Triggers
- A set of AWS control plane APIs commonly used to search EC2 user data on EC2 resources for credentials was invoked in an unusual way that may be associated with a potential attack.
Possible Root Causes
- An attacker is searching for credentials inside of the EC2 user data to pivot in the environment.
- An authorized administrator is performing an unusual activity commonly associated with attack progression.
Business Impact
- Lateral movement may indicate that an adversary has established a foothold in the environment and is progressing towards their objective, increasing the risk of material impact.
Steps to Verify
- Investigate the account context that performed the action for other signs of malicious activity.
- Validate that any modifications are authorized, given the purpose and policies governing this resource.
- If review indicates possible malicious actions or high-risk configuration, revert configuration and disable credentials associated with this alert then perform a comprehensive investigation.