splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

Linux Auditd Setuid Using Setcap Utility

The following analytic detects the execution of the 'setcap' utility to enable the SUID bit on Linux systems. It leverages Linux Auditd data, focusing on process names and command-line arguments that indicate the use of 'setcap' with specific capabilities. This activity is significant because setting the SUID bit allows a user to temporarily gain root access, posing a substantial security risk. If confirmed malicious, an attacker could escalate privileges, execute arbitrary commands with elevated permissions, and potentially compromise the entire system.

Quality

FP risk

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Rule sourcedetections/endpoint/linux_auditd_setuid_using_setcap_utility.yml

`linux_auditd` execve_command IN ("*setcap *")  AND execve_command IN ("*cap_setuid+ep*", "*cap_setuid=ep*", "*cap_net_bind_service+p*", "*cap_net_raw+ep*", "*cap_dac_read_search+ep*")
  | rename host as dest
  | rename comm as process_name
  | rename exe as process
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
    BY argc execve_command dest
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `linux_auditd_setuid_using_setcap_utility_filter`