---
title: CloudWatch console sign-in without MFA alarm missing
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > CloudWatch console sign-in without MFA alarm
  missing
---

# CloudWatch console sign-in without MFA alarm missing

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site.md). ({% placeholder "user-datadog-site-name" /%}).
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `terraform-aws-cloudwatch-management-console-sign-in-without-mfa-alarm-missing` 

**Provider:** AWS

**Platform:** Terraform

**Severity:** Low

**Category:** Observability

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/aws/latest/docs/resources/cloudwatch_log_metric_filter#pattern)

### Description{% #description %}

This check ensures that a CloudWatch log metric filter and alarm are properly configured to detect AWS Management Console sign-ins that occur without multi-factor authentication (MFA), using log patterns such as `{ ($.eventName = "ConsoleLogin") && ($.additionalEventData.MFAUsed != "Yes") }`. Without this monitoring, administrators may be unaware of insecure single-factor logins to the management console, increasing the risk of unauthorized or compromised account access. If left unaddressed, attackers or malicious insiders could exploit accounts lacking MFA to gain elevated access, potentially resulting in data breaches or unauthorized changes to AWS resources.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_metric_filter" {
  name           = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  pattern        = "{ ($.eventName = \"ConsoleLogin\") && ($.additionalEventData.MFAUsed != \"Yes\") }"
  log_group_name = aws_cloudwatch_log_group.cis_cloudwatch_logsgroup.name

  metric_transformation {
    name      = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
    namespace = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
    value     = "1"
  }
}

resource "aws_cloudwatch_metric_alarm" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_cw_alarm" {
  alarm_name                = "CIS-3.2-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  comparison_operator       = "GreaterThanOrEqualToThreshold"
  evaluation_periods        = "1"
  metric_name               = aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter.cis_no_mfa_console_signin_metric_filter.id
  namespace                 = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
  period                    = "300"
  statistic                 = "Sum"
  threshold                 = "1"
  alarm_description         = "Monitoring for single-factor console logins will increase visibility into accounts that are not protected by MFA."
  alarm_actions             = [aws_sns_topic.cis_alerts_sns_topic.arn]
  insufficient_data_actions = []
}
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_metric_filter" {
  name           = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  pattern        = "{ ($.eventName = \"ConsoleLogin\") && ($.additionalEventData.MFAUsed != \"Yes\") }"
  log_group_name = aws_cloudwatch_log_group.CIS_CloudWatch_LogsGroup.name

  metric_transformation {
    name      = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
    namespace = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
    value     = "1"
  }
}

resource "aws_cloudwatch_metric_alarm" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_cw_alarm" {
  alarm_name                = "CIS-3.2-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  comparison_operator       = "GreaterThanOrEqualToThreshold"
  evaluation_periods        = "1"
  metric_name               = "XXXX NOT YOUR FILTER XXXX"
  namespace                 = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
  period                    = "300"
  statistic                 = "Sum"
  threshold                 = "1"
  alarm_description         = "Monitoring for single-factor console logins will increase visibility into accounts that are not protected by MFA."
  alarm_actions             = [aws_sns_topic.cis_alerts_sns_topic.arn]
  insufficient_data_actions = []
}
```

```terraform
resource "aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter" "cis_unauthorized_api_calls_metric_filter" {
  name           = "CIS-UnauthorizedAPICalls"
  pattern        = "{ ($.errorCode = \"*UnauthorizedOperation\") || ($.errorCode = \"AccessDenied*\") }"
  log_group_name = aws_cloudwatch_log_group.CIS_CloudWatch_LogsGroup.name

  metric_transformation {
    name      = "CIS-UnauthorizedAPICalls"
    namespace = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
    value     = "1"
  }
}

resource "aws_cloudwatch_metric_alarm" "cis_unauthorized_api_calls_cw_alarm" {
  alarm_name                = "CIS-3.1-UnauthorizedAPICalls"
  comparison_operator       = "GreaterThanOrEqualToThreshold"
  evaluation_periods        = "1"
  metric_name               = aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter.cis_unauthorized_api_calls_metric_filter.id
  namespace                 = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
  period                    = "300"
  statistic                 = "Sum"
  threshold                 = "1"
  alarm_description         = "Monitoring unauthorized API calls will help reveal application errors and may reduce time to detect malicious activity."
  alarm_actions             = [aws_sns_topic.cis_alerts_sns_topic.arn]
  insufficient_data_actions = []
}
```

```terraform
resource "aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_metric_filter" {
  name           = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  pattern        = "{ $.additionalEventData.MFAUsed != \"Yes\" }"
  log_group_name = aws_cloudwatch_log_group.CIS_CloudWatch_LogsGroup.name

  metric_transformation {
    name      = "CIS-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
    namespace = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
    value     = "1"
  }
}

resource "aws_cloudwatch_metric_alarm" "cis_no_mfa_console_signin_cw_alarm" {
  alarm_name                = "CIS-3.2-ConsoleSigninWithoutMFA"
  comparison_operator       = "GreaterThanOrEqualToThreshold"
  evaluation_periods        = "1"
  metric_name               = aws_cloudwatch_log_metric_filter.cis_no_mfa_console_signin_metric_filter.id
  namespace                 = "CIS_Metric_Alarm_Namespace"
  period                    = "300"
  statistic                 = "Sum"
  threshold                 = "1"
  alarm_description         = "Monitoring for single-factor console logins will increase visibility into accounts that are not protected by MFA."
  alarm_actions             = [aws_sns_topic.CIS_Alerts_SNS_Topic.arn]
  insufficient_data_actions = []
}
```