Security Software Discovery via Grep

Identifies the use of the grep command to discover known third-party macOS and Linux security tools, such as Antivirus or Host Firewall details.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

logs-endpoint.events.*
auditbeat-*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

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
Host
macOS
Linux
Threat Detection
Discovery

Version: 2 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.12.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.13.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Potential false positives

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Endpoint Security installers, updaters and post installation verification scripts.

Rule query

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process where event.type == "start" and process.name : "grep" and
user.id != "0" and not process.parent.executable :
"/Library/Application Support/*" and process.args :
("Little Snitch*", "Avast*", "Avira*",
"ESET*", "BlockBlock*", "360Sec*",
"LuLu*", "KnockKnock*", "kav", "KIS",
"RTProtectionDaemon*", "Malware*",
"VShieldScanner*", "WebProtection*",
"webinspectord*", "McAfee*", "isecespd*",
"macmnsvc*", "masvc*", "kesl*",
"avscan*", "guard*", "rtvscand*",
"symcfgd*", "scmdaemon*", "symantec*",
"sophos*", "osquery*", "elastic-endpoint*"
) and not (process.args : "Avast" and process.args : "Passwords")

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Discovery
- ID: TA0007
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0007/
Technique:
- Name: Software Discovery
- ID: T1518
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1518/

Rule version history

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Version 2 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.category : process and event.type : (start or process_started)
and process.name : grep and process.args : ("Little Snitch" or Avast*
or Avira* or ESET* or esets_* or BlockBlock or 360* or LuLu or
KnockKnock* or kav or KIS or RTProtectionDaemon or Malware* or
VShieldScanner or WebProtection or webinspectord or McAfee* or
isecespd* or macmnsvc* or masvc or kesl or avscan or guard or rtvscand
or symcfgd or scmdaemon or symantec or elastic-endpoint )

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