IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.
« Setuid Bit Set via chmod Spike in AWS Error Messages »
Elastic Docs ›Elastic Security Solution [7.10] ›Detections and Alerts ›Prebuilt rule reference

Socat Process Activity

edit

Socat Process Activity

edit

A Socat process is running on a Linux host. Socat is often used as a persistence mechanism by exporting a reverse shell, or by serving a shell on a listening port. Socat is also sometimes used for lateral movement.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

  • auditbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*

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

References:

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Linux
  • Threat Detection

Version: 5 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.10.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Potential false positives

edit

Socat is a dual-use tool that can be used for benign or malicious activity. Some normal use of this program, at varying levels of frequency, may originate from scripts, automation tools, and frameworks. Usage by web servers is more likely to be suspicious.

Rule query

edit
event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:socat and not process.args:-V

Rule version history

edit
Version 5 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    process.name:socat and not process.args:-V and event.action:executed
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    process.name:socat and not process.args:"-V" and event.action:executed
« Setuid Bit Set via chmod Spike in AWS Error Messages »