AWS GuardDuty Detector Deleted Or Updated
Detects successful deletion or disabling of an AWS GuardDuty detector, possibly by an attacker trying to avoid detection of its malicious activities. Upon deletion, GuardDuty stops monitoring the environment and all existing findings are lost. Verify with the user identity that this activity is legitimate.
Detection logic
selection_event_source
eventSource: guardduty.amazonaws.comselection_action_delete
eventName: DeleteDetectorselection_action_update
eventName: UpdateDetector
requestParameters.enable: "false"selection_status_success
errorCode: Successselection_status_null
errorCode: nullCondition
selection_event_source and 1 of selection_action_* and 1 of selection_status_*Raw YAML
title: AWS GuardDuty Detector Deleted Or Updated
id: d2656e78-c069-4571-8220-9e0ab5913f19
status: experimental
description: |
Detects successful deletion or disabling of an AWS GuardDuty detector, possibly by an attacker trying to avoid detection of its malicious activities.
Upon deletion, GuardDuty stops monitoring the environment and all existing findings are lost.
Verify with the user identity that this activity is legitimate.
references:
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteDetector.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/APIReference/API_UpdateDetector.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/ug/guardduty_suspend-disable.html
- https://docs.datadoghq.com/security/default_rules/719-39f-9cd/
- https://docs.prismacloud.io/en/enterprise-edition/policy-reference/aws-policies/aws-general-policies/ensure-aws-guardduty-detector-is-enabled
- https://docs.stellarcyber.ai/5.2.x/Using/ML/Alert-Rule-Based-Potentially_Malicious_AWS_Activity.html
- https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Amazon%20Web%20Services/Analytic%20Rules/AWS_GuardDutyDisabled.yaml
- https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/main/rules/integrations/aws/defense_evasion_guardduty_detector_deletion.toml
- https://help.fortinet.com/fsiem/Public_Resource_Access/7_4_0/rules/PH_RULE_AWS_GuardDuty_Detector_Deletion.htm
- https://research.splunk.com/sources/5d8bd475-c8bc-4447-b27f-efa508728b90/
- https://suktech24.com/2025/07/17/aws-threat-detection-rule-guardduty-detector-disabled-or-suspended/
- https://www.atomicredteam.io/atomic-red-team/atomics/T156001#atomic-test-46---aws---guardduty-suspension-or-deletion
author: suktech24
date: 2025-11-27
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1685
- attack.t1685.002
logsource:
product: aws
service: cloudtrail
detection:
selection_event_source:
eventSource: 'guardduty.amazonaws.com'
selection_action_delete:
eventName: 'DeleteDetector'
selection_action_update:
eventName: 'UpdateDetector'
requestParameters.enable: 'false'
selection_status_success:
errorCode: 'Success'
selection_status_null:
errorCode: null
condition: selection_event_source and 1 of selection_action_* and 1 of selection_status_*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate detector deletion by an admin (e.g., during account decommissioning).
- Temporary disablement for troubleshooting (verify via change management tickets).
- Automated deployment tools (e.g. Terraform) managing GuardDuty state.
level: highFalse positives
- Legitimate detector deletion by an admin (e.g., during account decommissioning).
- Temporary disablement for troubleshooting (verify via change management tickets).
- Automated deployment tools (e.g. Terraform) managing GuardDuty state.
References
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/APIReference/API_DeleteDetector.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/APIReference/API_UpdateDetector.html
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/guardduty/latest/ug/guardduty_suspend-disable.html
- https://docs.datadoghq.com/security/default_rules/719-39f-9cd/
- https://docs.prismacloud.io/en/enterprise-edition/policy-reference/aws-policies/aws-general-policies/ensure-aws-guardduty-detector-is-enabled
- https://docs.stellarcyber.ai/5.2.x/Using/ML/Alert-Rule-Based-Potentially_Malicious_AWS_Activity.html
- https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Amazon%20Web%20Services/Analytic%20Rules/AWS_GuardDutyDisabled.yaml
- https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/main/rules/integrations/aws/defense_evasion_guardduty_detector_deletion.toml
- https://help.fortinet.com/fsiem/Public_Resource_Access/7_4_0/rules/PH_RULE_AWS_GuardDuty_Detector_Deletion.htm
- https://research.splunk.com/sources/5d8bd475-c8bc-4447-b27f-efa508728b90/
- https://suktech24.com/2025/07/17/aws-threat-detection-rule-guardduty-detector-disabled-or-suspended/
- https://www.atomicredteam.io/atomic-red-team/atomics/T156001#atomic-test-46---aws---guardduty-suspension-or-deletion