splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

Linux GNU Awk Privilege Escalation

The following analytic detects the execution of the 'gawk' command with elevated privileges on a Linux system. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) telemetry to identify command-line executions where 'gawk' is used with 'sudo' and 'BEGIN{system' patterns. This activity is significant because it indicates a potential privilege escalation attempt, allowing a user to execute system commands as root. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to full root access, enabling the attacker to control the system, modify critical files, and maintain persistent access.

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Rule sourcedetections/endpoint/linux_gnu_awk_privilege_escalation.yml

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  WHERE Processes.process="*gawk*"
    AND
    Processes.process="*BEGIN*{system*"
    AND
    Processes.process="*sudo*"
  BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
     Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
     Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
     Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
     Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
     Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
     Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `linux_gnu_awk_privilege_escalation_filter`