Linux Restricted Shell Breakout via env Shell Evasion
Identifies Linux binary env abuse to break out from restricted environments by spawning an interactive system shell. The env utility is a shell command for Unix-like operating systems and is used to print a list of…
Description
Identifies Linux binary env abuse to break out from restricted environments by spawning an interactive system shell. The env utility is a shell command for Unix-like operating systems and is used to print a list of environment variables. The activity of spawning a 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
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| gtfobins.github.io/gtfobins/env/ | 3from 2 sources |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 72d33577-f155-457d-aad3-379f9b750c97
- Tagged by the source as
- ElasticExecutionGTFOBinsHostLinuxThreat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Version
- 1