ESXi Shared or Stolen Root Account
This detection monitors for signs of a shared or potentially compromised root account on ESXi hosts by tracking the number of unique IP addresses logging in as root within a short time window. Multiple logins from…
Description
This detection monitors for signs of a shared or potentially compromised root account on ESXi hosts by tracking the number of unique IP addresses logging in as root within a short time window. Multiple logins from different IPs in a brief period may indicate credential misuse, lateral movement, or account compromise.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- vmware_esxi_syslog
Known benign triggers
- Limited false positives in most environments, however tune as needed
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 |
|---|---|
| detect.fyi/detecting-and-responding-to-esxi-compromise-with-splunk-f33998ce7823 | 4 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 1bc8f235-5d7c-457c-95ca-5e92edcb52ea
- Tagged by the source as
- Black Basta RansomwareESXi Post CompromiseInfrastructureapplicationSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securityendpoint
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1