Detection rules › Elastic

Hidden Process Execution followed by Network Connection

Time window
30s
Sequence by
process.entity_id
Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

Detects when a hidden process is executed, and initiates an outbound network connection. Threat actors may drop hidden payloads that will later be used to download additional payload stages or tools.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
Detects when a hidden process is executed, and initiates an outbound network connection. Threat actors may drop hidden
payloads that will later be used to download additional payload stages or tools.
"""
id = "04ec0ec4-86c4-47e3-8c7b-8dad5f97532c"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Hidden Process Execution followed by Network Connection"
os_list = ["linux"]
version = "1.0.7"

query = '''
sequence by process.entity_id with maxspan=30s
  [process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
   process.executable like ("/tmp/.*", "/var/tmp/.*", "/dev/shm/.*") and
   not process.executable like ("/tmp/.ryeinstall*", "/tmp/.sentry*")]
  [network where event.type == "start" and event.action in ("connection_attempted", "connection_accepted") and
   process.name like ".*"]
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.parent.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1071"
name = "Application Layer Protocol"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1071.001"
name = "Web Protocols"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/001/"


[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1105"
name = "Ingress Tool Transfer"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1105/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0011"
name = "Command and Control"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

Stages and Predicates

Ordered sequence: each step below must occur in order within 30s, correlated by process.entity_id.

Stage 1: process

[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
   process.executable like ("/tmp/.*", "/var/tmp/.*", "/dev/shm/.*") and
   not process.executable like ("/tmp/.ryeinstall*", "/tmp/.sentry*")]

Stage 2: network

[network where event.type == "start" and event.action in ("connection_attempted", "connection_accepted") and
   process.name like ".*"]

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
process.executablestarts_with/tmp/.ryeinstall, /tmp/.sentryexcludes:process.executable field:"process.executable" value:"/tmp/.ryeinstall" field:"process.executable" value:"/tmp/.sentry"

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.