AWS CloudWatch enumeration
Description
AlphaSOC detected enumeration activity targeting AWS CloudWatch resources.
This activity involves attempts to systematically gather information about
CloudWatch monitoring configurations, metric collections, alarm settings, and
log group structures within the AWS account. This may indicate that an adversary has
been calling APIs such as DescribeAlarms, ListMetrics, and
DescribeLogGroups to map monitoring infrastructure, identify active services,
and understand operational patterns within the target environment.
Impact
CloudWatch enumeration reveals critical infrastructure details, including active services, performance baselines, and monitoring gaps. Threat actors can use this intelligence to identify high-value targets, understand operational schedules, and discover blind spots in security monitoring that can be exploited for stealthy attacks and persistence mechanisms.
Severity
| Severity | Condition |
|---|---|
Low | AWS CloudWatch enumeration |
Investigation and Remediation
Examine CloudTrail logs to identify the source IP address, user agent, and IAM principal performing CloudWatch API calls. Focus on API calls executed in rapid succession or from unexpected locations. Verify the legitimacy through change management records. If unauthorized, revoke affected credentials, implement least-privilege IAM policies, and establish CloudWatch API rate limiting and monitoring.