AnalysisType: rule
RuleID: "Kubernetes.Secrets.DumpAllNamespaces"
DisplayName: "Kubernetes All Secrets Dumped Across Namespaces"
Enabled: true
Status: Experimental
Filename: k8s_secrets_dump_all_namespaces.py
LogTypes:
- Amazon.EKS.Audit
- Azure.MonitorActivity
- GCP.AuditLog
Tags:
- Kubernetes
- Credential Access
- Mass Exfiltration
- Secrets Management
- Unified Detection
Severity: Critical
Description: >
This detection monitors for cluster-wide secret list operations that dump all secrets across all namespaces in a
single API call. Attackers with list secrets permissions at the cluster level can trivially access every secret in
the cluster using the LIST /api/v1/secrets API, exposing all credentials, tokens, and sensitive configuration data.
This is a known attack technique documented by Stratus Red Team and represents mass credential theft.
Runbook: |
1. Immediately investigate the user or service account performing this operation and determine if they are compromised
2. Review what secrets exist in the cluster to assess the scope of credential exposure and rotate all sensitive credentials
3. Search for other suspicious API activity by this user in the past 24 hours and check for data exfiltration or lateral movement attempts
Reports:
Stratus Red Team:
- k8s.credential-access.dump-secrets
MITRE ATT&CK:
- TA0006:T1552.007 # Credential Access: Unsecured Credentials - Container API
- TA0009:T1530 # Collection: Data from Cloud Storage Object
Reference: https://stratus-red-team.cloud/attack-techniques/kubernetes/k8s.credential-access.dump-secrets/
DedupPeriodMinutes: 60
SummaryAttributes:
- username
- p_source_label
Tests:
- Name: EKS cluster-wide secret list
ExpectedResult: true
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"apiVersion": "audit.k8s.io/v1",
"stage": "ResponseComplete",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "attacker@example.com"},
"sourceIPs": ["203.0.113.42"],
"userAgent": "kubectl/v1.28.0",
"objectRef": {
"resource": "secrets",
"apiVersion": "v1"
},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets?limit=500",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit",
"p_source_label": "eks-cluster"
}
- Name: AKS cluster-wide secret list
ExpectedResult: true
Log:
{
"p_log_type": "Azure.MonitorActivity",
"category": "kube-audit",
"operationName": "Microsoft.ContainerService/managedClusters/diagnosticLogs/Read",
"properties": {
"log": "{\"kind\":\"Event\",\"apiVersion\":\"audit.k8s.io/v1\",\"stage\":\"ResponseComplete\",\"verb\":\"list\",\"user\":{\"username\":\"compromised-user@example.com\"},\"sourceIPs\":[\"1.2.3.4\"],\"objectRef\":{\"resource\":\"secrets\",\"apiVersion\":\"v1\"},\"requestURI\":\"/api/v1/secrets\",\"responseStatus\":{\"code\":200}}"
},
"p_source_label": "aks-cluster"
}
- Name: GKE cluster-wide secret list
ExpectedResult: true
Log:
{
"protoPayload": {
"authenticationInfo": {"principalEmail": "user@company.com"},
"authorizationInfo": [{
"granted": true,
"permission": "io.k8s.core.v1.secrets.list",
"resource": "core/v1/secrets"
}],
"methodName": "io.k8s.core.v1.secrets.list",
"requestMetadata": {"callerIP": "8.8.8.8"},
"resourceName": "core/v1/secrets",
"serviceName": "k8s.io",
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets?limit=500"
},
"resource": {
"type": "k8s_cluster",
"labels": {"project_id": "test-project"}
},
"p_log_type": "GCP.AuditLog",
"p_source_label": "gke-cluster"
}
- Name: EKS cluster-wide secret list with watch parameter
ExpectedResult: true
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "attacker@example.com"},
"objectRef": {"resource": "secrets", "apiVersion": "v1"},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets?watch=true",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit",
"p_source_label": "eks-cluster"
}
- Name: Namespaced secret list (not cluster-wide)
ExpectedResult: false
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "developer@example.com"},
"objectRef": {
"resource": "secrets",
"namespace": "production",
"apiVersion": "v1"
},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/namespaces/production/secrets",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit"
}
- Name: Get single secret (not list)
ExpectedResult: false
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "get",
"user": {"username": "admin@example.com"},
"objectRef": {
"resource": "secrets",
"namespace": "default",
"name": "api-token",
"apiVersion": "v1"
},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/namespaces/default/secrets/api-token",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit"
}
- Name: System component listing secrets (excluded)
ExpectedResult: false
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "system:serviceaccount:kube-system:namespace-controller"},
"objectRef": {"resource": "secrets", "apiVersion": "v1"},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit"
}
- Name: Kube-state-metrics listing secrets (excluded)
ExpectedResult: false
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "system:serviceaccount:kube-system:kube-state-metrics"},
"objectRef": {"resource": "secrets", "apiVersion": "v1"},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets",
"responseStatus": {"code": 200},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit"
}
- Name: Failed cluster-wide list (excluded)
ExpectedResult: false
Log:
{
"kind": "Event",
"verb": "list",
"user": {"username": "attacker@example.com"},
"objectRef": {"resource": "secrets", "apiVersion": "v1"},
"requestURI": "/api/v1/secrets",
"responseStatus": {"code": 403},
"p_log_type": "Amazon.EKS.Audit"
}
# ------ paired body: k8s_secrets_dump_all_namespaces.py ------
from panther_kubernetes_helpers import is_failed_request, is_system_principal, k8s_alert_context
# System components that legitimately list all secrets cluster-wide
ALLOWED_SECRET_LISTERS = {
"system:serviceaccount:kube-system:namespace-controller",
"system:serviceaccount:kube-system:kube-state-metrics",
"system:apiserver",
}
def rule(event):
verb = event.udm("verb")
resource = event.udm("resource")
namespace = event.udm("namespace")
username = event.udm("username") or ""
response_status = event.udm("responseStatus")
request_uri = event.udm("requestURI") or ""
# Only check secret list operations that are successful
if verb != "list" or resource != "secrets" or is_failed_request(response_status):
return False
# Key indicator: namespace is empty (cluster-wide list, not namespaced)
# and requestURI doesn't contain /namespaces/ in path
if namespace or (request_uri and "/namespaces/" in request_uri):
return False
# Exclude system principals and specific components
if is_system_principal(username) or username in ALLOWED_SECRET_LISTERS:
return False
return True
def title(event):
username = event.udm("username") or "<UNKNOWN_USER>"
request_uri = event.udm("requestURI") or ""
return f"[{username}] dumped all secrets across all namespaces (URI: {request_uri})"
def dedup(event):
username = event.udm("username") or "<UNKNOWN_USER>"
return f"k8s_secrets_dump_{username}"
def alert_context(event):
request_uri = event.udm("requestURI") or ""
# Extract query parameters if present (e.g., limit=500)
query_params = {}
if "?" in request_uri:
query_string = request_uri.split("?", 1)[1]
for param in query_string.split("&"):
if "=" in param:
key, value = param.split("=", 1)
query_params[key] = value
return k8s_alert_context(
event,
extra_fields={
"request_uri": request_uri,
"query_parameters": query_params,
"operation": "list_all_secrets",
},
)