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analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs

Parses Kubernetes API server audit logs (JSON lines) to detect exec-into-pod, secret access, RBAC modifications, privileged pod creation, and anonymous API access, and builds SIEM detection rules from the event patterns. Use when investigating a suspected cluster compromise, reconstructing what an attacker did through the API server, or writing Kubernetes-specific detection content. Keywords: audit policy, audit log, kube-apiserver, exec into pod, RBAC change, anonymous access, detection rules. Do not use for syscall-level detection inside a running container - use detecting-container-runtime-

Published by mukul975 ↗mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills

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Use analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs to analyze the authorized Kubernetes API-server audit log file [log file] for pod exec or attach activity, secret access, RBAC changes, privileged pod creation, and anonymous access; provide a timeline of findings and SIEM detection rules grounded in the observed event patterns.

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[log file]

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SKILL.md

name: analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logsdescription: >-  Parses Kubernetes API server audit logs (JSON lines) to detect exec-into-pod, secret access,  RBAC modifications, privileged pod creation, and anonymous API access, and builds SIEM  detection rules from the event patterns. Use when investigating a suspected cluster  compromise, reconstructing what an attacker did through the API server, or writing  Kubernetes-specific detection content. Keywords: audit policy, audit log, kube-apiserver,  exec into pod, RBAC change, anonymous access, detection rules. Do not use for syscall-level  detection inside a running container - use detecting-container-runtime-threats-with-falco.  'domain: cybersecuritysubdomain: container-securitytags: - kubernetes-security- container-security- audit-log-analysis- rbac- privilege-escalation- k8s-api-server- threat-detectionversion: '1.0'author: mahipallicense: Apache-2.0nist_csf: - PR.PS-01- PR.IR-01- ID.AM-08- DE.CM-01mitre_attack: - T1610- T1613- T1078- T1552.007

Analyzing Kubernetes Audit Logs

When to Use

When investigating security incidents that require analyzing kubernetes audit logs
When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

Familiarity with container security concepts and tools
Access to a test or lab environment for safe execution
Python 3.8+ with required dependencies installed
Appropriate authorization for any testing activities

Instructions

Parse Kubernetes audit log files (JSON lines format) to detect security-relevant events including unauthorized access, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration.

import json

with open("/var/log/kubernetes/audit.log") as f:
    for line in f:
        event = json.loads(line)
        verb = event.get("verb")
        resource = event.get("objectRef", {}).get("resource")
        user = event.get("user", {}).get("username")
        if verb == "create" and resource == "pods/exec":
            print(f"Pod exec by {user}")

Key events to detect:

pods/exec and pods/attach (shell into containers)
secrets access (get/list/watch)
clusterrolebindings creation (RBAC escalation)
Privileged pod creation
Anonymous or system:unauthenticated access

Examples

# Detect secret enumeration
if verb in ("get", "list") and resource == "secrets":
    print(f"Secret access: {user} -> {event['objectRef'].get('name')}")