IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.

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Creation of Hidden Launch Agent or Daemon

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Creation of Hidden Launch Agent or Daemon

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Identifies the creation of a hidden launch agent or daemon. An adversary may establish persistence by installing a new launch agent or daemon which executes at login.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

auditbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5 minutes

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingLaunchdJobs.html

Tags:

Elastic
Host
macOS
Threat Detection
Persistence
Defense Evasion

Version: 4 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.12.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.4.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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Rule query

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file where event.type != "deletion" and file.path : (
"/System/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/Users/*/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/.*.plist",
"/Library/LaunchDaemons/.*.plist" )

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Create or Modify System Process
- ID: T1543
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Hide Artifacts
- ID: T1564
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1564/

Rule version history

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Version 4 (8.4.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

file where event.type != "deletion" and file.path : (
"/System/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/Users/*/Library/LaunchAgents/.*.plist",
"/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/.*.plist",
"/Library/LaunchDaemons/.*.plist" )

Version 2 (8.2.0 release)

Formatting only

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