AWS EKS Access Entry Created Then Deleted by Same Identity
Detects the creation of an Amazon EKS access entry followed by its deletion by the same identity within a short time window. EKS access entries define Kubernetes RBAC-level permissions for IAM principals in an EKS…
Description
Detects the creation of an Amazon EKS access entry followed by its deletion by the same identity within a short time window. EKS access entries define Kubernetes RBAC-level permissions for IAM principals in an EKS cluster. An adversary with EKS administrative access may temporarily grant themselves cluster access, use those permissions to create Kubernetes RBAC resources (ClusterRoleBindings, ServiceAccounts with privileged roles), and then delete the access entry to hide the evidence of the initial grant while retaining access through the Kubernetes-level backdoor.
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
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Automated infrastructure tests that create and immediately tear down EKS access entries as part of CI/CD validation may trigger this rule. Validate that the sequence corresponds to a documented test pipeline.
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 |
|---|---|
| docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/APIReference/API_CreateAccessEntry.html | Only this detection cites it |
| docs.aws.amazon.com/eks/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteAccessEntry.html | Only this detection cites it |
| securitylabs.datadoghq.com/articles/eks-cluster-access-management-deep-dive/ | Only this detection cites it |
| www.wiz.io/blog/new-attack-vectors-emerge-via-recent-eks-access-entries-and-pod-identity-features | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 2b60fb61-d0c7-405e-9f33-a66d8729628d
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: AWS CloudTrailDomain: CloudDomain: KubernetesPlatform: AWSResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Service: AWS EKSTactic: Persistence
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 2