Default Cobalt Strike Team Server Certificate
This rule detects the use of the default Cobalt Strike Team Server TLS certificate. Cobalt Strike is software for Adversary Simulations and Red Team Operations which are security assessments that replicate the…
Description
This rule detects the use of the default Cobalt Strike Team Server TLS certificate. Cobalt Strike is software for Adversary Simulations and Red Team Operations which are security assessments that replicate the tactics and techniques of an advanced adversary in a network. Modifications to the Packetbeat configuration can be made to include MD5 and SHA256 hashing algorithms (the default is SHA1). See the References section for additional information on module configuration.
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
- ESXiLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesWindows
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 |
|---|---|
| attack.mitre.org/software/S0154/ | Only this detection cites it |
| www.cobaltstrike.com/help-setup-collaboration | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/7.9/filebeat-module-suricata.html | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/7.9/filebeat-module-zeek.html | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/packetbeat/current/configuration-tls.html | 2 |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/collecting-cobalt-strike-beacons-with-the-elastic-stack | 3 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- e7075e8d-a966-458e-a183-85cd331af255
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Network Packet CaptureDomain: EndpointDomain: NetworkNoise: LowPerformance: NormalResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: Command and ControlThreat: Cobalt StrikeUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3