Back to results

Linux Restricted Shell Breakout via awk Commands

Identifies Linux binary awk abuse to breakout out of restricted shells or environments by spawning an interactive system shell. The awk utility is a text processing language used for data extraction and reporting…

Description

Identifies Linux binary awk abuse to breakout out of restricted shells or environments by spawning an interactive system shell. The awk utility is a text processing language used for data extraction and reporting tools and the activity of spawning shell is not a standard use of this binary for a user or system administrator. It indicates a potentially malicious actor attempting to improve the capabilities or stability of their access.

Detection logic

Its licence does not clear it for publishing here

Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.

Detection requirements

Platform
ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.

Log source category
event_index

Detections can measure how the public catalogue is used — which detections people look for, and which pages bring them here. It sets a cookie that recognises this browser for 180 days. It is never linked to an account and never follows you to other sites. Privacy notice