AWS Java_Ghost security group creation attempt

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Goal

Detect when an attempt to create an AWS security group called “Java_Ghost” is observed.

Strategy

Monitor CloudTrail and detect when an attempt to create an AWS security group called “Java_Ghost” has been observed. Datadog’s security research team has assessed with high confidence that an occurrence of this event likely means that identity {{@userIdentity.arn}} has been compromised. An attacker may try to create a security group to maintain access to any EC2 instances created.

Triage and response

  1. Determine other actions taken by the identity {{@userIdentity.arn}} by looking at past activity and the types of API calls occurring.
  2. Begin your company’s incident response process and an investigation.