Detection rules › Sigma
Remote Access Tool - Renamed MeshAgent Execution - MacOS
Detects the execution of a renamed instance of the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tool, MeshAgent. RMM tools such as MeshAgent are commonly utilized by IT administrators for legitimate remote support and system management. However, malicious actors may exploit these tools by renaming them to bypass detection mechanisms, enabling unauthorized access and control over compromised systems.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth | T1036.003 Masquerading: Rename Legitimate Utilities |
| Command & Control | T1219.002 Remote Access Tools: Remote Desktop Software |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| ESF | exec | Process Execution (Notify) |
Rule body yaml
title: Remote Access Tool - Renamed MeshAgent Execution - MacOS
id: bd3b5eaa-439d-4a42-8f35-a49f5c8a2582
related:
- id: b471f462-eb0d-4832-be35-28d94bdb4780
type: similar
- id: 22c45af6-f590-4d44-bab3-b5b2d2a2b6d9
type: derived
status: experimental
description: |
Detects the execution of a renamed instance of the Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tool, MeshAgent.
RMM tools such as MeshAgent are commonly utilized by IT administrators for legitimate remote support and system management.
However, malicious actors may exploit these tools by renaming them to bypass detection mechanisms, enabling unauthorized access and control over compromised systems.
references:
- https://www.huntress.com/blog/know-thy-enemy-a-novel-november-case-on-persistent-remote-access
- https://thecyberexpress.com/ukraine-hit-by-meshagent-malware-campaign/
- https://wazuh.com/blog/how-to-detect-meshagent-with-wazuh/
- https://www.security.com/threat-intelligence/medusa-ransomware-attacks
author: Norbert Jaśniewicz (AlphaSOC)
date: 2025-05-19
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1219.002
- attack.t1036.003
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: macos
detection:
selection_meshagent:
- CommandLine|contains: '--meshServiceName'
- OriginalFileName|contains: 'meshagent'
filter_main_legitimate:
Image|endswith:
- '/meshagent'
- '/meshagent_osx64'
condition: selection_meshagent and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection_meshagent and not 1 of filter_main_*Stage 1: selection_meshagent
selection_meshagent:
- CommandLine|contains: '--meshServiceName'
- OriginalFileName|contains: 'meshagent'
Stage 2: not filter_main_legitimate
filter_main_legitimate:
Image|endswith:
- '/meshagent'
- '/meshagent_osx64'
Exclusions
Top-level NOT(...) conjuncts: predicates this rule actively suppresses.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values |
|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with | /meshagent |
Image | ends_with | /meshagent_osx64 |
Indicators
Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.
| Field | Kind | Values |
|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
|
OriginalFileName | match |
|