Detection: GitHub Enterprise Repository Deleted

Updated Date: 2025-01-16 ID: f709e736-3e6c-492f-b865-bc7696cc24a7 Author: Patrick Bareiss, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects when a user deletes a repository in GitHub Enterprise. The detection monitors GitHub Enterprise audit logs for repository deletion events, which could indicate unauthorized removal of critical source code and project resources. For a SOC, identifying repository deletions is crucial as it may signal account compromise, insider threats, or malicious attempts to destroy intellectual property and disrupt development operations. The impact could be severe, potentially resulting in permanent loss of source code, documentation, project history, and other critical assets if proper backups are not maintained. Repository deletion could halt development workflows, cause significant business disruption, and require substantial effort to restore from backups if available. Additionally, unauthorized repository removal could be part of a larger attack campaign aimed at destroying or compromising enterprise assets.

1`github_enterprise` action=repo.destroy 
2| fillnull 
3| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by actor, actor_id, actor_is_bot, actor_location.country_code, business, business_id, org, org_id, repo, repo_id, user_agent, visibility, action 
4| eval user=actor 
5| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
6| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
7| `github_enterprise_repository_deleted_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source
GitHub Enterprise Audit Logs N/A 'httpevent' 'http:github'

Macros Used

Name Value
github_enterprise source=http:github sourcetype=httpevent
github_enterprise_repository_deleted_filter search *
github_enterprise_repository_deleted_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK
+ Kill Chain Phases
+ NIST
+ CIS
- Threat Actors
ID Technique Tactic
T1485 Data Destruction Impact
T1195 Supply Chain Compromise Initial Access
Actions on Objectives
Delivery
DE.AE
CIS 13

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Setting Value
Disabled true
Cron Schedule 0 * * * *
Earliest Time -70m@m
Latest Time -10m@m
Schedule Window auto
Creates Risk Event True
This configuration file applies to all detections of type anomaly. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting.

Implementation

You must ingest GitHub Enterprise logs using Audit log streaming as described in this documentation https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/admin/monitoring-activity-in-your-enterprise/reviewing-audit-logs-for-your-enterprise/streaming-the-audit-log-for-your-enterprise#setting-up-streaming-to-splunk using a Splunk HTTP Event Collector.

Known False Positives

unknown

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

$user$ deleted a repository in GitHub Enterprise

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
user user 25 user_agent

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset http:github httpevent
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset http:github httpevent

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 1