It leverages AWS CloudTrail logs to identify `PutBucketReplication` events, focusing on fields like `bucketName`, `ReplicationConfiguration.Rule.Destination.Bucket`, and user details. This activity is significant as it can indicate unauthorized data replication, potentially leading to data exfiltration. If confirmed malicious, attackers could replicate sensitive data to external accounts, leading to data breaches and compliance violations.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- IaaSOffice SuiteSaaS
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- aws_cloudtrail_putbucketreplication
Known benign triggers
- It is possible that an AWS admin has legitimately implemented data replication to ensure data availability and improve data protection/backup strategies.
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 |
|---|---|
| hackingthe.cloud/aws/exploitation/s3-bucket-replication-exfiltration/ | 2 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- eeb432d6-2212-43b6-9e89-fcd753f7da4c
- Tagged by the source as
- Data ExfiltrationSuspicious AWS S3 ActivitiesEC2 SnapshotcloudSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securitythreat
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