Systemd Service Started by Unusual Parent Process
Systemctl is a process used in Linux systems to manage systemd processes through service configuration files. Malicious actors can leverage systemd services to achieve persistence by creating or modifying service…
Description
Systemctl is a process used in Linux systems to manage systemd processes through service configuration files. Malicious actors can leverage systemd services to achieve persistence by creating or modifying service files to execute malicious commands or payloads during system startup. This allows them to maintain unauthorized access, execute additional malicious activities, or evade detection.
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
- ContainersLinuxmacOSWindows
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 |
|---|---|
| pberba.github.io/security/2022/01/30/linux-threat-hunting-for-persistence-systemd-timers-cron/ | 5from 2 sources |
| symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/springtail-kimsuky-backdoor-espionage | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/primer-on-persistence-mechanisms | 27from 2 sources |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- b605f262-f7dc-41b5-9ebc-06bafe7a83b6
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendDomain: EndpointNoise: LowOS: LinuxPerformance: NormalPlatform: LinuxResources: Investigation GuideResources: OsqueryRule Type: New TermsTactic: PersistenceTactic: Privilege EscalationUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3