Detection rules › Elastic
Initial Access via OSA Shell Script Piped to Python Interpreter
Detects when an Osascript shell script is piped to a Python interpreter for execution followed by an immediate outbound network connection for C2 establishment. This activity is observed when an Empire payload is executed for initial access.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution |
Telemetry coverage
Rule body
[rule]
description = """
Detects when an Osascript shell script is piped to a Python interpreter for execution followed by an immediate outbound
network connection for C2 establishment. This activity is observed when an Empire payload is executed for initial
access.
"""
id = "2aade342-d45b-4297-a0e0-4cf0962c9042"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Initial Access via OSA Shell Script Piped to Python Interpreter"
os_list = ["macos"]
version = "1.0.11"
query = '''
sequence by process.parent.entity_id with maxspan=30s
[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
process.name == "osascript" and
process.args == "-e" and process.command_line like~ "*python*"]
[network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and
process.name like~ "python*" and
not cidrmatch(destination.ip,
"240.0.0.0/4", "233.252.0.0/24", "224.0.0.0/4", "198.19.0.0/16", "192.18.0.0/15",
"192.0.0.0/24", "10.0.0.0/8", "127.0.0.0/8", "169.254.0.0/16", "172.16.0.0/12",
"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",
"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",
"::1", "FE80::/10", "FF00::/8")]
'''
min_endpoint_version = "8.16.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.parent.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 = "T1059.006"
name = "Python"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/006/"
[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0011"
name = "Command and Control"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/"
[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.16.0"
Stages and Predicates
Ordered sequence: each step below must occur in order within 30s, correlated by process.parent.entity_id.
Stage 1: process
[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
process.name == "osascript" and
process.args == "-e" and process.command_line like~ "*python*"]
Stage 2: network
[network where event.type == "start" and event.action == "connection_attempted" and
process.name like~ "python*" and
not cidrmatch(destination.ip,
"240.0.0.0/4", "233.252.0.0/24", "224.0.0.0/4", "198.19.0.0/16", "192.18.0.0/15",
"192.0.0.0/24", "10.0.0.0/8", "127.0.0.0/8", "169.254.0.0/16", "172.16.0.0/12",
"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",
"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",
"::1", "FE80::/10", "FF00::/8")]
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
destination.ip | cidr_match | 240.0.0.0/4, 233.252.0.0/24, 224.0.0.0/4, 198.19.0.0/16, 192.18.0.0/15, 192.0.0.0/24, 10.0.0.0/8, 127.0.0.0/8, 169.254.0.0/16, 172.16.0.0/12, 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, 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, ::1, FE80::/10, FF00::/8 | excludes:destination.ip |
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
event.action | eq |
| field:"EventType" kind:eq |
event.type | eq |
| field:"event.type" kind:eq value:"start" |
process.args | eq |
| field:"process.args" kind:eq value:"-e" |
process.command_line | wildcard |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:wildcard value:"*python*" |
process.name | eq |
| field:"process_name" kind:eq value:"osascript" |
process.name | wildcard |
| field:"process_name" kind:wildcard value:"python*" |