Kubernetes Container Created with Excessive Linux Capabilities
This rule detects a container deployed with one or more dangerously permissive Linux capabilities. An attacker with the ability to deploy a container with added capabilities could use this for further execution,…
Description
This rule detects a container deployed with one or more dangerously permissive Linux capabilities. An attacker with the ability to deploy a container with added capabilities could use this for further execution, lateral movement, or privilege escalation within a cluster. The capabilities detected in this rule have been used in 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
- ContainersESXiLinuxWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Some container images require the addition of privileged capabilities. This rule leaves space for the exception of trusted container images. To add an exception, add the trusted container image name to the query field, kubernetes.audit.requestObject.spec.containers.image.
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 |
|---|---|
| 0xn3va.gitbook.io/cheat-sheets/container/escaping/excessive-capabilities | 2 |
| docs.docker.com/engine/reference/run/#runtime-privilege-and-linux-capabilities | Only this detection cites it |
| kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/security-context/#set-capabilities-for-a-container | 4 |
| man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/capabilities.7.html | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 7164081a-3930-11ed-a261-0242ac120002
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: KubernetesDomain: CloudDomain: ContainersDomain: KubernetesNoise: HighPerformance: FastPlatform: KubernetesProfile: AggressiveResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: ExecutionTactic: 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