The module lifecycle stage: General Availability
The module has requirements for installation

Summary

Rule set Rule Description Priority Source Tags
fstec Launch Package Management Process in container Detects execution of package management processes (apt/yum/dnf/apk, etc.) inside a container. Often indicates container drift, runtime tool installation, or post-compromise activity. Error fstec, container_drift
fstec Drop and execute new binary in container Detects execution of a binary in a container that is not part of the base image (OverlayFS upper-layer executable). Typical “drop & execute” behavior after gaining a foothold in a container. Critical fstec, container_drift
fstec Container drift detected (chmod) Detects chmod operations inside a container that result in an executable (execute bits) being created/enabled. May indicate container drift or preparation of a malicious tool for execution. Error fstec, container_drift
fstec Container drift detected (open+create) Detects creation of an executable file inside a container via open/create followed by execution. Common in container drift scenarios or when downloading and running malicious binaries. Error fstec, container_drift
fstec Modify binary dirs Detects rename/remove operations under standard binary directories (/bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin) inside a container. May indicate system utility tampering or attempts to hide traces. Error fstec, container_drift
fstec K8s Pod created Detects successful Kubernetes Pod creation from audit logs. Useful for tracking new workloads and investigating unexpected launches. Informational K8sAudit fstec, container_drift
fstec K8s Pod deleted Detects successful Kubernetes Pod deletion from audit logs. Useful for spotting sabotage, cover-up attempts, and incident analysis. Informational K8sAudit fstec, container_drift
fstec ServiceAccount created in a system namespace Detects ServiceAccount creation in system namespaces (kube-system, kube-public, default or d8-*). Can indicate an attempt to establish persistence and gain additional privileges. Warning K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec Attach to cluster-admin Role Detects creation of a ClusterRoleBinding that grants the cluster-admin role. This is a critical action providing full administrative access to the cluster. Warning K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec ClusterRole with wildcard created Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole with wildcard resources or verbs ("*") in RBAC rules. Such roles greatly expand privileges and often indicate misconfiguration or privilege escalation. Warning K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec Attach/Exec Pod Detects attempts to exec/attach to a Pod (exec/attach subresources) from audit logs. May indicate interactive container access and manual runtime actions. Notice K8sAudit fstec, container_image_access
fstec EphemeralContainers created Detects adding ephemeral containers to a Pod. Ephemeral containers are often used for debugging but can also be abused for stealthy access. Notice K8sAudit fstec, container_image_access
fstec ClusterRole with write privileges created Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole with write privileges (create, update, patch, delete). Such roles can modify cluster objects and may be used for escalation or unauthorized changes. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec ClusterRole with Pod Exec created Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole granting access to pods with exec. Exec access allows running commands in containers and often implies high control over workloads. Warning K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec System ClusterRole modified/deleted Detects modification or deletion of system Role/ClusterRole objects (system:*), with some allowed exceptions. May indicate an attempt to disrupt cluster operation or weaken security. Warning K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s ServiceAccount created Detects ServiceAccount creation outside system namespaces. Can be normal for apps but is also used to prepare access and later grant RBAC privileges. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s ModuleConfig modified Detects modifications to ModuleConfig objects from audit logs. ModuleConfig changes can affect component behavior and security settings and should be monitored. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s ServiceAccount deleted Detects ServiceAccount deletion from audit logs. May indicate access artifact cleanup or changes in application/service configuration. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s Role/ClusterRole created Detects Role/ClusterRole creation from audit logs. Used to monitor RBAC changes and spot unexpected privilege expansion. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s Role/ClusterRole deleted Detects Role/ClusterRole deletion from audit logs. May indicate cover-up attempts, rollback of access configuration, or disruptive changes. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s ClusterRoleBinding created Detects ClusterRoleBinding creation from audit logs. ClusterRoleBindings change cluster-wide permission assignments and can be a privilege escalation vector. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec K8s ClusterRoleBinding deleted Detects ClusterRoleBinding deletion from audit logs. May cause loss of access or be used to hide unauthorized bindings. Notice K8sAudit fstec, rbac_drift
fstec Read below containerd images dir Detects reading files under containerd directories related to CRI container data. May indicate attempts to extract container/image information or unusual runtime data access. Notice fstec, container_image_access
fstec Write below containerd images dir Detects writes/modifications under containerd directories. May indicate runtime data tampering, drift, or supply-chain related attacks targeting container data. Error fstec, container_image_drift
fstec Container tag is not @sha256 Detects Pod creation in a system namespace using an image not pinned by digest (@sha256:). Using mutable tags weakens integrity controls and increases the risk of image substitution. Notice K8sAudit fstec, integrity_control
fstec Inbound SSH Connection Detects inbound SSH connections to port 22 on the host. Can be legitimate administration, but is also a common initial access vector and should be investigated. Notice fstec, auth_attempts
fstec Unauthorized request to Kubernetes API Detects Kubernetes API requests resulting in HTTP 401 (Unauthorized) in audit logs (excluding common health and version endpoints). May indicate token guessing, misconfigured clients, or attacker activity. Warning K8sAudit fstec, auth_attempts
fstec Security Reports Created Detects creation of security report resources (configauditreports/vulnerabilityreports). May indicate a scan run, new vulnerability findings, or security-related container activity. Notice K8sAudit fstec, security_reports

Rule sets

fstec

Launch Package Management Process in container

Detects execution of package management processes (apt/yum/dnf/apk, etc.) inside a container. Often indicates container drift, runtime tool installation, or post-compromise activity.

  • Priority: Error
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

spawned_process and container and user.name != "_apt" and package_mgmt_procs and not package_mgmt_ancestor_procs

Output

Package management process launched in container (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid container_id=%container.id container_name=%container.name image=%container.image.repository:%container.image.tag exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags)

How to test

  • Environment: container

Commands:

apt -h

Drop and execute new binary in container

Detects execution of a binary in a container that is not part of the base image (OverlayFS upper-layer executable). Typical “drop & execute” behavior after gaining a foothold in a container.

  • Priority: Critical
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

spawned_process and container and proc.is_exe_upper_layer=true and not container.image.repository in (known_drop_and_execute_containers)

Output

Executing binary not part of base image (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid user_uid=%user.uid comm=%proc.cmdline exe=%proc.exe container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository proc.name=%proc.name proc.sname=%proc.sname proc.pname=%proc.pname proc.aname[2]=%proc.aname[2] exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags proc.exe_ino=%proc.exe_ino proc.exe_ino.ctime=%proc.exe_ino.ctime proc.exe_ino.mtime=%proc.exe_ino.mtime proc.exe_ino.ctime_duration_proc_start=%proc.exe_ino.ctime_duration_proc_start proc.exepath=%proc.exepath proc.cwd=%proc.cwd proc.tty=%proc.tty container.start_ts=%container.start_ts proc.sid=%proc.sid proc.vpgid=%proc.vpgid evt.res=%evt.res)

How to test

  • Environment: container

Commands:

echo "echo Hello, Falco!" > /tmp/test.sh
chmod +x /tmp/test.sh
/tmp/test.sh

Container drift detected (chmod)

Detects chmod operations inside a container that result in an executable (execute bits) being created/enabled. May indicate container drift or preparation of a malicious tool for execution.

  • Priority: Error
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

chmod and container and not runc_writing_exec_fifo and not runc_writing_var_lib_docker and not kubelet_pod_volume and not image_scanner_drift and not deckhouse_controller_drift and not neuvector_container and not vault_env_injector_drift and evt.rawres>=0 and (
  (evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXUSR")
  or (evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXGRP")
  or (evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXOTH")
)

Output

Drift detected (chmod), new executable created in a container (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid filename=%evt.arg.filename name=%evt.arg.name mode=%evt.arg.mode event=%evt.type container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository)

How to test

  • Environment: container

Commands:

echo "echo Hello, Falco!" > /tmp/test.sh
chmod +x /tmp/test.sh
/tmp/test.sh

Container drift detected (open+create)

Detects creation of an executable file inside a container via open/create followed by execution. Common in container drift scenarios or when downloading and running malicious binaries.

  • Priority: Error
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

evt.type in (open,openat,openat2,creat) and evt.is_open_exec=true and container and not runc_writing_exec_fifo and not runc_writing_var_lib_docker and not runc_writing_var_lib_containerd and not kubelet_pod_volume and not image_scanner_drift and not deckhouse_controller_drift and not neuvector_container and not vault_env_injector_drift and evt.rawres>=0

Output

Drift detected (open+create), new executable created in a container (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid filename=%evt.arg.filename name=%evt.arg.name mode=%evt.arg.mode event=%evt.type container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository)

How to test

  • Environment: container

Commands:

cat << 'EOF' > /tmp/drift_exec.c
#define _GNU_SOURCE
#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
int main() {
    char path[] = "/tmp/zzz-exec";
    char *text = "#!/bin/sh\necho HACKED\n";
    int fd = open(path, O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, 0755);
    write(fd, text, strlen(text));
    fchmod(fd, 0755);
    char *const args[] = {path, NULL};
    execv(path, args);
}
EOF
gcc /tmp/drift_exec.c -o /tmp/drift_exec
/tmp/drift_exec

Modify binary dirs

Detects rename/remove operations under standard binary directories (/bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin) inside a container. May indicate system utility tampering or attempts to hide traces.

  • Priority: Error
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

container and bin_dir_rename and modify and not package_mgmt_procs and evt.rawres>=0

Output

File below known binary directory renamed/removed (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline operation=%evt.type file=%fd.name %evt.args container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository)

How to test

  • Environment: container

Commands:

touch /usr/bin/evilfile
mv /usr/bin/evilfile /usr/bin/eviltwin
rm /usr/bin/eviltwin

K8s Pod created

Detects successful Kubernetes Pod creation from audit logs. Useful for tracking new workloads and investigating unexpected launches.

  • Priority: Informational
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

(kevt and kcreate and pod and response_successful)

Output

K8s Pod Created (user=%ka.user.name pod=%ka.target.name ns=%ka.target.namespace resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl run testpod --image=alpine:latest -- /bin/sh -c "while true; do sleep 3600; done"
kubectl delete pod testpod --grace-period=0

K8s Pod deleted

Detects successful Kubernetes Pod deletion from audit logs. Useful for spotting sabotage, cover-up attempts, and incident analysis.

  • Priority: Informational
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, container_drift

Condition

(kevt and kdelete and pod and response_successful)

Output

K8s Pod Deleted (user=%ka.user.name pod=%ka.target.name ns=%ka.target.namespace resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl run testpod --image=alpine:latest -- /bin/sh -c "while true; do sleep 3600; done"
kubectl delete pod testpod --grace-period=0

ServiceAccount created in a system namespace

Detects ServiceAccount creation in system namespaces (kube-system, kube-public, default or d8-*). Can indicate an attempt to establish persistence and gain additional privileges.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kevt and serviceaccount and kcreate and system_namespace and response_successful

Output

Service account created in kube namespace (user=%ka.user.name serviceaccount=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource ns=%ka.target.namespace sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl -n default create serviceaccount test-sa
kubectl -n default delete serviceaccount test-sa
kubectl -n kube-public create serviceaccount test-sa2
kubectl -n kube-public delete serviceaccount test-sa2
kubectl -n kube-system create serviceaccount test-sa3
kubectl -n kube-system delete serviceaccount test-sa3
kubectl -n d8-system create serviceaccount test-sa4
kubectl -n d8-system delete serviceaccount test-sa4

Attach to cluster-admin Role

Detects creation of a ClusterRoleBinding that grants the cluster-admin role. This is a critical action providing full administrative access to the cluster.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and clusterrolebinding and kcreate and ka.req.binding.role=cluster-admin

Output

Cluster Role Binding to cluster-admin role (user=%ka.user.name binding=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource subjects=%ka.req.binding.subjects role=%ka.req.binding.role resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create clusterrolebinding cluster-admin-binding --clusterrole=cluster-admin --serviceaccount=default:test
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding cluster-admin-binding

ClusterRole with wildcard created

Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole with wildcard resources or verbs ("*") in RBAC rules. Such roles greatly expand privileges and often indicate misconfiguration or privilege escalation.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kevt and (role or clusterrole) and kcreate and role_with_wildcard

Output

Created Role/ClusterRole with wildcard (user=%ka.user.name role=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource rules=%ka.req.role.rules sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create role test-role1 --verb=create --resource=*
kubectl delete role test-role1
kubectl create role test-role2 --verb=* --resource=pod
kubectl delete role test-role2
kubectl create role test-role3 --verb=* --resource=*
kubectl delete role test-role3

Attach/Exec Pod

Detects attempts to exec/attach to a Pod (exec/attach subresources) from audit logs. May indicate interactive container access and manual runtime actions.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, container_image_access

Condition

kevt and (jevt.value[/verb] in (get,create,connect)) and (jevt.value[/requestURI] contains "/pods/") and (jevt.value[/requestURI] contains "/exec" or jevt.value[/requestURI] contains "/attach") and not (jevt.value[/impersonatedUser/username] exists and jevt.value[/impersonatedUser/username] in (exec_attach_allowed_users))

Output

Attach/Exec to pod (user=%jevt.value[/user/username] pod=%jevt.value[/objectRef/name] resource=%jevt.value[/objectRef/resource] ns=%jevt.value[/objectRef/namespace] action=%jevt.value[/objectRef/subresource] container_name=%ka.uri.param[container] command=%ka.uri.param[command] sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl run testpod --image=ubuntu:latest -- /bin/sh -c "while true; do sleep 3600; done"
kubectl create serviceaccount exec-user
kubectl create role exec-user-pod-exec --verb=get,list --resource=pods
kubectl create role exec-user-pod-exec-subresource --verb=create,get --resource=pods/exec,pods/attach
kubectl create rolebinding exec-user-pod-exec --role=exec-user-pod-exec --serviceaccount=default:exec-user
kubectl create rolebinding exec-user-pod-exec-subresource --role=exec-user-pod-exec-subresource --serviceaccount=default:exec-user
kubectl wait pod/testpod --for=condition=Ready --timeout=60s
kubectl exec testpod --as=system:serviceaccount:default:exec-user -- ls
kubectl delete rolebinding exec-user-pod-exec-subresource
kubectl delete rolebinding exec-user-pod-exec
kubectl delete role exec-user-pod-exec-subresource
kubectl delete role exec-user-pod-exec
kubectl delete serviceaccount exec-user
kubectl delete pod testpod --grace-period=0

EphemeralContainers created

Detects adding ephemeral containers to a Pod. Ephemeral containers are often used for debugging but can also be abused for stealthy access.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, container_image_access

Condition

kevt and pod_subresource and kmodify and ka.target.subresource in (ephemeralcontainers)

Output

Ephemeral container is created in pod (user=%ka.user.name pod=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource ns=%ka.target.namespace ephemeral_container_name=%jevt.value[/requestObject/spec/ephemeralContainers/0/name] ephemeral_container_image=%jevt.value[/requestObject/spec/ephemeralContainers/0/image] sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl run test --image=ubuntu:latest -- /bin/sh -c "while true; do sleep 3600; done"
kubectl wait pod/test --for=condition=Ready --timeout=60s
kubectl debug test --image=alpine --target=test
kubectl delete pod test --grace-period=0

ClusterRole with write privileges created

Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole with write privileges (create, update, patch, delete). Such roles can modify cluster objects and may be used for escalation or unauthorized changes.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kevt and (role or clusterrole) and kcreate and role_with_write_privs and not role_with_wildcard and not role_with_pod_exec

Output

Created Role/ClusterRole with write privileges (user=%ka.user.name role=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource rules=%ka.req.role.rules sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create role test-role --verb=create,delete --resource=pods
kubectl delete role test-role
kubectl create clusterrole test-role2 --verb=create,delete --resource=pods
kubectl delete clusterrole test-role2

ClusterRole with Pod Exec created

Detects creation of a Role/ClusterRole granting access to pods with exec. Exec access allows running commands in containers and often implies high control over workloads.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kevt and (jevt.value[/stage]=ResponseComplete) and (jevt.value[/verb]=create) and (jevt.value[/objectRef/resource] in (roles,clusterroles) or jevt.value[/requestURI] contains "/roles" or jevt.value[/requestURI] contains "/clusterroles") and role_with_pod_exec and not (jevt.value[/requestObject/rules] contains "\"*\"" or jevt.value[/requestObject] contains "\"*\"") and not (jevt.value[/impersonatedUser/username] exists and jevt.value[/impersonatedUser/username] in (exec_attach_allowed_users))

Output

Created Role/ClusterRole with pod exec privileges (user=%jevt.value[/user/username] role=%jevt.value[/objectRef/name] resource=%jevt.value[/objectRef/resource] rules=%jevt.value[/requestObject/rules] sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create serviceaccount pod-exec-role-user
kubectl create role pod-exec-role-manager --verb=create,delete --resource=roles
kubectl create role pod-exec-role-required --verb=create --resource=pods/exec
kubectl create rolebinding pod-exec-role-manager --role=pod-exec-role-manager --serviceaccount=default:pod-exec-role-user
kubectl create rolebinding pod-exec-role-required --role=pod-exec-role-required --serviceaccount=default:pod-exec-role-user
kubectl create role test --verb=create --resource=pods/exec --as=system:serviceaccount:default:pod-exec-role-user
kubectl delete role test --as=system:serviceaccount:default:pod-exec-role-user
kubectl delete rolebinding pod-exec-role-required
kubectl delete rolebinding pod-exec-role-manager
kubectl delete role pod-exec-role-required
kubectl delete role pod-exec-role-manager
kubectl delete serviceaccount pod-exec-role-user
kubectl create serviceaccount pod-exec-clusterrole-user
kubectl create clusterrole pod-exec-clusterrole-manager --verb=create,delete --resource=clusterroles
kubectl create clusterrole pod-exec-clusterrole-required --verb=create --resource=pods/exec
kubectl create clusterrolebinding pod-exec-clusterrole-manager --clusterrole=pod-exec-clusterrole-manager --serviceaccount=default:pod-exec-clusterrole-user
kubectl create clusterrolebinding pod-exec-clusterrole-required --clusterrole=pod-exec-clusterrole-required --serviceaccount=default:pod-exec-clusterrole-user
kubectl create clusterrole test2 --verb=create --resource=pods/exec --as=system:serviceaccount:default:pod-exec-clusterrole-user
kubectl delete clusterrole test2 --as=system:serviceaccount:default:pod-exec-clusterrole-user
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding pod-exec-clusterrole-required
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding pod-exec-clusterrole-manager
kubectl delete clusterrole pod-exec-clusterrole-required
kubectl delete clusterrole pod-exec-clusterrole-manager
kubectl delete serviceaccount pod-exec-clusterrole-user

System ClusterRole modified/deleted

Detects modification or deletion of system Role/ClusterRole objects (system:*), with some allowed exceptions. May indicate an attempt to disrupt cluster operation or weaken security.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kevt and (role or clusterrole) and (kmodify or kdelete) and (ka.target.name startswith "system:") and not ka.target.name in (system:coredns, system:managed-certificate-controller)

Output

System ClusterRole/Role modified or deleted (user=%ka.user.name role=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource action=%ka.verb sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl -n kube-system create role system:test1 --verb=create --resource=pods
kubectl -n kube-system delete role system:test1
kubectl -n kube-system create clusterrole system:test2 --verb=create --resource=pods
kubectl -n kube-system delete clusterrole system:test2

K8s ServiceAccount created

Detects ServiceAccount creation outside system namespaces. Can be normal for apps but is also used to prepare access and later grant RBAC privileges.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kcreate and serviceaccount and not system_namespace and response_successful

Output

K8s Serviceaccount Created (user=%ka.user.name serviceaccount=%ka.target.name ns=%ka.target.namespace resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl get ns test || kubectl create ns test
kubectl -n test create serviceaccount test
kubectl -n test delete serviceaccount test

K8s ModuleConfig modified

Detects modifications to ModuleConfig objects from audit logs. ModuleConfig changes can affect component behavior and security settings and should be monitored.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and writable_verbs and moduleconfig and response_successful

Output

K8s ModuleConfig changed (user=%ka.user.name verb=%ka.verb moduleconfig=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource ns=%ka.target.namespace resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl patch moduleconfig deckhouse --type=merge -p '{"spec":{"settings":{"allowExperimentalModules":false}}}'
kubectl patch moduleconfig deckhouse --type=merge -p '{"spec":{"settings":{"allowExperimentalModules":true}}}'

K8s ServiceAccount deleted

Detects ServiceAccount deletion from audit logs. May indicate access artifact cleanup or changes in application/service configuration.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kdelete and serviceaccount and response_successful

Output

K8s Serviceaccount Deleted (user=%ka.user.name serviceaccount=%ka.target.name ns=%ka.target.namespace resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create serviceaccount deletetest
kubectl delete serviceaccount deletetest

K8s Role/ClusterRole created

Detects Role/ClusterRole creation from audit logs. Used to monitor RBAC changes and spot unexpected privilege expansion.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kcreate and (clusterrole or role) and response_successful and not role_with_wildcard and not role_with_pod_exec and not role_with_write_privs

Output

K8s Cluster Role Created (user=%ka.user.name role=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource rules=%ka.req.role.rules resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create role test1 --verb=create --resource=pods
kubectl delete role test1
kubectl create clusterrole test2 --verb=get --resource=pods
kubectl delete clusterrole test2

K8s Role/ClusterRole deleted

Detects Role/ClusterRole deletion from audit logs. May indicate cover-up attempts, rollback of access configuration, or disruptive changes.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kdelete and (clusterrole or role) and response_successful and not (ka.target.name startswith "system:")

Output

K8s Cluster Role Deleted (user=%ka.user.name role=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create role test1 --verb=create --resource=pods
kubectl delete role test1
kubectl create clusterrole test2 --verb=create --resource=pods
kubectl delete clusterrole test2

K8s ClusterRoleBinding created

Detects ClusterRoleBinding creation from audit logs. ClusterRoleBindings change cluster-wide permission assignments and can be a privilege escalation vector.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kcreate and clusterrolebinding and response_successful and not ka.req.binding.role=cluster-admin

Output

K8s Cluster Role Binding Created (user=%ka.user.name binding=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource subjects=%ka.req.binding.subjects role=%ka.req.binding.role resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create clusterrolebinding view-binding --clusterrole=view --serviceaccount=default:test
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding view-binding

K8s ClusterRoleBinding deleted

Detects ClusterRoleBinding deletion from audit logs. May cause loss of access or be used to hide unauthorized bindings.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, rbac_drift

Condition

kactivity and kdelete and clusterrolebinding and response_successful

Output

K8s Cluster Role Binding Deleted (user=%ka.user.name binding=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

kubectl create clusterrolebinding cluster-admin-binding --clusterrole=cluster-admin --serviceaccount=default:test
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding cluster-admin-binding

Read below containerd images dir

Detects reading files under containerd directories related to CRI container data. May indicate attempts to extract container/image information or unusual runtime data access.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Tags: fstec, container_image_access

Condition

fd.name startswith /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/  and open_read and not (proc.name in (alllowd_proc_names) or proc.pname in (alllowd_proc_names))

Output

File below a known containerd directory opened for reading (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid file=%fd.name parent=%proc.pname pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository)

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

mkdir -p /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers
echo "Hello Falco!" > /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile
cat /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile
rm /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile

Write below containerd images dir

Detects writes/modifications under containerd directories. May indicate runtime data tampering, drift, or supply-chain related attacks targeting container data.

  • Priority: Error
  • Tags: fstec, container_image_drift

Condition

fd.directory startswith /var/lib/containerd and open_write and not (proc.name in (alllowd_proc_names) or proc.pname in (alllowd_proc_names))

Output

File below a known containerd directory opened for writing (user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid file=%fd.name parent=%proc.pname pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] container_id=%container.id image=%container.image.repository)

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

mkdir -p /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers
echo Hello Falco! > /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile
cat /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile
rm /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri/containers/testfile

Container tag is not @sha256

Detects Pod creation in a system namespace using an image not pinned by digest (@sha256:). Using mutable tags weakens integrity controls and increases the risk of image substitution.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, integrity_control

Condition

kactivity and kcreate and pod and response_successful and system_namespace and not (ka.req.container.image contains @sha256:) and not (ka.target.namespace="d8-system" and ka.target.name startswith "deckhouse-")

Output

Not all containers are running with the sha256 sum as a tag in a system namespace, which is a potential integrity control mechanism misconfiguration (user=%ka.user.name binding=%ka.target.name resource=%ka.target.resource resp=%ka.response.code decision=%ka.auth.decision reason=%ka.auth.reason image=%ka.req.pod.containers.image sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])

How to test

  • Environment: host
  • Conditions:
    • bundle: CSE

Commands:

kubectl -n d8-system run test --image=ubuntu:latest -- /bin/sh -c "while true; do sleep 3600; done"
kubectl -n d8-system delete pod test --grace-period=0

Inbound SSH Connection

Detects inbound SSH connections to port 22 on the host. Can be legitimate administration, but is also a common initial access vector and should be investigated.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Tags: fstec, auth_attempts

Condition

evt.type in (accept,listen) and fd.sport=22

Output

Inbound SSH Connection (command=%proc.cmdline pid=%proc.pid connection=%fd.name user=%user.name user_loginuid=%user.loginuid type=%evt.type src_ip=%fd.cip container_id=%container.id)

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

rm -f ./ed25519*
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -N '' -f ./id_ed25519 -q

kubectl apply -f -<<EOF
apiVersion: deckhouse.io/v1
kind: NodeUser
metadata:
  name: falco-test
spec:
  isSudoer: false
  nodeGroups:
  - '*'
  sshPublicKeys:
  - $(cat ./id_ed25519.pub)
  uid: 1224
EOF

kubectl wait nodeuser/falco-test --for=jsonpath='{.metadata.name}'=falco-test --timeout=300s
sleep 60
ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null falco-test@$(kubectl get nodes -l node.deckhouse.io/deckhouse-ready=true -o json | jq -r '.items[0].status.addresses[] | select(.type=="ExternalIP") | .address') -i ./id_ed25519 "ls -la && sleep 30"
kubectl delete nodeuser/falco-test

Unauthorized request to Kubernetes API

Detects Kubernetes API requests resulting in HTTP 401 (Unauthorized) in audit logs (excluding common health and version endpoints). May indicate token guessing, misconfigured clients, or attacker activity.

  • Priority: Warning
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, auth_attempts

Condition

ka.response.code=401 and not jevt.value[/requestURI] startswith /version and not jevt.value[/requestURI] in (/healthz, /readyz, /livez)

Output

Unauthorized K8s API request detected
user=%jevt.value[/user/username]
agents=%jevt.value[/userAgent]
verb=%jevt.value[/verb]
uri=%jevt.value[/requestURI]
src_ip=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs]
dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0]
dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0]

How to test

  • Environment: host

Commands:

curl -k https://$(kubectl -n default get svc kubernetes -o json | jq -r ".spec.clusterIP")/auth/test -H 'Authorization: Bearer TEST'

Security Reports Created

Detects creation of security report resources (configauditreports/vulnerabilityreports). May indicate a scan run, new vulnerability findings, or security-related container activity.

  • Priority: Notice
  • Source: K8sAudit
  • Tags: fstec, security_reports

Condition

kevt and kcreate and ka.target.resource in (security_reports)

Output

K8s Security Reports Created. The report may contain vulnerability information. Check the object in the cluster (user=%ka.user.name, verb=%ka.verb, ns=%ka.target.namespace, resource=%ka.target.resource, object=%ka.target.name sourceIP=%jevt.value[/sourceIPs] dex_name=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1name/0] dex_provider=%jevt.value[/user/extra/user-authn.deckhouse.io~1dex-provider/0])