Suspicious Installer Package Spawns Network Event
Detects the execution of a MacOS installer package with an abnormal child process (e.g bash) followed immediately by a network connection via a suspicious process (e.g curl). Threat actors will build and distribute…
Description
Detects the execution of a MacOS installer package with an abnormal child process (e.g bash) followed immediately by a network connection via a suspicious process (e.g curl). Threat actors will build and distribute malicious MacOS installer packages, which have a .pkg extension, many times imitating valid software in order to persuade and infect their victims often using the package files (e.g pre/post install scripts etc.) to download additional tools or malicious software. If this rule fires it should indicate the installation of a malicious or suspicious package.
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 3 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Custom organization-specific macOS packages that use .pkg files to run cURL could trigger this rule. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be excluded from the rule.
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 |
|---|---|
| github.com/D00MFist/Mystikal | Only this detection cites it |
| posts.specterops.io/introducing-mystikal-4fbd2f7ae520 | Only this detection cites it |
| redcanary.com/blog/clipping-silver-sparrows-wings | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 99239e7d-b0d4-46e3-8609-acafcf99f68c
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendDomain: EndpointNoise: LowOS: macOSPerformance: NormalPlatform: macOSProfile: RecommendedResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: Command and ControlTactic: ExecutionThreat: Installer AbuseThreat: Supply ChainUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3