File Permission Modification in Writable Directoryedit

Identifies file permission modifications in common writable directories by a non-root user. Adversaries often drop files or payloads into a writable directory, and change permissions prior to execution.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

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

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5 minutes

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Linux

Version: 3 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.8.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.9.1

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Potential false positivesedit

Certain programs or applications may modify files or change ownership in writable directories. These can be exempted by username.

Rule queryedit

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:(chmod or chown or chattr or chgrp) and
process.working_directory:(/tmp or /var/tmp or /dev/shm) and not
user.name:root

Threat mappingedit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version historyedit

Version 3 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:executed and process.name:(chmod or chown or chattr or
    chgrp) and process.working_directory:(/tmp or /var/tmp or /dev/shm)
    and not user.name:root