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Detection rules › Sigma

Potential Persistence Via PlistBuddy

Status
test
Severity
high
Log source
category process_creation, product macos
Author
Sohan G (D4rkCiph3r)
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects potential persistence activity using LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons via the PlistBuddy utility

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Persistence
Privilege Escalation

Telemetry coverage

PlatformRecord / event type
macOSESF event exec (NOTIFY): Fires after execve(2) or posix_spawn(2) succeeds, delivering a post-fact record of the new process.

Rule body

title: Potential Persistence Via PlistBuddy
id: 65d506d3-fcfe-4071-b4b2-bcefe721bbbb
status: test
description: Detects potential persistence activity using LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons via the PlistBuddy utility
references:
    - https://redcanary.com/blog/clipping-silver-sparrows-wings/
    - https://www.manpagez.com/man/8/PlistBuddy/
author: Sohan G (D4rkCiph3r)
date: 2023-02-18
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1543.001
    - attack.t1543.004
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: macos
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith: '/PlistBuddy'
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'RunAtLoad'
            - 'true'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'LaunchAgents'
            - 'LaunchDaemons'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '/PlistBuddy'
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'RunAtLoad'
        - 'true'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'LaunchAgents'
        - 'LaunchDaemons'

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

FieldKindValuesSearch
CommandLinematch
  • LaunchAgents
  • LaunchDaemons
  • RunAtLoad
  • true
field:"CommandLine" kind:match
Imageends_with
  • /PlistBuddy
field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"/PlistBuddy"