Detect AWS Console Login by User from New City
The following analytic identifies AWS console login events by users from a new city within the last hour. It leverages AWS CloudTrail events and compares them against a lookup file of previously seen user locations.…
Description
The following analytic identifies AWS console login events by users from a new city within the last hour. It leverages AWS CloudTrail events and compares them against a lookup file of previously seen user locations. This activity is significant for a SOC as it may indicate unauthorized access or credential compromise, especially if the login originates from an unusual location. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized access to AWS resources, data exfiltration, or further exploitation within the cloud environment.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- IaaSPRE
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- aws_cloudtrail
Known benign triggers
- When a legitimate new user logins for the first time, this activity will be detected. Check how old the account is and verify that the user activity is legitimate.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
No references are available for this detection.
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 121b0b11-f8ac-4ed6-a132-3800ca4fc07a
- Tagged by the source as
- AWS Identity and Access Management Account TakeoverCompromised User AccountSuspicious AWS Login ActivitiesSuspicious Cloud Authentication ActivitiesAWS InstancecloudSplunk 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