↳ GitHub sourceAnalytics ruleMedium
AWSCloudTrail - Suspicious AWS EC2 Compute Resource Deployments
Description
'This detection focused on Suspicious deployment of AWS EC2 resource (virtual machine) scale sets was detected. This behavior might indicate that the threat actor is deploying computing resources for cryptocurrency mining activities.This detection centers around identifying suspicious instances of AWS EC2 resource deployment, particularly scale sets. Such behavior raises concerns of potential threat actor involvement, potentially indicative of efforts to deploy computing resources for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining activities.
- Rule type
- Scheduled
- Version
- 1.0.2
- Query frequency
- 1d
- Query period
- 1d
- Trigger
- gt 0
Declared MITRE coverage
Declared sources
Metadata from the source file. No dependencies inferred from KQL.
Connectors
Data types
KQL query
Original query, unchanged.
// Retrieve AWS CloudTrail events generated within the last day
AWSCloudTrail
// Filter events related to instance creation
| where EventName =~ "RunInstances"
// Exclude events with error messages
| where isempty(ErrorMessage)
// Extract the event source type
| extend EventSourceSplit = split(EventSource, ".")
| extend Type = tostring(EventSourceSplit[0])
// Extract instance-related details from the event data
| extend instance = tostring(parse_json(RequestParameters).instanceType),platform = tostring(parse_json(ResponseElements).instancesSet.items[0].platform)
// Determine the operating system platform
| extend OSplatform = iff(isempty(platform), tostring("Linux"), platform),CPU = tostring(parse_json(ResponseElements).instancesSet.items[0].cpuOptions),core = toint(parse_json(ResponseElements).instancesSet.items[0].cpuOptions.coreCount),corThread = toint(parse_json(ResponseElements).instancesSet.items[0].cpuOptions.threadsPerCore),InstanceId = tostring(parse_json(ResponseElements).instancesSet.items[0].instanceId)
// Filter out instances with empty core values
| where isnotempty(core)
// Calculate the total compute based on core and thread counts
| extend totalCorecompute = core * corThread
| extend UserIdentityArn = iif(isempty(UserIdentityArn), tostring(parse_json(Resources)[0].ARN), UserIdentityArn)
| extend UserName = tostring(split(UserIdentityArn, '/')[-1])
| extend AccountName = case( UserIdentityPrincipalid == "Anonymous", "Anonymous", isempty(UserIdentityUserName), UserName, UserIdentityUserName)
| extend AccountName = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 0)[0]), AccountName),
AccountUPNSuffix = iif(AccountName contains "@", tostring(split(AccountName, '@', 1)[0]), "")
// Summarize relevant information for analysis
| summarize Start= min(TimeGenerated),
end= max(TimeGenerated),
totalgpu= sum(totalCorecompute)
by SourceIpAddress, RecipientAccountId, AccountName, AccountUPNSuffix, UserIdentityArn, UserAgent
// Filter results based on total GPU compute and time duration
| where totalgpu > 800
| where datetime_diff('hour', end, Start) < 8
Declared entities
Related content
Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.
Source provenance
GitHubDisplayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.
- Commit
9800e51↗- Source identifier
9e457dc4-81f0-4d25-bc37-a5fa4a17946a
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING
Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC