Unix Socket Connection

This rule monitors for inter-process communication via Unix sockets. Adversaries may attempt to communicate with local Unix sockets to enumerate application details, find vulnerabilities/configuration mistakes and potentially escalate privileges or set up malicious communication channels via Unix sockets for inter-process communication to attempt to evade detection.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

logs-endpoint.events.*
endgame-*
auditbeat-*
logs-auditd_manager.auditd-*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

Domain: Endpoint
OS: Linux
Use Case: Threat Detection
Tactic: Execution
Data Source: Elastic Defend
Data Source: Elastic Endgame
Data Source: Auditd Manager

Version: 3

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

process where host.os.type == "linux" and event.type == "start" and event.action in ("exec", "exec_event", "executed", "process_started")
 and (
  (process.name in ("nc", "ncat", "netcat", "nc.openbsd") and
   process.args == "-U" and process.args : ("/usr/local/*", "/run/*", "/var/run/*")) or
  (process.name == "socat" and
   process.args == "-" and process.args : ("UNIX-CLIENT:/usr/local/*", "UNIX-CLIENT:/run/*", "UNIX-CLIENT:/var/run/*"))
) and
not process.args == "/var/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock"

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Execution
- ID: TA0002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/
Technique:
- Name: Inter-Process Communication
- ID: T1559
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1559/

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