Potential release_agent Container Escape Detected via Defend for Containers
This rule detects modification of the CGroup release_agent file from inside a privileged container. The release_agent is a script that is executed at the termination of any process on that CGroup and is invoked from…
Description
This rule detects modification of the CGroup release_agent file from inside a privileged container. The release_agent is a script that is executed at the termination of any process on that CGroup and is invoked from the host. A privileged container with SYS_ADMIN capabilities, enables a threat actor to mount a CGroup directory and modify the release_agent which could be used for further privilege escalation and container escapes to the host machine.
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
- ContainersESXiIaaSLinuxmacOSOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques 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 |
|---|---|
| blog.aquasec.com/threat-alert-container-escape | Only this detection cites it |
| book.hacktricks.xyz/linux-hardening/privilege-escalation/docker-security/docker-breakout-privilege-escalation#privileged-escape-abusing-existent-release_agent-cve-2022-0492-poc1 | 8 |
| sysdig.com/blog/detecting-mitigating-cve-2022-0492-sysdig/ | 3 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 160896de-b66f-42cb-8fef-20f53a9006ea
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic Defend for ContainersDomain: ContainersNoise: UnknownOS: LinuxPerformance: FastPlatform: LinuxProfile: RecommendedResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: Privilege EscalationThreat: Container EscapeUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3