> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/analytics-alerts/alerts-by-name/ec2-backdoor-created-with-newly-added-external-ssh-or-rdp-access.md).

# EC2 backdoor created with newly added external SSH or RDP access

### Synopsis

| Field                | Value                        |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Activation Period    | 14 Days                      |
| Training Period      | 30 Days                      |
| Test Period          | 1 Hour                       |
| Deduplication Period | 1 Day                        |
| Required Data        | AWS Audit Log                |
| Detection Modules    | Cloud                        |
| ATT\&CK Tactic       | Persistence (TA0003)         |
| ATT\&CK Technique    | Account Manipulation (T1098) |
| Severity             | High                         |

### Description

EC2 instance created with an administrator instance profile and a newly added external SSH or RDP access.

### Attacker's Goals

* Create a reliable backdoor as an EC2 instance reachable from the attacker's IP address.
* Persistence relies on logging into the instance to obtain its instance-profile credentials and pivot into the AWS account.
* This requires the instance to be externally reachable over SSH or RDP and to have a public IP address.

### Investigative actions

* Identify the instance profile used and which security groups were modified to allow external access.
* Analyze the identity that created the EC2 instance and instance profile, and any other actions it performed.
* Correlate with other suspicious activity from the instance profile or originating from the instance IP.

### Variations

<details>

<summary>EC2 backdoor created with a newly added external SSH or RDP access by a rarely used identity</summary>

**Synopsis**

| Field             | Value                        |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic    | Persistence (TA0003)         |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Account Manipulation (T1098) |
| Severity          | High                         |

**Description**

EC2 instance created with an administrator instance profile and a newly added external SSH or RDP access.

**Attacker's Goals**

* Create a reliable backdoor as an EC2 instance reachable from the attacker's IP address.
* Persistence relies on logging into the instance to obtain its instance-profile credentials and pivot into the AWS account.
* This requires the instance to be externally reachable over SSH or RDP and to have a public IP address.

**Investigative actions**

* Identify the instance profile used and which security groups were modified to allow external access.
* Analyze the identity that created the EC2 instance and instance profile, and any other actions it performed.
* Correlate with other suspicious activity from the instance profile or originating from the instance IP.

</details>


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