Potential Persistence via Atom Init Script Modification

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

Identifies modifications to the Atom desktop text editor Init File. Adversaries may add malicious JavaScript code to the init.coffee file that will be executed upon the Atom application opening.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

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

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

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/D00MFist/PersistentJXA/blob/master/AtomPersist.js
• https://flight-manual.atom.io/hacking-atom/sections/the-init-file/

Tags:

• Elastic
• Host
• macOS
• Threat Detection
• Persistence

Version: 101

Rule authors:

• Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

event.category:"file" and not event.type:"deletion" and
 file.path:/Users/*/.atom/init.coffee and not process.name:(Atom or xpcproxy) and not user.name:root

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

• Tactic:

  • Name: Persistence
  • ID: TA0003
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/

• Technique:

  • Name: Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
  • ID: T1037
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/