Timestomping using Touch Command

Timestomping is an anti-forensics technique which is used to modify the timestamps of a file, often to mimic files that are in the same folder.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

auditbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5m

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 33

References: None

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Linux
macOS
Threat Detection
Defense Evasion

Version: 5

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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## Config

If enabling an EQL rule on a non-elastic-agent index (such as beats) for versions <8.2, events will not define `event.ingested` and default fallback for EQL rules was not added until 8.2, so you will need to add a custom pipeline to populate `event.ingested` to @timestamp for this rule to work.

Rule query

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process where event.type == "start" and
 process.name : "touch" and user.id != "0" and
 process.args : ("-r", "-t", "-a*","-m*") and
 not process.args : ("/usr/lib/go-*/bin/go", "/usr/lib/dracut/dracut-functions.sh", "/tmp/KSInstallAction.*/m/.patch/*")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Indicator Removal on Host
- ID: T1070
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Timestomp
- ID: T1070.006
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070/006/

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