Cisco IOS XE Request Platform Package Describe Shell Pattern

name: Cisco IOS XE Request Platform Package Describe Shell Pattern
id: a113a8be-7386-46e0-a079-d9fd46f9631f
version: 1
creation_date: '2026-05-19'
modification_date: '2026-05-20'
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali
status: production
type: TTP
description: |
    This analytic detects Cisco IOS-XE "request platform software package describe" commands containing suspicious shell-style filename patterns. Indicative of Slat Typhoon tradecraft.
data_source:
    - Cisco IOS Logs
search: |-
    `cisco_ios`
    facility IN ("AAA", "HA_EM")
    mnemonic IN ("AAA_ACCOUNTING_MESSAGE", "LOG")
    message_text="*request platform software package describe*"
    message_text IN ("*--filename=/(bash)n*", "*--filename=$(bash)n*")
    
    | eval dest=coalesce(host, dvc, dest, "unknown")
    | stats count min(_time) as firstTime
                  max(_time) as lastTime
                  values(message_text) as message
      by dest
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `cisco_ios_xe_request_platform_package_describe_shell_pattern_filter`
how_to_implement: |
    Use the Cisco Catalyst Add-on for Splunk (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/7538) to Ingest Cisco IOS-XE syslog with sourcetype "cisco:ios".
    Command visibility requires AAA command accounting or EEM catchall command logging.
known_false_positives: |
    No false positives have been identified at this time.
references:
    - https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa25-239a
    - https://blog.talosintelligence.com/salt-typhoon-analysis/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: Suspicious request platform package describe command was issued on $dest$.
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
threat_objects: []
analytic_story:
    - Salt Typhoon
asset_type: Network
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1059
    - T1190
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: application
security_domain: network
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/emerging_threats/SaltTyphoon/salttyphoon_cisco.log
          source: ctb:catalyst:syslog
          sourcetype: cisco:ios
      test_type: unit