Hosts File Modified
The hosts file on endpoints is used to control manual IP address to hostname resolutions. The hosts file is the first point of lookup for DNS hostname resolution so if adversaries can modify the endpoint hosts file,…
Description
The hosts file on endpoints is used to control manual IP address to hostname resolutions. The hosts file is the first point of lookup for DNS hostname resolution so if adversaries can modify the endpoint hosts file, they can route traffic to malicious infrastructure. This rule detects modifications to the hosts file on Microsoft Windows, Linux (Ubuntu or RHEL) and macOS systems.
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
- LinuxmacOSWindows
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 |
|---|---|
| www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/auditbeat/current/auditbeat-reference-yml.html | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 9c260313-c811-4ec8-ab89-8f6530e0246c
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendDomain: EndpointNoise: HighOS: LinuxOS: macOSOS: WindowsPerformance: NormalPlatform: LinuxPlatform: macOSPlatform: WindowsProfile: AggressiveResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: ImpactUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3