T1059.004: Unix Shell
| View on MITRE ATT&CK | T1059.004 |
|---|---|
| Tactic(s) | Execution |
Data from MITRE ATT&CK®:
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution. Unix shells are the primary command prompt on Linux and macOS systems, though many variations of the Unix shell exist (e.g. sh, bash, zsh, etc.) depending on the specific OS or distribution.(Citation: DieNet Bash)(Citation: Apple ZShell) Unix shells can control every aspect of a system, with certain commands requiring elevated privileges.
Unix shells also support scripts that enable sequential execution of commands as well as other typical programming operations such as conditionals and loops. Common uses of shell scripts include long or repetitive tasks, or the need to run the same set of commands on multiple systems.
Adversaries may abuse Unix shells to execute various commands or payloads. Interactive shells may be accessed through command and control channels or during lateral movement such as with SSH. Adversaries may also leverage shell scripts to deliver and execute multiple commands on victims or as part of payloads used for persistence.
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Cyber Threat Graph Context
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Reporting on this Technique
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Mitigations for this technique
MITRE ATT&CK Mitigations
How to detect this technique
MITRE ATT&CK Data Components
Command Execution (Command)
The execution of a line of text, potentially with arguments, created from program code (e.g. a cmdlet executed via powershell.exe, interactive commands like >dir, shell executions, etc. )Process Creation (Process)
The initial construction of an executable managed by the OS, that may involve one or more tasks or threads. (e.g. Win EID 4688, Sysmon EID 1, cmd.exe > net use, etc.)Control Validation Tests for this Technique
Use Atomic Red Team tests to test your defenses against this technique.
Current kernel information enumeration
Command-Line Interface
Harvest SUID executable files
Environment variable scripts
Command line scripts
Create and Execute Bash Shell Script
New script file in the tmp directory
Change login shell
What shell is running
Detecting pipe-to-shell
LinEnum tool execution
Obfuscated command line scripts
What shells are available
Sigma Detections for this Technique
Nohup Execution
AWS EC2 Startup Shell Script Change
Suspicious Commands Linux
Equation Group Indicators
Interactive Bash Suspicious Children
Suspicious Reverse Shell Command Line
JexBoss Command Sequence
Linux Reverse Shell Indicator
BPFtrace Unsafe Option Usage
Suspicious Activity in Shell Commands
SP800-53 Controls
See which controls can help protect against this MITRE ATT&CK technique. This is based on mappings to associated SP800-53 controls produced by the MITRE Engenuity Center for Threat-Informed Defense.