Detection rules › Elastic
Default Application Hijacking
Detects the abnormal invocation of a system application located in /System/Applications via the open binary. This abnormal activity may indicate the use of "default application hijacking" to persist and/or execute a malicious payload utilizing a bug that currently exists in the way macOS handles default apps and filetypes.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry coverage
Rule body
[rule]
description = """
Detects the abnormal invocation of a system application located in /System/Applications via the open binary. This
abnormal activity may indicate the use of "default application hijacking" to persist and/or execute a malicious payload
utilizing a bug that currently exists in the way macOS handles default apps and filetypes.
"""
id = "5d2c3833-a36a-483a-acea-5bf8cf363a81"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Default Application Hijacking"
os_list = ["macos"]
reference = [
"https://medium.com/@marcusthebrody/a-new-macos-persistence-and-deception-technique-default-application-hijacking-52de66955a16",
]
version = "1.0.26"
query = '''
process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
process.name == "open" and process.args == "-a" and process.args like "/System/Applications/*" and
(process.parent.code_signature.trusted == false or process.parent.code_signature.exists == false)
'''
min_endpoint_version = "8.11.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.parent.entity_id"
state = 0
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1574"
name = "Hijack Execution Flow"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1574/"
[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0003"
name = "Persistence"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/"
[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.11.0"
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: process
process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
process.name == "open" and process.args == "-a" and process.args like "/System/Applications/*" and
(process.parent.code_signature.trusted == false or process.parent.code_signature.exists == false)
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.