MacOS Kextload Usage

name: MacOS Kextload Usage
id: 9d680775-84a6-4625-a8ea-8182b9427ce4
version: 3
creation_date: '2026-04-14'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: |-
    Detects execution of the kextload command on macOS systems. The kextload utility is used to manually load kernel extensions (KEXTs) into the macOS kernel, which can introduce privileged code at the kernel level.
    While legitimate for driver installation and system administration, misuse may indicate attempts to install unauthorized, malicious, or persistence-enabling kernel extensions.
data_source:
    - Osquery Results
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
      count min(_time) as firstTime
            max(_time) as lastTime
    
    from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
    
    Processes.process_name = "kextload"
    
    AND NOT
    
    Processes.process IN (
        "*-help*",
        "* -h *"
    )
    
    by Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process_id
       Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
       Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id
       Processes.process_current_directory 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)`
    | `macos_kextload_usage_filter`
how_to_implement: |-
    This detection uses osquery and endpoint security on MacOS. Follow the link in references, which describes how to setup process auditing in MacOS with endpoint security and osquery.
    Also the [TA-OSquery](https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/8574) must be deployed across your indexers and universal forwarders in order to have the osquery data populate the data models.
known_false_positives: |-
    Administrators installing new drivers could use this application.
references:
    - https://osquery.readthedocs.io/en/stable/deployment/process-auditing/
    - https://www.unix.com/man_page/osx/8/kextload/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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: Possible kernel extension loaded on $dest$ by $user$ via $process$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: Possible kernel extension loaded on $dest$ by $user$ via $process$
threat_objects:
    - field: process
      type: process
analytic_story:
    - MacOS Privilege Escalation
    - MacOS Persistence Techniques
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1543
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1543/osquery_ketxload/osquery.log
          source: osquery
          sourcetype: osquery:results
      test_type: unit