Detection rules › Splunk
Linux Suspicious GCC Invocation Building Init Shared Object
The following analytic detects compiler usage with flags commonly used to create shared libraries that auto-run initialization functions, which are often associated with local privilege escalation exploits.
Known false positives
- Legitimate developers may use these GCC flags when building shared libraries that require initialization functions. Filter based on known development environments and trusted users.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Resource Development | |
| Execution | |
| Privilege Escalation | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Linux | Event ID 1: Process Create |
Rule body
name: Linux Suspicious GCC Invocation Building Init Shared Object
id: 9dbf4a61-0493-43bd-932c-532ba7671a7a
version: 1
creation_date: '2026-07-08'
modification_date: '2026-07-08'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: |-
The following analytic detects compiler usage with flags commonly used to create shared libraries that auto-run initialization functions, which are often associated with local privilege escalation exploits.
data_source:
- Sysmon for Linux EventID 1
search: |-
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes WHERE
Processes.process_name IN (
"*x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc*",
"cc",
"g++",
"gcc-*",
"gcc"
)
Processes.process="*-shared*"
Processes.process="*-Wl,-init,*"
Processes.process="*.so*"
BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
Processes.process Processes.process_current_directory Processes.process_exec
Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id
Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.process_name Processes.process_path
Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `linux_suspicious_gcc_invocation_building_init_shared_object_filter`
how_to_implement: |-
The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: |-
Legitimate developers may use these GCC flags when building shared libraries that require initialization functions. Filter based on known development environments and trusted users.
references:
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-critical-linux-sudo-flaw-exploited-in-attacks/
- https://github.com/pr0v3rbs/CVE-2025-32463_chwoot
finding:
title: Suspicious GCC Invocation Building Init Shared Object identified on [$dest$] via [$process_name$] with the Command Line [$process$]
entity:
field: dest
type: system
score: 50
threat_objects:
- field: process_name
type: process_name
- field: process
type: process
analytic_story:
- Linux Privilege Escalation
- Linux Post-Exploitation
- Linux Persistence Techniques
asset_type: Endpoint
cve:
- CVE-2025-32463
mitre_attack_id:
- T1129
- T1068
- T1608
- T1027.004
product:
- Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: tstats
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes WHERE
Processes.process_name IN (
"*x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc*",
"cc",
"g++",
"gcc-*",
"gcc"
)
Processes.process="*-shared*"
Processes.process="*-Wl,-init,*"
Processes.process="*.so*"
BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
Processes.process Processes.process_current_directory Processes.process_exec
Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id
Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.process_name Processes.process_path
Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
Stage 2: search
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
Stage 3: search
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
Stage 4: search
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
Stage 5: search
| `linux_suspicious_gcc_invocation_building_init_shared_object_filter`
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Processes.process | eq |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:eq |
Processes.process_name | in |
| field:"process_name" kind:in |