Detection rules › Elastic
Suspicious Python Package Child Process Execution
Detects the suspicious execution of a suspcious process by a Python package. This activity could indicate the existence of a malicious Python package installed on the system.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
Telemetry coverage
Rule body
[rule]
description = """
Detects the suspicious execution of a suspcious process by a Python package. This activity could indicate the existence
of a malicious Python package installed on the system.
"""
id = "d8cbba0d-7275-4bcd-be22-79ee6fea2951"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Suspicious Python Package Child Process Execution"
os_list = ["macos"]
reference = [
"https://blog.sonatype.com/new-pymafka-malicious-package-drops-cobalt-strike-on-macos-windows-linux",
]
version = "1.0.23"
query = '''
sequence with maxspan=1m
[process where event.type == "start" and process.name like~ "python*" and process.args like~ "*/lib/python*/site-packages/*" and not
process.args like~ ("*/lib/python*/site-packages/pip",
"*/lib/python*/site-packages/pipenv/*",
"/Users/*/.platformio/packages/*",
"*/lib/python*/site-packages/pip/*",
"/Applications/*",
"/private/var/folders/*")] by process.entity_id
[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and process.parent.name like~ "python*" and
(((process.name in ("bash", "sh", "zsh", "dash", "csh", "tcsh", "ksh", "tclsh", "fish") or process.name like "tclsh*") and process.args == "-c" and process.command_line like ("*curl*", "*wget*", "*osascript*", "*whoami*", "*nohup*")) or
(process.name == "osascript") or (process.name == "curl") or (process.name == "wget") or
(process.name == "cp") or (process.name == "mv"))] by process.parent.entity_id
'''
min_endpoint_version = "8.10.2"
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.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.10.2"
Stages and Predicates
Ordered sequence: each step below must occur in order within 1m, correlated by process.entity_id, process.parent.entity_id.
Stage 1: process
[process where event.type == "start" and process.name like~ "python*" and process.args like~ "*/lib/python*/site-packages/*" and not
process.args like~ ("*/lib/python*/site-packages/pip",
"*/lib/python*/site-packages/pipenv/*",
"/Users/*/.platformio/packages/*",
"*/lib/python*/site-packages/pip/*",
"/Applications/*",
"/private/var/folders/*")] by process.entity_id
Stage 2: process
[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and process.parent.name like~ "python*" and
(((process.name in ("bash", "sh", "zsh", "dash", "csh", "tcsh", "ksh", "tclsh", "fish") or process.name like "tclsh*") and process.args == "-c" and process.command_line like ("*curl*", "*wget*", "*osascript*", "*whoami*", "*nohup*")) or
(process.name == "osascript") or (process.name == "curl") or (process.name == "wget") or
(process.name == "cp") or (process.name == "mv"))] by process.parent.entity_id
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
process.args | wildcard | */lib/python*/site-packages/pip, */lib/python*/site-packages/pipenv/*, /Users/*/.platformio/packages/*, */lib/python*/site-packages/pip/*, /Applications/*, /private/var/folders/* | excludes:process.args |
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
event.action | eq |
| field:"EventType" kind:eq value:"exec" |
event.type | eq |
| field:"event.type" kind:eq value:"start" |
process.args | eq |
| field:"process.args" kind:eq value:"-c" |
process.args | wildcard |
| field:"process.args" kind:wildcard value:"*/lib/python*/site-packages/*" |
process.command_line | wildcard |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:wildcard |
process.name | eq |
| field:"process_name" kind:eq |
process.name | in |
| field:"process_name" kind:in |
process.name | wildcard |
| field:"process_name" kind:wildcard |
process.parent.name | wildcard |
| field:"parent_process_name" kind:wildcard value:"python*" |