Detection rules › Elastic

Command Interpreter with IP Address Argument

Time window
5s
Sequence by
process.entity_id
Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

This rule detects suspicious command interpreters that are executed with an IP address as an argument. This activity may indicate the use of a command interpreter to download additional payloads or tools from a remote server.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
This rule detects suspicious command interpreters that are executed with an IP address as an argument. This activity may
indicate the use of a command interpreter to download additional payloads or tools from a remote server.
"""
id = "99c1bc0d-6d96-4e3c-b246-c23a65971455"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Command Interpreter with IP Address Argument"
os_list = ["linux"]
version = "1.0.8"

query = '''
sequence by process.entity_id with maxspan=5s
  [process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and process.parent.executable like (
     "/bin/python*", "/usr/bin/python*", "/usr/local/bin/python*",
     "/bin/perl*", "/usr/bin/perl*", "/usr/local/bin/perl*",
     "/bin/ruby*", "/usr/bin/ruby*", "/usr/local/bin/ruby*",
     "/bin/php*", "/usr/bin/php*", "/usr/local/bin/php*",
     "/bin/lua*", "/usr/bin/lua*", "/usr/local/bin/lua*",
     "/bin/node", "/usr/bin/node", "/usr/local/bin/node"
   ) and
   process.name in ("bash", "dash", "sh", "tcsh", "csh", "zsh", "ksh", "fish") and process.args == "-c" and
   process.command_line like~ ("*curl*http*", "*wget*http*") and
   process.command_line regex ".*[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}.*" and
   not process.command_line like~ ("*localhost*", "*127.0.0.1*")]
  [network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.name in ("curl", "wget") 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"
     )
   )]
'''

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

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1059"
name = "Command and Scripting Interpreter"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1059.004"
name = "Unix Shell"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/004/"

[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1059.006"
name = "Python"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/006/"

[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1059.011"
name = "Lua"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/011/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[[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 5s, correlated by process.entity_id.

Stage 1: process

[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and process.parent.executable like (
     "/bin/python*", "/usr/bin/python*", "/usr/local/bin/python*",
     "/bin/perl*", "/usr/bin/perl*", "/usr/local/bin/perl*",
     "/bin/ruby*", "/usr/bin/ruby*", "/usr/local/bin/ruby*",
     "/bin/php*", "/usr/bin/php*", "/usr/local/bin/php*",
     "/bin/lua*", "/usr/bin/lua*", "/usr/local/bin/lua*",
     "/bin/node", "/usr/bin/node", "/usr/local/bin/node"
   ) and
   process.name in ("bash", "dash", "sh", "tcsh", "csh", "zsh", "ksh", "fish") and process.args == "-c" and
   process.command_line like~ ("*curl*http*", "*wget*http*") and
   process.command_line regex ".*[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}\\.[0-9]{1,3}.*" and
   not process.command_line like~ ("*localhost*", "*127.0.0.1*")]

Stage 2: network

[network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.name in ("curl", "wget") 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"
     )
   )]

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
process.command_linematchlocalhost, 127.0.0.1excludes:process.command_line field:"process.command_line" value:"localhost" field:"process.command_line" value:"127.0.0.1"
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

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

FieldKindValuesSearch
event.actioneq
  • connection_attempted
  • exec
field:"EventType" kind:eq
event.typeeq
  • start
field:"event.type" kind:eq value:"start"
process.argseq
  • -c
field:"process.args" kind:eq value:"-c"
process.command_lineregex_match
  • .*[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.*
field:"CommandLine" kind:regex_match value:".*[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.*"
process.command_linewildcard
  • *curl*http*
  • *wget*http*
field:"CommandLine" kind:wildcard
process.namein
  • bash
  • csh
  • curl
  • dash
  • fish
  • ksh
  • sh
  • tcsh
  • wget
  • zsh
field:"process_name" kind:in
process.parent.executablewildcard
  • /bin/lua*
  • /bin/node
  • /bin/perl*
  • /bin/php*
  • /bin/python*
  • /bin/ruby*
  • /usr/bin/lua*
  • /usr/bin/node
  • /usr/bin/perl*
  • /usr/bin/php*
  • /usr/bin/python*
  • /usr/bin/ruby*
  • /usr/local/bin/lua*
  • /usr/local/bin/node
  • /usr/local/bin/perl*
  • /usr/local/bin/php*
  • /usr/local/bin/python*
  • /usr/local/bin/ruby*
field:"ParentImage" kind:wildcard