Detection: Linux Setuid Using Setcap Utility

Description

The following analytic detects the execution of the 'setcap' utility to enable the SUID bit on Linux systems. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) 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.

Search

1
2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where (Processes.process_name = setcap OR Processes.process = "*setcap *") AND Processes.process IN ("* cap_setuid=ep *", "* cap_setuid+ep *", "* cap_net_bind_service+p *", "* cap_net_raw+ep *", "* cap_dac_read_search+ep *") by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id Processes.process_guid 
3| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
5| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
6| `linux_setuid_using_setcap_utility_filter`

Data Source

Name	Platform	Sourcetype	Source	Supported App
Sysmon for Linux EventID 1	Linux	'sysmon:linux'	'Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational'	N/A

Macros Used

Annotations

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Implementation

The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes node of the Endpoint data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.

Known False Positives

Administrator or network operator can execute this command. Please update the filter macros to remove false positives.

Associated Analytic Story

• Linux Persistence Techniques

• Linux Privilege Escalation

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

References

• https://www.hackingarticles.in/linux-privilege-escalation-using-capabilities/

Detection Testing

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 2