Linux GDB Privilege Escalation

splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

The following analytic detects the execution of the GNU Debugger (GDB) with specific flags that indicate an attempt to escalate privileges on a Linux system. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) telemetry to identify processes where GDB is run with the `-nx`, `-ex`, and `sudo` flags. This activity is significant because it can allow a user to execute system commands as root, potentially leading to a root shell. If confirmed malicious, this could result in full system compromise, allowing an attacker to gain complete control over the affected endpoint.