Linux Auditd Preload Hijack Library Calls

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Linux Auditd Preload Hijack Library Calls
id:35c50572-a70b-452f-afa9-bebdf3c3ce36
version:2
date:2024-09-30
author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status:production
type:TTP
Description:The following analytic detects the use of the LD_PRELOAD environment variable to hijack or hook library functions on a Linux platform. It leverages data from Linux Auditd, focusing on process execution logs that include command-line details. This activity is significant because adversaries, malware authors, and red teamers commonly use this technique to gain elevated privileges and establish persistence on a compromised machine. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, and maintain long-term access to the system.
Data_source:
  • -Linux Auditd Execve
search:`linux_auditd` `linux_auditd_normalized_execve_process`
| rename host as dest
| where LIKE (process_exec, "%LD_PRELOAD%")| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by argc process_exec dest
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`| `linux_auditd_preload_hijack_library_calls_filter`


how_to_implement:To implement this detection, the process begins by ingesting auditd data, that consist SYSCALL, TYPE, EXECVE and PROCTITLE events, which captures command-line executions and process details on Unix/Linux systems. These logs should be ingested and processed using Splunk Add-on for Unix and Linux (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/833), which is essential for correctly parsing and categorizing the data. The next step involves normalizing the field names to match the field names set by the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to ensure consistency across different data sources and enhance the efficiency of data modeling. This approach enables effective monitoring and detection of linux endpoints where auditd is deployed
known_false_positives:Administrator or network operator can execute this command. Please update the filter macros to remove false positives.
References:
  -https://compilepeace.medium.com/memory-malware-part-0x2-writing-userland-rootkits-via-ld-preload-30121c8343d5
drilldown_searches:
name:'View the detection results for - "$dest$"'
search:'%original_detection_search% | search dest = "$dest$"'
earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$'
latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"'
search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168 | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$'
latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
tags:
  analytic_story:
    - 'Linux Privilege Escalation'
    - 'Linux Persistence Techniques'
    - 'Compromised Linux Host'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  confidence:90
  impact:90
  message:A [$process_exec$] event occurred on host - [$dest$] to hijack or hook library functions using the LD_PRELOAD environment variable.
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1574.006'
    - 'T1574'
  observable:
    name:'dest'
    type:'Endpoint'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  required_fields:
    - '_time'
    - 'argc'
    - 'process_exec'
  risk_score:81
  security_domain:endpoint

tests:
name:'True Positive Test'
 attack_data:
  data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1574.006/linux_auditd_ldpreload/linux_auditd_ldpreload.log
  source: /var/log/audit/audit.log
  sourcetype: linux:audit
manual_test:None