IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates
will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the
current release documentation.
SSH Authorized Keys File Modification
editSSH Authorized Keys File Modification
editThe Secure Shell (SSH) authorized_keys file specifies which users are allowed to log into a server using public key authentication. Adversaries may modify it to maintain persistence on a victim host by adding their own public key(s).
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
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Linux
- macOS
- Threat Detection
- Persistence
Version: 3 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.12.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.4.0
Rule authors: Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Rule query
editevent.category:file and event.type:(change or creation) and
file.name:("authorized_keys" or "authorized_keys2") and not
process.executable:
(/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/git or
/usr/local/Cellar/maven/*/libexec/bin/mvn or
/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk*.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java or
/usr/bin/vim or /usr/local/Cellar/coreutils/*/bin/gcat
or /usr/bin/bsdtar or /usr/bin/nautilus
or /usr/bin/scp or /usr/bin/touch or
/var/lib/docker/* or /usr/bin/google_guest_agent)
Threat mapping
editFramework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
-
Technique:
- Name: Account Manipulation
- ID: T1098
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/
Rule version history
edit- Version 3 (8.4.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 2 (8.3.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
event.category:file and event.type:(change or creation) and file.name:("authorized_keys" or "authorized_keys2") and not process.executable: (/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/git or /usr/local/Cellar/maven/*/libexec/bin/mvn or /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk*.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java or /usr/bin/vim or /usr/local/Cellar/coreutils/*/bin/gcat or /usr/bin/bsdtar or /usr/bin/nautilus or /usr/bin/scp or /usr/bin/touch or /var/lib/docker/*)
-