Azure WireServer Unusual Process Connection
Identifies shells, LOLBins, GTFOBins, and scripting runtimes connecting to the Azure WireServer / HostGAPlugin address 168.63.129.16 on ports 80 or 32526. The guest agent uses this fabric endpoint for GoalState,…
Description
Identifies shells, LOLBins, GTFOBins, and scripting runtimes connecting to the Azure WireServer / HostGAPlugin address 168.63.129.16 on ports 80 or 32526. The guest agent uses this fabric endpoint for GoalState, certificates, and vmSettings. Adversaries with code execution on an Azure VM (including via Run Command) use curl, PowerShell, openssl, bun, or similar tools to enumerate versions, pull transport certificates, and read HostGAPlugin /vmSettings. Azure guest-agent binaries and system python used by waagent are excluded. Descendants of the guest agent are not excluded: Run Command payloads execute in that tree.
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
- Break-glass troubleshooting by administrators using curl against 168.63.129.16. Confirm the change window and exclude the admin host or user if the activity is authorized.
- Custom inventory or health scripts that call WireServer with curl or PowerShell. Validate the command line and exclude the specific signed binary or scheduled task after review.
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 |
|---|---|
| cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/escalating-privileges-azure-kubernetes-services | 5 |
| cybercx.com.au/blog/azure-ssrf-metadata/ | 4 |
| learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/what-is-ip-address-168-63-129-16 | 2 |
| www.netspi.com/blog/technical-blog/cloud-pentesting/decrypting-vm-extension-settings-with-azure-wireserver/ | 4 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 2dba3edf-1e23-4ead-a76f-458ef2060d24
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendDomain: CloudDomain: EndpointOS: LinuxOS: WindowsPlatform: AzurePlatform: LinuxPlatform: WindowsResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: New TermsTactic: Credential AccessTactic: DiscoveryUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 2