What it does. Parses Kubernetes API server audit logs (JSON lines) to detect exec-into-pod, secret access, RBAC modifications, privileged pod creation, and anonymous API access, and builds SIEM detection rules from the event patterns. Use when investigating a suspected cluster compromise, reconstructing what an attacker did through the API server, or writing Kubernetes-specific detection content. Keywords: audit policy, audit log, kube-apiserver, exec into pod, RBAC change, anonymous access, detection rules. Do not use for syscall-level detection inside a running container - use detecting-container-runtime-threats-with-falco. ' Part of mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills (817 security skills) (mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills).

Install

• npx skills add mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills --skill analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs, or copy the skill folder into ~/.claude/skills/analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs/.
• Raw file: curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills/HEAD/skills/analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs/SKILL.md

SKILL.md (verbatim)

name: analyzing-kubernetes-audit-logs
description: >-
  Parses Kubernetes API server audit logs (JSON lines) to detect exec-into-pod, secret access,
  RBAC modifications, privileged pod creation, and anonymous API access, and builds SIEM
  detection rules from the event patterns. Use when investigating a suspected cluster
  compromise, reconstructing what an attacker did through the API server, or writing
  Kubernetes-specific detection content. Keywords: audit policy, audit log, kube-apiserver,
  exec into pod, RBAC change, anonymous access, detection rules. Do not use for syscall-level
  detection inside a running container - use detecting-container-runtime-threats-with-falco.

  '
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: container-security
tags:
- kubernetes-security
- container-security
- audit-log-analysis
- rbac
- privilege-escalation
- k8s-api-server
- threat-detection
version: '1.0'
author: mahipal
license: Apache-2.0
nist_csf:
- PR.PS-01
- PR.IR-01
- ID.AM-08
- DE.CM-01
mitre_attack:
- T1610
- T1613
- T1078
- T1552.007

Analyzing Kubernetes Audit Logs

When to Use

• When investigating security incidents that require analyzing kubernetes audit logs
• When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
• When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
• When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with container security concepts and tools
• Access to a test or lab environment for safe execution
• Python 3.8+ with required dependencies installed
• Appropriate authorization for any testing activities

Instructions

Parse Kubernetes audit log files (JSON lines format) to detect security-relevant events including unauthorized access, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration.

import json

with open("/var/log/kubernetes/audit.log") as f:
    for line in f:
        event = json.loads(line)
        verb = event.get("verb")
        resource = event.get("objectRef", {}).get("resource")
        user = event.get("user", {}).get("username")
        if verb == "create" and resource == "pods/exec":
            print(f"Pod exec by {user}")

Key events to detect:

1. pods/exec and pods/attach (shell into containers)
2. secrets access (get/list/watch)
3. clusterrolebindings creation (RBAC escalation)
4. Privileged pod creation
5. Anonymous or system:unauthenticated access

Examples

# Detect secret enumeration
if verb in ("get", "list") and resource == "secrets":
    print(f"Secret access: {user} -> {event['objectRef'].get('name')}")

Other files in this skill

• LICENSE
• references/api-reference.md
• scripts/agent.py

references/api-reference.md (verbatim)

API Reference: Analyzing Kubernetes Audit Logs

Audit Log Format (JSON Lines)

{
  "kind": "Event",
  "apiVersion": "audit.k8s.io/v1",
  "level": "RequestResponse",
  "verb": "create",
  "user": {"username": "admin", "groups": ["system:masters"]},
  "sourceIPs": ["10.0.0.5"],
  "objectRef": {
    "resource": "pods",
    "subresource": "exec",
    "namespace": "default",
    "name": "web-pod"
  },
  "responseStatus": {"code": 200},
  "requestReceivedTimestamp": "2025-03-15T14:00:00Z"
}

Security-Critical Audit Events

Audit Policy Levels

Python Parsing

import json
with open("audit.log") as f:
    for line in f:
        event = json.loads(line)
        print(event["verb"], event["objectRef"]["resource"])

References

• K8s Auditing: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/debug/debug-cluster/audit/
• Audit policy: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/config-api/apiserver-audit.v1/
• Datadog k8s audit: https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/monitor-kubernetes-audit-logs/

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