Detection rules › Elastic

Execution via Electron Child Process Node.js Module

Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

Identifies attempts to execute a child process from within the context of an Electron application using the child_process Node.js module. Adversaries may abuse this technique to inherit permissions from parent processes.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
Identifies attempts to execute a child process from within the context of an Electron application using the
child_process Node.js module. Adversaries may abuse this technique to inherit permissions from parent processes.
"""
id = "1d43f87d-2466-4714-8fef-d52816cc25fb"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Execution via Electron Child Process Node.js Module"
os_list = ["macos"]
reference = [
    "https://www.matthewslipper.com/2019/09/22/everything-you-wanted-electron-child-process.html",
    "https://www.trustedsec.com/blog/macos-injection-via-third-party-frameworks/",
    "https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html",
]
version = "1.0.35"

query = '''
process where event.action == "exec" and
 process.args == "-e" and process.command_line like~ "*require*child_process*" and
 process.command_line like~ "*spawn*" and
 (
   /* Spawning shells with inline commands */
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*bash*-c*", "*spawn*sh*-c*", "*spawn*zsh*-c*") or
   /* Spawning curl/wget for download */
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*curl*", "*spawn*wget*") or
   /* Spawning osascript */
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*osascript*" or
   /* Spawning python with inline code */
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*python*-c*" or
   /* Base64 decode patterns */
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*base64*" or
   /* Execution from suspicious staging paths */
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*/tmp/*", "*spawn*/Users/Shared/*", "*spawn*/private/tmp/*", "*spawn*/var/tmp/*")
 ) and
 not process.executable like
             ("/usr/bin/grep",
              "/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker",
              "/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/com.docker.cli")
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.10.2"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[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 = "T1059.007"
name = "JavaScript"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/007/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1548"
name = "Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1548/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.10.2"

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: process

process where event.action == "exec" and
 process.args == "-e" and process.command_line like~ "*require*child_process*" and
 process.command_line like~ "*spawn*" and
 (
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*bash*-c*", "*spawn*sh*-c*", "*spawn*zsh*-c*") or
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*curl*", "*spawn*wget*") or
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*osascript*" or
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*python*-c*" or
   process.command_line like~ "*spawn*base64*" or
   process.command_line like~ ("*spawn*/tmp/*", "*spawn*/Users/Shared/*", "*spawn*/private/tmp/*", "*spawn*/var/tmp/*")
 ) and
 not process.executable like
             ("/usr/bin/grep",
              "/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker",
              "/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/com.docker.cli")

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
process.executableeq/usr/bin/grep, /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker, /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/com.docker.cliexcludes:process.executable field:"process.executable" value:"/usr/bin/grep" field:"process.executable" value:"/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker" field:"process.executable" value:"/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/com.docker.cli"

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

FieldKindValuesSearch
event.actioneq
  • exec
field:"EventType" kind:eq value:"exec"
process.argseq
  • -e
field:"process.args" kind:eq value:"-e"
process.command_linewildcard
  • *require*child_process*
  • *spawn*
  • *spawn*/Users/Shared/*
  • *spawn*/private/tmp/*
  • *spawn*/tmp/*
  • *spawn*/var/tmp/*
  • *spawn*base64*
  • *spawn*bash*-c*
  • *spawn*curl*
  • *spawn*osascript*
  • *spawn*python*-c*
  • *spawn*sh*-c*
  • *spawn*wget*
  • *spawn*zsh*-c*
field:"CommandLine" kind:wildcard