Persistence via Docker Shortcut Modification

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

An adversary can establish persistence by modifying an existing macOS dock property list in order to execute a malicious application instead of the intended one when invoked.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

• auditbeat-*
• logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/common-options.html#date-math[Date Math format], see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

• https://github.com/specterops/presentations/raw/master/Leo%20Pitt/Hey_Im_Still_in_Here_Modern_macOS_Persistence_SO-CON2020.pdf

Tags:

• Elastic
• Host
• macOS
• Threat Detection
• Persistence

Version: 101

Rule authors:

• Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

event.category : file and event.action : modification and
 file.path : /Users/*/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist and
 not process.name : (xpcproxy or cfprefsd or plutil or jamf or PlistBuddy or InstallerRemotePluginService)

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

• 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/