Detection rules › Elastic

Potential Linux Reverse Shell via Java JAR Execution

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

Identifies the execution of a Linux shell process from a Java JAR application post an incoming network connection. This behavior may indicate reverse shell activity via a Java application.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
Identifies the execution of a Linux shell process from a Java JAR application post an incoming network connection. This
behavior may indicate reverse shell activity via a Java application.
"""
id = "e0db3577-879e-4ac2-bd58-691e1343afca"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Potential Linux Reverse Shell via Java JAR Execution"
os_list = ["linux"]
version = "1.0.15"

query = '''
sequence with maxspan=5s
  [network where event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.executable : (
    "/usr/bin/java", "/bin/java", "/local/bin/java", "/usr/lib/jvm/*", "/usr/java/*"
   ) 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", "172.31.0.0/16"
       )
    )
  ] by process.entity_id
  [process where event.action == "exec" and process.parent.executable : (
    "/usr/bin/java", "/bin/java", "/usr/lib/jvm/*", "/usr/java/*", "/local/bin/java"
   ) and process.parent.args : "-jar" and process.name in ("bash", "dash", "sh", "tcsh", "csh", "zsh", "ksh", "fish") and
   process.parent.args_count <= 4 and not (
     process.parent.args : (
       "/etc/remote-iot/services/remoteiot.jar",
       "/opt/pentaho/data-integration/launcher/launcher.jar",
       "/usr/share/java/jenkins.war",
       "/opt//tomcat/statistics/statistics.jar",
       "/usr/lib64/NetExtender.jar",
       "/var/lib/jenkins/workspace/MP-QA/tc_certified_copy*/tc_certified_copy_web_ui_test/target/surefire/surefirebooter*.jar",
       "-javaagent:/opt/opentelemetry/opentelemetry-javaagent-all.jar",
       "./lib/pipeline-job-executor*SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "./lib/worker-launcher-agent*SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "/opt/Seqrite_EndPoint_Security/wildfly/jboss-modules.jar",
       "/home/data/jenkins.war",
       "/pro/service-modules/deployment.jar",
       "/application/HES/READER/*.jar",
       "*-SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "READER/G1A/READER_G1A.jar",
       "READER_G1.jar"
     ) or
    process.command_line like~ (
      "bash -c ps -eo pid,lstart,comm*",
      "bash -c df -i /application | tail -n 1",
      "/bin/sh -xe /tmp/hudson*.sh",
      "bash -c cat /application/HES/*"
    )
   )
  ] by process.parent.entity_id
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.7.0"
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.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.tactic]
id = "TA0011"
name = "Command and Control"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.7.0"

Stages and Predicates

Ordered sequence: each step below must occur in order within 5s, correlated by process.entity_id, process.parent.entity_id.

Stage 1: network

[network where event.action == "connection_attempted" and process.executable : (
    "/usr/bin/java", "/bin/java", "/local/bin/java", "/usr/lib/jvm/*", "/usr/java/*"
   ) 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", "172.31.0.0/16"
       )
    )
  ] by process.entity_id

Stage 2: process

[process where event.action == "exec" and process.parent.executable : (
    "/usr/bin/java", "/bin/java", "/usr/lib/jvm/*", "/usr/java/*", "/local/bin/java"
   ) and process.parent.args : "-jar" and process.name in ("bash", "dash", "sh", "tcsh", "csh", "zsh", "ksh", "fish") and
   process.parent.args_count <= 4 and not (
     process.parent.args : (
       "/etc/remote-iot/services/remoteiot.jar",
       "/opt/pentaho/data-integration/launcher/launcher.jar",
       "/usr/share/java/jenkins.war",
       "/opt//tomcat/statistics/statistics.jar",
       "/usr/lib64/NetExtender.jar",
       "/var/lib/jenkins/workspace/MP-QA/tc_certified_copy*/tc_certified_copy_web_ui_test/target/surefire/surefirebooter*.jar",
       "-javaagent:/opt/opentelemetry/opentelemetry-javaagent-all.jar",
       "./lib/pipeline-job-executor*SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "./lib/worker-launcher-agent*SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "/opt/Seqrite_EndPoint_Security/wildfly/jboss-modules.jar",
       "/home/data/jenkins.war",
       "/pro/service-modules/deployment.jar",
       "/application/HES/READER/*.jar",
       "*-SNAPSHOT.jar",
       "READER/G1A/READER_G1A.jar",
       "READER_G1.jar"
     ) or
    process.command_line like~ (
      "bash -c ps -eo pid,lstart,comm*",
      "bash -c df -i /application | tail -n 1",
      "/bin/sh -xe /tmp/hudson*.sh",
      "bash -c cat /application/HES/*"
    )
   )
  ] by process.parent.entity_id

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::/8, 172.31.0.0/16excludes: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.command_linewildcardbash -c ps -eo pid,lstart,comm*, bash -c df -i /application | tail -n 1, /bin/sh -xe /tmp/hudson*.sh, bash -c cat /application/HES/*excludes:process.command_line
process.parent.argswildcard/etc/remote-iot/services/remoteiot.jar, /opt/pentaho/data-integration/launcher/launcher.jar, /usr/share/java/jenkins.war, /opt//tomcat/statistics/statistics.jar, /usr/lib64/NetExtender.jar, /var/lib/jenkins/workspace/MP-QA/tc_certified_copy*/tc_certified_copy_web_ui_test/target/surefire/surefirebooter*.jar, -javaagent:/opt/opentelemetry/opentelemetry-javaagent-all.jar, ./lib/pipeline-job-executor*SNAPSHOT.jar, ./lib/worker-launcher-agent*SNAPSHOT.jar, /opt/Seqrite_EndPoint_Security/wildfly/jboss-modules.jar, /home/data/jenkins.war, /pro/service-modules/deployment.jar, /application/HES/READER/*.jar, *-SNAPSHOT.jar, READER/G1A/READER_G1A.jar, READER_G1.jarexcludes:process.parent.args

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

FieldKindValuesSearch
event.actioneq
  • connection_attempted
  • exec
field:"EventType" kind:eq
process.executablewildcard
  • /bin/java
  • /local/bin/java
  • /usr/bin/java
  • /usr/java/*
  • /usr/lib/jvm/*
field:"Image" kind:wildcard
process.namein
  • bash
  • csh
  • dash
  • fish
  • ksh
  • sh
  • tcsh
  • zsh
field:"process_name" kind:in
process.parent.argswildcard
  • -jar
field:"process.parent.args" kind:wildcard value:"-jar"
process.parent.args_countle
  • 4 transforms: number
field:"process.parent.args_count" kind:le value:"4"
process.parent.executablewildcard
  • /bin/java
  • /local/bin/java
  • /usr/bin/java
  • /usr/java/*
  • /usr/lib/jvm/*
field:"ParentImage" kind:wildcard