Detection rules › Elastic

Egress Network Connection from Deleted Executable by Root

Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

This rule detects network connections initiated by a process that has been deleted from the filesystem. This behavior may indicate an attempt to evade detection by removing the malicious executable after execution.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
This rule detects network connections initiated by a process that has been deleted from the filesystem. This behavior
may indicate an attempt to evade detection by removing the malicious executable after execution.
"""
id = "49ab63a4-ed52-49ac-855b-c298b38b0cb9"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Egress Network Connection from Deleted Executable by Root"
os_list = ["linux"]
version = "1.0.19"

query = '''
network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.executable like "* (deleted)" and 
user.id == 0 and
not (
  destination.ip == null or destination.ip == "0.0.0.0" or cidrmatch(
    destination.ip, "10.0.0.0/8", "127.0.0.0/8", "169.254.0.0/16", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.0.0.0/24", "192.0.0.0/29",
    "192.0.0.8/32", "192.0.0.9/32", "192.0.0.10/32", "192.0.0.170/32", "192.0.0.171/32", "192.0.2.0/24",
    "192.31.196.0/24", "192.52.193.0/24", "192.168.0.0/16", "192.88.99.0/24", "224.0.0.0/4", "100.64.0.0/10",
    "192.175.48.0/24","198.18.0.0/15", "198.51.100.0/24", "203.0.113.0/24", "240.0.0.0/4", "::1", "FE80::/10",
    "FF00::/8"
  ) or
  process.executable like~ (
    "/usr/bin/*", "/bin/*", "/opt/*", "/home/*", "/usr/share/*", "/usr/lib/*", "/usr/libexec/*", "/run/k3s/*",
    "/var/lib/waagent/*", "/usr/local/bin/*", "/sbin/*", "/usr/sbin/*", "/usr/local/sbin/*", "/usr/local/lib/*",
    "/usr/lib64/*", "/var/tmp/go-build*", "/app/extra/slack*", "/projects/hash-manager/dist/*/hash-manager*",
    "/nextcloud/custom_apps/notify_push/bin/x86_64/notify_push*", "/usr/local/lad/bin/mdsd*",
    "/run/containerd/io.containerd.runtime.v2.task/k8s.io/*/longhorn*", "/tmp/*/bin/kilo*",
    "/root/.antigravity-server/bin/*/extensions/antigravity/bin/language_server_linux_x64*",
    "/root/.vscode-server/code-*", "/root/.opencode/bin/opencode*"
  ) or
  process.name in ("dockerd", "teleport", "zed-editor", "datacollector", "exe")
)
'''

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

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1211"
name = "Exploitation for Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1211/"

[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1564"
name = "Hide Artifacts"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1564/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1071"
name = "Application Layer Protocol"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/"


[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

Stage 1: network

network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.executable like "* (deleted)" and 
user.id == 0 and
not (
  destination.ip == null or destination.ip == "0.0.0.0" or cidrmatch(
    destination.ip, "10.0.0.0/8", "127.0.0.0/8", "169.254.0.0/16", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.0.0.0/24", "192.0.0.0/29",
    "192.0.0.8/32", "192.0.0.9/32", "192.0.0.10/32", "192.0.0.170/32", "192.0.0.171/32", "192.0.2.0/24",
    "192.31.196.0/24", "192.52.193.0/24", "192.168.0.0/16", "192.88.99.0/24", "224.0.0.0/4", "100.64.0.0/10",
    "192.175.48.0/24","198.18.0.0/15", "198.51.100.0/24", "203.0.113.0/24", "240.0.0.0/4", "::1", "FE80::/10",
    "FF00::/8"
  ) or
  process.executable like~ (
    "/usr/bin/*", "/bin/*", "/opt/*", "/home/*", "/usr/share/*", "/usr/lib/*", "/usr/libexec/*", "/run/k3s/*",
    "/var/lib/waagent/*", "/usr/local/bin/*", "/sbin/*", "/usr/sbin/*", "/usr/local/sbin/*", "/usr/local/lib/*",
    "/usr/lib64/*", "/var/tmp/go-build*", "/app/extra/slack*", "/projects/hash-manager/dist/*/hash-manager*",
    "/nextcloud/custom_apps/notify_push/bin/x86_64/notify_push*", "/usr/local/lad/bin/mdsd*",
    "/run/containerd/io.containerd.runtime.v2.task/k8s.io/*/longhorn*", "/tmp/*/bin/kilo*",
    "/root/.antigravity-server/bin/*/extensions/antigravity/bin/language_server_linux_x64*",
    "/root/.vscode-server/code-*", "/root/.opencode/bin/opencode*"
  ) or
  process.name in ("dockerd", "teleport", "zed-editor", "datacollector", "exe")
)

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
destination.ipcidr_match10.0.0.0/8, 127.0.0.0/8, 169.254.0.0/16, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.0.0.0/24, 192.0.0.0/29, 192.0.0.8/32, 192.0.0.9/32, 192.0.0.10/32, 192.0.0.170/32, 192.0.0.171/32, 192.0.2.0/24, 192.31.196.0/24, 192.52.193.0/24, 192.168.0.0/16, 192.88.99.0/24, 224.0.0.0/4, 100.64.0.0/10, 192.175.48.0/24, 198.18.0.0/15, 198.51.100.0/24, 203.0.113.0/24, 240.0.0.0/4, ::1, FE80::/10, FF00::/8excludes:destination.ip
destination.ipeq0.0.0.0excludes:destination.ip field:"destination.ip" value:"0.0.0.0"
destination.ipis_null(no value, null check)excludes:destination.ip
process.executablewildcard/usr/bin/*, /bin/*, /opt/*, /home/*, /usr/share/*, /usr/lib/*, /usr/libexec/*, /run/k3s/*, /var/lib/waagent/*, /usr/local/bin/*, /sbin/*, /usr/sbin/*, /usr/local/sbin/*, /usr/local/lib/*, /usr/lib64/*, /var/tmp/go-build*, /app/extra/slack*, /projects/hash-manager/dist/*/hash-manager*, /nextcloud/custom_apps/notify_push/bin/x86_64/notify_push*, /usr/local/lad/bin/mdsd*, /run/containerd/io.containerd.runtime.v2.task/k8s.io/*/longhorn*, /tmp/*/bin/kilo*, /root/.antigravity-server/bin/*/extensions/antigravity/bin/language_server_linux_x64*, /root/.vscode-server/code-*, /root/.opencode/bin/opencode*excludes:process.executable
process.nameindatacollector, dockerd, exe, teleport, zed-editorexcludes:process.name

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.