Default Rules

List of default rules for Falco

Falco provides default rules maintained by the maintainers with contributions from the community. More information on this page.

This list presents the default rules based on syscall events.

By default, only the stable rules are loaded by Falco, you can install the sandbox or incubating rules by referencing them in the Helm chart:

helm install falco falcosecurity/falco \
--set "falcoctl.config.artifact.install.refs={falco-rules:3,falco-incubating-rules:4,falco-sandbox-rules:4}" \
--set "falcoctl.config.artifact.follow.refs={falco-rules:3,falco-incubating-rules:4,falco-sandbox-rules:4}" \
--set "falco.rules_files={/etc/falco/k8s_audit_rules.yaml,/etc/falco/rules.d,/etc/falco/falco_rules.yaml,/etc/falco/falco-incubating_rules.yaml,/etc/falco/falco-sandbox_rules.yaml}"

Where the option falcoctl.config.artifact.install.refs governs which rules are downloaded at startup, falcoctl.config.artifact.follow.refs identifies which rules are automatically updated and falco.rules_files indicates which rules are loaded by the engine.

You can find all the rules in their official repository.

Description:
Detect any new SSH connection on port 22 to a host other than those in an allowed list of hosts.  This rule absolutely requires profiling your environment beforehand. Network-based rules are extremely  crucial in any security program, as they can often provide the only definitive evidence. However,  effectively operationalizing them can be challenging due to the potential for noise.
Condition:
inbound_outbound  and ssh_port  and not allowed_ssh_hosts
Output:
Disallowed SSH Connection (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: deprecated
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_deprecated host container network mitre_lateral_movement T1021.004
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect any outbound connection to a destination outside of an allowed set of ips, networks, or domain names.  This rule absolutely requires profiling your environment beforehand. Network-based rules are extremely crucial  in any security program, as they can often provide the only definitive evidence. However, effectively operationalizing  them can be challenging due to the potential for noise.
Condition:
outbound  and not ((fd.sip in (allowed_outbound_destination_ipaddrs)) or
         (fd.snet in (allowed_outbound_destination_networks)) or
         (fd.sip.name in (allowed_outbound_destination_domains)))
Output:
Disallowed outbound connection destination (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: deprecated
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_deprecated host container network mitre_command_and_control TA0011
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect traffic to an unauthorized server process and port within pre-defined containers.  This rule absolutely requires profiling your environment beforehand and also necessitates adjusting the list of containers  to which this rule will be applied. The current expression logic will never evaluate to true unless the list is populated.  Network-based rules are extremely crucial in any security program, as they can often provide the only definitive evidence.  However, effectively operationalizing them can be challenging due to the potential for noise. Notably, this rule is challenging  to operationalize.
Condition:
inbound_outbound  and container  and container.image.repository in (allowed_image)  and not proc.name in (authorized_server_binary)  and not fd.sport in (authorized_server_port)
Output:
Network connection outside authorized port and binary (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: deprecated
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_deprecated container network mitre_discovery TA0011 NIST_800-53_CM-7
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect outbound connections to command and control servers using a list of IP addresses and fully qualified domain names (FQDNs). This rule absolutely requires profiling your environment beforehand and also necessitates adjusting the template lists. The current  expression logic will never evaluate to true unless the lists are populated. Network-based rules are extremely crucial in any  security program, as they can often provide the only definitive evidence. However, effectively operationalizing them can be challenging  due to the potential for noise. Notably, this rule is challenging to operationalize.
Condition:
outbound  and ((fd.sip in (c2_server_ip_list)) or
     (fd.sip.name in (c2_server_fqdn_list)))
Output:
Outbound connection to C2 server (c2_domain=%fd.sip.name c2_addr=%fd.sip connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: deprecated
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_deprecated host container network mitre_command_and_control TA0011
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to modify shell configuration files, primarily aimed at establishing persistence by automatically inserting  commands into scripts executed by shells. The upstream rule excludes shell processes because they often create unnecessary noise. However, this might lead to missed detections. To customize the rule for your situation, you can fine-tune it using enhanced profiling.  For example, you might want to only consider interactive shell processes (where proc.tty != 0).
Condition:
open_write  and (fd.filename in (shell_config_filenames) or
     fd.name in (shell_config_files) or
     fd.directory in (shell_config_directories))
and not proc.name in (shell_binaries) and not exe_running_docker_save and not user_known_shell_config_modifiers
Output:
A shell configuration file has been modified (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating host container filesystem mitre_persistence T1546.004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect scheduled cron jobs; this is a highly generic detection and certainly needs adjustments and profiling in your environment before  operationalization. Simultaneously, exploiting the functionality of cron jobs is among one of the oldest TTPs used by adversaries.
Condition:
((open_write and fd.name startswith /etc/cron) or
 (spawned_process and proc.name = "crontab")) 
and not user_known_cron_jobs
Output:
Cron jobs were scheduled to run (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container filesystem mitre_execution T1053.003
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
This rule identifies attempts to read files within ssh directories using programs that are not related to ssh. It's a simple and  versatile detection method that works well alongside more specific rules focused on sensitive file access. You have a couple of  options for using this rule effectively: you can adjust the specialized rules to cover all the important scenarios and ensure  precedence in rule smatching for those, or you can analyze the combined view of ssh-related file access across various rules on  your downstream computing platform. Just like with other rules, you can narrow down monitoring to specific processes, or you can  limit it to interactive access only.
Condition:
(open_read or open_directory) 
 and (user_ssh_directory or fd.name startswith /root/.ssh)
 and not user_known_read_ssh_information_activities 
 and not proc.name in (ssh_binaries)
Output:
ssh-related file/directory read by non-ssh program (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_incubating host container filesystem mitre_collection T1005
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
A program related to the database server creates an unexpected child process (other than itself).  This is not supposed to happen and often follows SQL injection attacks. This behavioral detection could  indicate potential unauthorized data extraction or tampering with the database.
Condition:
spawned_process and proc.pname in (db_server_binaries) and not proc.name in (db_server_binaries) and not postgres_running_wal_e and not user_known_db_spawned_processes
Output:
Database-related program spawned process other than itself (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container process database mitre_execution T1190
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
An attempt to alter the namespace of a process (often performed while creating a container) through the setns syscall.  Conversely, the same syscall setns is triggered when an unauthorized attempt is made to break out from the container  to the host, for example, when using commands like `nsenter --target 1` and similar ones. Recommending to profile your  environment and refine this rule for effective operationalization.
Condition:
evt.type=setns and evt.dir=< and proc_name_exists and not (container.id=host and proc.name in (docker_binaries, k8s_binaries, lxd_binaries, nsenter)) and not proc.name in (sysdigcloud_binaries, sysdig, calico, oci-umount, cilium-cni, network_plugin_binaries) and not proc.name in (user_known_change_thread_namespace_binaries) and not proc.name startswith "runc" and not proc.cmdline startswith "containerd" and not proc.pname in (sysdigcloud_binaries, hyperkube, kubelet, protokube, dockerd, tini, aws) and not java_running_sdjagent and not kubelet_running_loopback and not rancher_agent and not rancher_network_manager and not calico_node and not weaveworks_scope and not user_known_change_thread_namespace_activities
Output:
Namespace change (setns) by unexpected program (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container process mitre_privilege_escalation T1611
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Unprivileged users in containers may not have CAP_SYS_ADMIN or other elevated privileges. However, they can   use the unshare system call with CLONE_NEWNS or CLONE_NEWUSER to create or clone a namespace or user with the  necessary privileges to conduct further attacks. It is best practice to block the unshare system call via  seccomp if it is not needed. Misuse of unshare can be related to misconfigured Kubernetes clusters, for example.
Condition:
evt.type=unshare and evt.dir=<  and container  and not thread.cap_permitted contains CAP_SYS_ADMIN
Output:
Change namespace privileges via unshare (res=%evt.res evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating container mitre_privilege_escalation T1611
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the initial process initiation within a privileged container, with exemptions for known and trusted images.  This rule primarily serves as an excellent auditing mechanism since highly privileged containers, when compromised,  can result in significant harm. For instance, if another rule triggers within such a privileged container, it could be  seen as more suspicious, prompting a closer inspection.
Condition:
container_started  and container and container.privileged=true and not falco_privileged_containers and not user_privileged_containers and not redhat_image
Output:
Privileged container started (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_incubating container cis mitre_execution T1610 PCI_DSS_10.2.5
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Identify containers that start with a powerful set of capabilities, with exceptions for recognized trusted images.  Similar to the "Launch Privileged Container" rule, this functions as a robust auditing rule. Compromised highly privileged  containers can lead to substantial harm. For instance, if another rule is triggered within such a container, it might  raise suspicion, prompting closer scrutiny.
Condition:
container_started  and container and excessively_capable_container and not falco_privileged_containers and not user_privileged_containers
Output:
Excessively capable container started (cap_permitted=%thread.cap_permitted evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_incubating container cis mitre_execution T1610
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect any unexpected network activity performed by system binaries that typically shouldn't perform network activity, including  coreutils binaries (like sleep, mkdir, who, date, and others) or user management binaries (such as login, systemd, usermod, deluser,  adduser, chpasswd, and others). This serves as a valuable baseline detection for network-related activities.
Condition:
inbound_outbound and fd.sockfamily = ip  and (system_procs or proc.name in (shell_binaries)) and not proc.name in (known_system_procs_network_activity_binaries) and not login_doing_dns_lookup and not user_expected_system_procs_network_activity_conditions
Output:
Known system binary sent/received network traffic (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect curl or wget usage with HTTP_PROXY environment variable. Attackers can manipulate the HTTP_PROXY variable's  value to redirect application's internal HTTP requests. This could expose sensitive information like authentication  keys and private data.
Condition:
spawned_process  and http_proxy_procs  and proc.env icontains HTTP_PROXY and not allowed_ssh_proxy_env 
Output:
Curl or wget run with disallowed HTTP_PROXY environment variable (env=%proc.env evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container users mitre_execution T1204
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detecting UDP traffic on ports other than 53 (DNS) or other commonly used ports. Misusing UDP is a known TTP among attackers.  Monitoring unusual network activity is highly valuable but often generates significant noise, as is the case with this detection.
Condition:
inbound_outbound  and fd.l4proto=udp  and not expected_udp_traffic
Output:
Unexpected UDP Traffic Seen (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container network mitre_exfiltration TA0011
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to change users through the use of setuid, with exceptions for sudo/su.  The users "root" and "nobody" using setuid on themselves are also excluded, as setuid calls in these cases  typically involve reducing privileges. By setting the setuid bit, an attacker could execute code in a  different user's context, potentially with higher privileges. One drawback is the potential for noise,  as many applications legitimately use this approach.
Condition:
evt.type=setuid and evt.dir=> and (known_user_in_container or not container) and not (user.name=root or user.uid=0) and not somebody_becoming_themselves and not proc.name in (known_setuid_binaries, userexec_binaries, mail_binaries, docker_binaries,
                      nomachine_binaries)
and not proc.name startswith "runc:" and not java_running_sdjagent and not nrpe_becoming_nagios and not user_known_non_sudo_setuid_conditions
Output:
Unexpected setuid call by non-sudo, non-root program (arg_uid=%evt.arg.uid evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container users mitre_privilege_escalation T1548.001
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect activity by any programs that can manage users, passwords, or permissions (such as login, systemd, usermod, deluser, adduser,  chpasswd, and others). sudo and su are excluded. Activity in containers is also excluded -- some containers create custom users on  top of a base linux distribution at startup. Some innocuous command lines that don't actually change anything are excluded. You might  want to consider applying this rule to container actions as well.
Condition:
spawned_process  and not container and proc.name in (user_mgmt_binaries)  and not proc.name in (su, sudo, lastlog, nologin, unix_chkpwd)   and not proc.pname in (cron_binaries, systemd, systemd.postins, udev.postinst, run-parts) and not proc.cmdline startswith "passwd -S"  and not proc.cmdline startswith "useradd -D"  and not proc.cmdline startswith "systemd --version"  and not run_by_qualys  and not run_by_sumologic_securefiles  and not run_by_yum  and not run_by_ms_oms  and not run_by_google_accounts_daemon  and not chage_list  and not user_known_user_management_activities
Output:
User management binary command run outside of container (gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host users software_mgmt mitre_persistence T1098
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the creation of files under /dev except for authorized device management programs. This can reveal rootkits hiding  files in /dev. Additionally, consider the "Execution from /dev/shm" rule. The upstream rule already covers some tuning  scenarios that you can further expand upon.
Condition:
(evt.type = creat or (evt.type in (open,openat,openat2))) and evt.arg.flags contains O_CREAT and fd.directory = /dev and not proc.name in (dev_creation_binaries) and not fd.name in (allowed_dev_files) and not fd.name startswith /dev/tty and not user_known_create_files_below_dev_activities
Output:
File created below /dev by untrusted program (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_incubating host filesystem mitre_persistence T1543
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detects attempts to communicate with the EC2 Instance Metadata Service from a container. This detection is narrowly focused  and might not apply to your environment. In addition, it could generate noise and require fine-tuning.
Condition:
outbound  and container and fd.sip="169.254.169.254"  and not ec2_metadata_containers
Output:
Outbound connection to EC2 instance metadata service (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating network aws container mitre_credential_access T1552.005
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detects attempts to communicate with the Cloud Instance Metadata Service from a container. This detection is narrowly focused  and might not apply to your environment. In addition, it could generate noise and require fine-tuning.
Condition:
outbound  and container  and fd.sip="169.254.169.254"  and not user_known_metadata_access
Output:
Outbound connection to cloud instance metadata service (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating network container mitre_discovery T1565
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect package management processes executed within containers. An excellent auditing rule to monitor general drifts  in containers. Particularly useful for newer rules like "Drop and execute new binary in container" during incident  response investigations. This helps identify common anti-patterns of ad-hoc debugging. Simultaneously, to maintain  optimal hygiene, it's recommended to prevent container drifts and instead opt for redeploying new containers.
Condition:
spawned_process and container and user.name != "_apt" and package_mgmt_procs and not package_mgmt_ancestor_procs and not user_known_package_manager_in_container and not pkg_mgmt_in_kube_proxy
Output:
Package management process launched in container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_incubating container process software_mgmt mitre_persistence T1505
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect network tools (like netcat, nmap, tcpdump, socat, and more) launched within containers without any additional filters.  This serves as a valuable general detection, but it's recommended to invest engineering effort to fine-tune it and prevent a  high volume of legitimate logs. This rule complements the more specific "Netcat Remote Code Execution in Container" rule.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and network_tool_procs  and not user_known_network_tool_activities
Output:
Network tool launched in container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating container network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect network tools (like netcat, nmap, tcpdump, socat, and more) launched within containers without any additional filters.  This serves as a valuable general detection, but it's recommended to invest engineering effort to fine-tune it and prevent a  high volume of legitimate logs. The host equivalent of "Launch Suspicious Network Tool in Container.".
Condition:
spawned_process  and not container  and network_tool_procs  and not user_known_network_tool_activities
Output:
Network tool launched on host (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect shell history deletion, frequently used by unsophisticated adversaries to eliminate evidence.  Note that it can also trigger when exiting a Terminal shell, such as with `kubectl exec`, which  may introduce some noise.
Condition:
(modify_shell_history or truncate_shell_history)  and not var_lib_docker_filepath  and not proc.name in (docker_binaries)
Output:
Shell history deleted or renamed (file=%fd.name name=%evt.arg.name path=%evt.arg.path oldpath=%evt.arg.oldpath evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating host container process filesystem mitre_defense_evasion T1070
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
This rule is focused on detecting the use of setuid or setgid bits set via chmod. These bits, when set for an application,  result in the application running with the privileges of the owning user or group. By enabling the setuid or setgid bits,  an attacker could run code in a different user's context, possibly with elevated privileges. However, there's a trade-off  with noise, given that numerous applications legitimately run chmod. This rule is related to the "Non sudo setuid" rule.
Condition:
chmod  and (evt.arg.mode contains "S_ISUID" or evt.arg.mode contains "S_ISGID") and not proc.name in (user_known_chmod_applications) and not exe_running_docker_save and not user_known_set_setuid_or_setgid_bit_conditions
Output:
Setuid or setgid bit is set via chmod (fd=%evt.arg.fd filename=%evt.arg.filename mode=%evt.arg.mode evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container process users mitre_privilege_escalation T1548.001
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect remote file copy tools (like rsync, scp, sftp, dcp) launched within a container, potentially indicating data  exfiltration. Suggest refining this rule to accommodate legitimate use cases.
Condition:
spawned_process and container and remote_file_copy_procs and not user_known_remote_file_copy_activities
Output:
Remote file copy tool launched in container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating container network process mitre_exfiltration T1020
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect network traffic (inbound or outbound) from a container to a destination outside the local subnet.  To operationalize this rule, profile your environment and update the template macro namespace_scope_network_only_subnet.  Customizing network-related rules usually demands substantial engineering effort to ensure their functionality.
Condition:
inbound_outbound  and container  and k8s.ns.name in (namespace_scope_network_only_subnet)  and not network_local_subnet 
Output:
Network connection outside local subnet (fd_rip_name=%fd.rip.name fd_lip_name=%fd.lip.name fd_cip_name=%fd.cip.name fd_sip_name=%fd.sip.name connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating container network mitre_discovery T1046 PCI_DSS_6.4.2
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect filesystem mounts (using the mount binary) within a privileged container. Due to the elevated privileges,  this action could be one of the TTPs used in an attempt to escape from a container to the host. This type of action  is often preceded by reconnaissance activities, for which you can also create custom rules.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container and container.privileged=true and proc.name=mount and not mount_info and not known_gke_mount_in_privileged_containers and not known_aks_mount_in_privileged_containers and not user_known_mount_in_privileged_containers
Output:
Mount was executed inside a privileged container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating container cis filesystem mitre_privilege_escalation T1611
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect ingress remote file copy tools (such as curl or wget) launched inside containers. This rule can be  considered a valuable auditing tool, but it has the potential to generate notable noise and requires careful  profiling before full operationalization.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and (ingress_remote_file_copy_procs or curl_download)  and not user_known_ingress_remote_file_copy_activities
Output:
Ingress remote file copy tool launched in container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating container network process mitre_command_and_control TA0011
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
An attempt to read process environment variables from /proc files. The consequences are akin to accessing traditional  sensitive files, as sensitive data, including secrets, might be stored in environment variables. Understanding your  environment, such as identifying critical namespaces, and incorporating extra filtering statements to alert exclusively  for those, can enhance the rule's effectiveness.
Condition:
open_read  and container  and (fd.name glob /proc/*/environ) and not proc.name in (known_binaries_to_read_environment_variables_from_proc_files)
Output:
Environment variables were retrieved from /proc files (file=%fd.name gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating container filesystem process mitre_discovery T1083
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the copying of artifacts from a container's file system using the Kubernetes control plane (kubectl cp).  This rule can identify potential exfiltration of application secrets from containers' file systems, potentially  revealing the outcomes of unauthorized access and control plane misuse via stolen identities (such as stolen  credentials like Kubernetes serviceaccount tokens). Can be customized by the adopter to only monitor specific  artifact paths, containers, or namespaces as needed.
Condition:
open_read  and container  and proc.name=tar  and container_entrypoint  and proc.tty=0  and not system_level_side_effect_artifacts_kubectl_cp
Output:
Exfiltrating Artifacts via Kubernetes Control Plane (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating container filesystem mitre_exfiltration TA0010
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
After gaining access, attackers can modify the authorized_keys file to maintain persistence on a victim host. Where authorized_keys files are modified via cloud APIs or command line interfaces, an adversary may achieve  privilege escalation on the target virtual machine if they add a key to a higher-privileged user. This rules aims at detecting any modification to the authorized_keys file, that is usually located under the .ssh directory in any user's home directory. This rule complements the more generic auditing rule "Read ssh information" by specifically detecting the writing of new, potentially attacker-provided keys.
Condition:
open_write and (user_ssh_directory or fd.name startswith /root/.ssh) and fd.name endswith authorized_keys and not proc.name in (ssh_binaries)
Output:
Adding ssh keys to authorized_keys (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_incubating host filesystem mitre_persistence T1098.004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Process run with suspect environment variable that could be attempting privilege escalation. One use case is  detecting the use of the GLIBC_TUNABLES environment variable, which could be used for privilege escalation  on systems running vulnerable glibc versions. Only known and carefully profiled processes that legitimately  exhibit this behavior should be excluded from this rule. This rule is expected to trigger on every attempt,  even failed ones.
Condition:
spawned_process  and glibc_tunables_env
Output:
Process run with suspect environment variable which could be attempting privilege escalation (env=%proc.env evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: incubating
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_incubating host container users mitre_privilege_escalation TA0004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect any inbound connection from a source outside of an allowed set of ips, networks, or domain names.  This rule absolutely requires profiling your environment beforehand. Network-based rules are extremely crucial  in any security program, as they can often provide the only definitive evidence. However, effectively operationalizing  them can be challenging due to the potential for noise.
Condition:
inbound  and not ((fd.cip in (allowed_inbound_source_ipaddrs)) or
         (fd.cnet in (allowed_inbound_source_networks)) or
         (fd.cip.name in (allowed_inbound_source_domains)))
Output:
Disallowed inbound connection source (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container network mitre_command_and_control TA0011
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
This rule detects attempts made by non-shell programs to read shell configuration files. It offers additional generic auditing.  It serves as a baseline detection alert for unusual shell configuration file accesses. The rule "Modify Shell Configuration File"  might be more relevant and adequate for your specific cases.
Condition:
open_read and (fd.filename in (shell_config_filenames) or
     fd.name in (shell_config_files) or
     fd.directory in (shell_config_directories)) 
and not proc.name in (shell_binaries)
Output:
A shell configuration file was read by a non-shell program (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_discovery T1546.004
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
This rule generically detects updates to package repositories and can be seen as an auditing measure.  Recommend evaluating its relevance for your specific environment.
Condition:
((open_write and access_repositories) or (modify and modify_repositories)) and not package_mgmt_procs and not package_mgmt_ancestor_procs and not exe_running_docker_save and not user_known_update_package_registry
Output:
Repository files get updated (newpath=%evt.arg.newpath file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_execution T1072
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to write to any file below specific binary directories can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
open_write and evt.dir=<  and bin_dir and not package_mgmt_procs and not exe_running_docker_save and not python_running_get_pip and not python_running_ms_oms and not user_known_write_below_binary_dir_activities
Output:
File below a known binary directory opened for writing (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_persistence T1543
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to write to any file below a set of monitored directories can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
open_write and evt.dir=< and monitored_dir and not package_mgmt_procs and not coreos_write_ssh_dir and not exe_running_docker_save and not python_running_get_pip and not python_running_ms_oms and not google_accounts_daemon_writing_ssh and not cloud_init_writing_ssh and not user_known_write_monitored_dir_conditions
Output:
File below a monitored directory opened for writing (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_persistence T1543
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to write to any file below /etc can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
write_etc_common
Output:
File below /etc opened for writing (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_persistence T1098
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to write to any file directly below / or /root can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases. Lastly, this rule stands out as potentially the noisiest one among rules related  to "write below.
Condition:
open_write and evt.dir=< and root_dir and proc_name_exists and not fd.name in (known_root_files) and not fd.directory pmatch (known_root_directories) and not exe_running_docker_save and not gugent_writing_guestagent_log and not dse_writing_tmp and not zap_writing_state and not airflow_writing_state and not rpm_writing_root_rpmdb and not maven_writing_groovy and not chef_writing_conf and not kubectl_writing_state and not cassandra_writing_state and not galley_writing_state and not calico_writing_state and not rancher_writing_root and not runc_writing_exec_fifo and not mysqlsh_writing_state and not known_root_conditions and not user_known_write_root_conditions and not user_known_write_below_root_activities
Output:
File below / or /root opened for writing (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_persistence TA0003
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to write to the rpm database by any non-rpm related program can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
open_write and fd.name startswith /var/lib/rpm and not rpm_procs and not ansible_running_python and not python_running_chef and not exe_running_docker_save and not amazon_linux_running_python_yum and not user_known_write_rpm_database_activities
Output:
rpm database opened for writing by a non-rpm program (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem software_mgmt mitre_persistence T1072
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to modify any file below a set of binary directories can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
modify  and bin_dir_rename and not package_mgmt_procs  and not exe_running_docker_save  and not user_known_modify_bin_dir_activities
Output:
File below known binary directory renamed/removed (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_args=%evt.args evt_type=%evt.type evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_defense_evasion T1222.002
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Trying to create a directory below a set of binary directories can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
mkdir and bin_dir_mkdir and not package_mgmt_procs and not user_known_mkdir_bin_dir_activities and not exe_running_docker_save
Output:
Directory below known binary directory created (directory=%evt.arg.path evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_persistence T1222.002
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the initial process launched within a container that has a mount from a sensitive host directory (e.g. /proc).  Exceptions are made for known trusted images. This rule holds value for generic auditing; however, its noisiness  varies based on your environment.
Condition:
container_started  and container and sensitive_mount and not falco_sensitive_mount_containers and not user_sensitive_mount_containers
Output:
Container with sensitive mount started (mounts=%container.mounts evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_sandbox container cis mitre_execution T1610
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the initial process launched within a container that is not in a list of allowed containers.  This rule holds value for generic auditing; however, this rule requires a good understanding of your  setup and consistent effort to keep the list of allowed containers current. In some situations,  this can be challenging to manage.
Condition:
container_started  and container  and not allowed_containers
Output:
Container started and not in allowed list (evt_type=%evt.type user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_sandbox container mitre_lateral_movement T1610
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Any inbound network activity performed by any interpreted program (perl, python, ruby, etc.). While it offers broad coverage and behavioral  insights, operationalizing it effectively requires significant time and might result in a moderate level of noise. Suggesting customizing  this rule to be more specific. For example, you could set it up to alert only for important namespaces after studying their usual behavior.
Condition:
inbound  and interpreted_procs
Output:
Interpreted program received/listened for network traffic (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container network mitre_exfiltration TA0011
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Any outbound network activity performed by any interpreted program (perl, python, ruby, etc.). While it offers broad coverage and behavioral  insights, operationalizing it effectively requires significant time and might result in a moderate level of noise. Suggesting customizing  this rule to be more specific. For example, you could set it up to alert only for important namespaces after studying their usual behavior.
Condition:
outbound  and interpreted_procs
Output:
Interpreted program performed outgoing network connection (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container network mitre_exfiltration TA0011
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to utilize K8s NodePorts from a container. K8s NodePorts are accessible on the eth0 interface of  each node, and they facilitate external traffic into a Kubernetes cluster. Attackers could misuse them for  unauthorized access. The rule uses default port ranges, but check for custom ranges and make necessary adjustments.  Also, consider tuning this rule as needed.
Condition:
inbound_outbound  and container  and fd.sport >= 30000  and fd.sport <= 32767  and not nodeport_containers
Output:
Unexpected K8s NodePort Connection (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox network k8s container mitre_persistence T1205.001 NIST_800-53_AC-6
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detecting hidden files or directories creation can serve as an auditing rule to track general system changes.  Such rules can be noisy and challenging to interpret, particularly if your system frequently undergoes updates. However, careful  profiling of your environment can transform this rule into an effective rule for detecting unusual behavior associated with system  changes, including compliance-related cases.
Condition:
((modify and evt.arg.newpath contains "/.") or
 (mkdir and evt.arg.path contains "/.") or
 (open_write and evt.arg.flags contains "O_CREAT" and fd.name contains "/." and not fd.name pmatch (exclude_hidden_directories))) 
and not user_known_create_hidden_file_activities and not exe_running_docker_save
Output:
Hidden file or directory created (file=%fd.name newpath=%evt.arg.newpath evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem mitre_defense_evasion T1564.001
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Miners usually connect to miner pools using standard ports, and this rule flags such activity. Important: Falco currently sends DNS  requests to resolve miner pool domains, which could trigger other alerts. Prior to enabling this rule, it's advised to ensure whether  this is acceptable for your environment. This rule is specifically disabled for that reason.
Condition:
net_miner_pool  and not trusted_images_query_miner_domain_dns
Output:
Outbound connection to IP/Port flagged by https://cryptoioc.ch (ip=%fd.rip connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container network mitre_impact T1496
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Miners commonly specify the mining pool to connect to using a URI that starts with "stratum+tcp". However, this rule is highly specific to  this technique, and matching command-line arguments can generally be bypassed quite easily.
Condition:
spawned_process  and (proc.cmdline contains "stratum+tcp" or 
     proc.cmdline contains "stratum2+tcp" or 
     proc.cmdline contains "stratum+ssl" or 
     proc.cmdline contains "stratum2+ssl")
Output:
Possible miner running (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container process mitre_impact T1496
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect the execution of a Kubernetes client tool (like docker, kubectl, crictl) within a container, which is typically not expected behavior.  Although this rule targets container workloads, monitoring the use of tools like crictl on the host over interactive access could also be  valuable for broader auditing objectives.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and not user_known_k8s_client_container_parens  and proc.name in (k8s_client_binaries)
Output:
Kubernetes Client Tool Launched in Container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_sandbox container mitre_execution T1610
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect new executables created within a container as a result of chmod. While this detection can generate significant noise, chmod  usage is frequently linked to dropping and executing malicious implants. The newer rule "Drop and execute new binary in container"  provides more precise detection of this TTP using unambiguous kernel signals. It is recommended to use the new rule. However, this  rule might be more relevant for auditing if applicable in your environment, such as when chmod is used on files within the /tmp folder.
Condition:
chmod  and container  and evt.rawres>=0  and ((evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXUSR") or
     (evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXGRP") or
     (evt.arg.mode contains "S_IXOTH"))
and not runc_writing_exec_fifo  and not runc_writing_var_lib_docker  and not user_known_container_drift_activities 
Output:
Drift detected (chmod), new executable created in a container (filename=%evt.arg.filename name=%evt.arg.name mode=%evt.arg.mode evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox container process filesystem mitre_execution T1059
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Detect new executables created within a container as a result of open+create. The newer rule "Drop and execute new binary in container"  provides more precise detection of this TTP using unambiguous kernel signals. It is recommended to use the new rule. 
Condition:
evt.type in (open,openat,openat2,creat)  and evt.rawres>=0 and evt.is_open_exec=true  and container  and not runc_writing_exec_fifo  and not runc_writing_var_lib_docker  and not user_known_container_drift_activities 
Output:
Drift detected (open+create), new executable created in a container (filename=%evt.arg.filename name=%evt.arg.name mode=%evt.arg.mode evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: ERROR
Tags: maturity_sandbox container process filesystem mitre_execution T1059
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Container detected running as the root user. This should be taken into account especially when policies disallow containers from running with  root user privileges. Note that a root user in containers doesn't inherently possess extensive power, as modern container environments define  privileges through Linux capabilities. To learn more, check out the rule "Launch Privileged Container".
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and proc.vpid=1  and user.uid=0  and not user_known_run_as_root_container
Output:
Container launched with root user privilege (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_sandbox container process users mitre_execution T1610
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
Affecting sudo (<= 1.9.5p2), there's a privilege escalation vulnerability. By executing sudo using the sudoedit -s or sudoedit -i command with a  command-line argument that ends with a single backslash character, an unprivileged user can potentially escalate privileges to root. This rule is  highly specific and might be bypassed due to potential issues with string matching on command line arguments.
Condition:
spawned_process  and user.uid != 0  and (proc.name=sudoedit or proc.name = sudo)  and (proc.args contains -s or proc.args contains -i or proc.args contains --login)  and (proc.args contains "\ " or proc.args endswith \)
Output:
Detect Sudo Privilege Escalation Exploit (CVE-2021-3156) (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container filesystem users mitre_privilege_escalation T1548.003
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect a successful unprivileged userfaultfd syscall, which could serve as an attack primitive for exploiting other vulnerabilities.  To fine-tune this rule, consider using the template list "user_known_userfaultfd_processes".
Condition:
evt.type = userfaultfd  and user.uid != 0  and (evt.rawres >= 0 or evt.res != -1)  and not proc.name in (user_known_userfaultfd_processes)
Output:
An userfaultfd syscall was successfully executed by an unprivileged user (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container process mitre_defense_evasion TA0005
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
This rule detects attempts to exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability in Polkit's pkexec. Through the execution of specially  crafted code, a local user can exploit this weakness to attain root privileges on a compromised system. This rule is highly  specific in its scope.
Condition:
spawned_process and user.uid != 0 and proc.name=pkexec and proc.args = ''
Output:
Detect Polkit pkexec Local Privilege Escalation Exploit (CVE-2021-4034) (args=%proc.args evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container process users mitre_privilege_escalation TA0004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detecting a Java process downloading a class file which could indicate a successful exploit of the log4shell Log4j vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228).  This rule is highly specific in its scope.
Condition:
java_network_read  and evt.buffer bcontains cafebabe
Output:
Java process class file download (server_ip=%fd.sip server_port=%fd.sport connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container process mitre_initial_access T1190
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
This rule detect an attempt to write on container entrypoint symlink (/proc/self/exe). Possible CVE-2019-5736 Container Breakout exploitation attempt.  This rule has a more narrow scope.
Condition:
open_write  and container  and (fd.name=/proc/self/exe or fd.name startswith /proc/self/fd/)  and not docker_procs  and not proc.cmdline = "runc:[1:CHILD] init"
Output:
Detect Potential Container Breakout Exploit (CVE-2019-5736) (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_sandbox container filesystem mitre_initial_access T1611
Status: disabled
Link:
Description:
BPF is a kernel technology that can be misused for malicious purposes, like "Linux Kernel Module Injection". This  rule should be considered an auditing rule to notify you of any unprofiled BPF tools running in your environment.  However, it requires customization after profiling your environment. BPF-powered agents make bpf syscalls all the  time, so this rule only sends logs for BPF_PROG_LOAD calls (bpf cmd=5) in the enter event. If you also want to log  whether the syscall failed or succeeded, remove the direction filter and add the evt.arg.res_or_fd output field.
Condition:
evt.type=bpf and evt.dir=>  and evt.arg.cmd=5 and not bpf_profiled_procs
Output:
BPF Program Not Profiled (bpf_cmd=%evt.arg.cmd evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container mitre_persistence TA0003
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect any use of {base64} decoding in a container. Legitimate applications may decode encoded payloads. The template list  known_decode_payload_containers can be used for simple tuning and customization, or you can adopt custom, more refined tuning. Less  sophisticated adversaries may {base64}-decode their payloads not only to obfuscate them, but also to ensure that the payload remains  intact when the application processes it. Note that injecting commands into an application's input often results in the application  processing passed strings like "sh -c". In these cases, you may be lucky and the encoded blob will also be logged. Otherwise, all you  will see is the {base64} decoding command, as the encoded blob was already interpreted by the shell. 
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and base64_decoding  and not container.image.repository in (known_decode_payload_containers)
Output:
Decoding Payload in Container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_sandbox container process mitre_command_and_control T1132
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
This rule detects basic interactive reconnaissance commands that are typically run by unsophisticated attackers or used  in internal Red Team exercises. Interactive is defined as a terminal being present (proc.tty != 0). This could be any  form of reverse shell or usage of kubectl exec or ssh etc. In addition, filtering for the process being the process group   leader indicates that the command was "directly" typed into the terminal and not run as a result of a script. This rule  is a basic auditing or template rule. You can expand the list of reconnaissance commands, such as by adding "ls". Common  anti-patterns are SRE activity or debugging, but it is still worth capturing this generically. Typically, you would expect  other rules to fire as well in relation to this activity.
Condition:
spawned_process  and recon_binaries_procs  and proc.tty != 0  and proc.is_vpgid_leader=true
Output:
Basic Interactive Reconnaissance (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: sandbox
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_sandbox host container process mitre_reconnaissance TA0043
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Web applications can be vulnerable to directory traversal attacks that allow accessing files outside of the web app's root directory  (e.g. Arbitrary File Read bugs). System directories like /etc are typically accessed via absolute paths. Access patterns outside of this  (here path traversal) can be regarded as suspicious. This rule includes failed file open attempts.
Condition:
(open_read or open_file_failed)  and (etc_dir or user_ssh_directory or 
     fd.name startswith /root/.ssh or 
     fd.name contains "id_rsa") 
and directory_traversal  and not proc.pname in (shell_binaries)
Output:
Read monitored file via directory traversal (file=%fd.name fileraw=%fd.nameraw gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_credential_access T1555
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
An attempt to read any sensitive file (e.g. files containing user/password/authentication information) by a trusted program after startup. Trusted programs might read these files at startup to load initial state, but not afterwards. Can be customized as needed. In modern containerized cloud infrastructures, accessing traditional Linux sensitive files  might be less relevant, yet it remains valuable for baseline detections. While we provide additional  rules for SSH or cloud vendor-specific credentials, you can significantly enhance your security  program by crafting custom rules for critical application credentials unique to your environment.
Condition:
open_read  and sensitive_files  and server_procs  and not proc_is_new  and proc.name!="sshd"  and not user_known_read_sensitive_files_activities
Output:
Sensitive file opened for reading by trusted program after startup (file=%fd.name pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_credential_access T1555
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
An attempt to read any sensitive file (e.g. files containing user/password/authentication information). Exceptions are made for known trusted programs. Can be customized as needed. In modern containerized cloud infrastructures, accessing traditional Linux sensitive files  might be less relevant, yet it remains valuable for baseline detections. While we provide additional  rules for SSH or cloud vendor-specific credentials, you can significantly enhance your security  program by crafting custom rules for critical application credentials unique to your environment.
Condition:
open_read and sensitive_files and proc_name_exists and not proc.name in (user_mgmt_binaries, userexec_binaries, package_mgmt_binaries,
 cron_binaries, read_sensitive_file_binaries, shell_binaries, hids_binaries,
 vpn_binaries, mail_config_binaries, nomachine_binaries, sshkit_script_binaries,
 in.proftpd, mandb, salt-call, salt-minion, postgres_mgmt_binaries,
 google_oslogin_
 )
and not cmp_cp_by_passwd and not ansible_running_python and not run_by_qualys and not run_by_chef and not run_by_google_accounts_daemon and not user_read_sensitive_file_conditions and not mandb_postinst and not perl_running_plesk and not perl_running_updmap and not veritas_driver_script and not perl_running_centrifydc and not runuser_reading_pam and not linux_bench_reading_etc_shadow and not user_known_read_sensitive_files_activities and not user_read_sensitive_file_containers
Output:
Sensitive file opened for reading by non-trusted program (file=%fd.name gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_credential_access T1555
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
An attempt to spawn a shell below a non-shell application. The non-shell applications that are monitored are  defined in the protected_shell_spawner macro, with protected_shell_spawning_binaries being the list you can  easily customize. For Java parent processes, please note that Java often has a custom process name. Therefore,  rely more on proc.exe to define Java applications. This rule can be noisier, as you can see in the exhaustive  existing tuning. However, given it is very behavior-driven and broad, it is universally relevant to catch  general Remote Code Execution (RCE). Allocate time to tune this rule for your use cases and reduce noise.  Tuning suggestions include looking at the duration of the parent process (proc.ppid.duration) to define your  long-running app processes. Checking for newer fields such as proc.vpgid.name and proc.vpgid.exe instead of the  direct parent process being a non-shell application could make the rule more robust.
Condition:
spawned_process and shell_procs and proc.pname exists and protected_shell_spawner and not proc.pname in (shell_binaries, gitlab_binaries, cron_binaries, user_known_shell_spawn_binaries,
                       needrestart_binaries,
                       mesos_shell_binaries,
                       erl_child_setup, exechealthz,
                       PM2, PassengerWatchd, c_rehash, svlogd, logrotate, hhvm, serf,
                       lb-controller, nvidia-installe, runsv, statsite, erlexec, calico-node,
                       "puma reactor")
and not proc.cmdline in (known_shell_spawn_cmdlines) and not proc.aname in (unicorn_launche) and not consul_running_net_scripts and not consul_running_alert_checks and not nginx_starting_nginx and not nginx_running_aws_s3_cp and not run_by_package_mgmt_binaries and not serf_script and not check_process_status and not run_by_foreman and not python_mesos_marathon_scripting and not splunk_running_forwarder and not postgres_running_wal_e and not redis_running_prepost_scripts and not rabbitmq_running_scripts and not rabbitmqctl_running_scripts and not run_by_appdynamics and not user_shell_container_exclusions
Output:
Shell spawned by untrusted binary (parent_exe=%proc.pexe parent_exepath=%proc.pexepath pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] aname[4]=%proc.aname[4] aname[5]=%proc.aname[5] aname[6]=%proc.aname[6] aname[7]=%proc.aname[7] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable host container process shell mitre_execution T1059.004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
System (e.g. non-login) users spawning new processes. Can add custom service users (e.g. apache or mysqld). 'Interactive' is defined as new processes as descendants of an ssh session or login process. Consider further tuning  by only looking at processes in a terminal / tty (proc.tty != 0). A newer field proc.is_vpgid_leader could be of help  to distinguish if the process was "directly" executed, for instance, in a tty, or executed as a descendant process in the  same process group, which, for example, is the case when subprocesses are spawned from a script. Consider this rule  as a great template rule to monitor interactive accesses to your systems more broadly. However, such a custom rule would be  unique to your environment. The rule "Terminal shell in container" that fires when using "kubectl exec" is more Kubernetes  relevant, whereas this one could be more interesting for the underlying host.
Condition:
spawned_process  and system_users  and interactive  and not user_known_system_user_login
Output:
System user ran an interactive command (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: INFO
Tags: maturity_stable host container users mitre_execution T1059 NIST_800-53_AC-2
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
A shell was used as the entrypoint/exec point into a container with an attached terminal. Parent process may have  legitimately already exited and be null (read container_entrypoint macro). Common when using "kubectl exec" in Kubernetes.  Correlate with k8saudit exec logs if possible to find user or serviceaccount token used (fuzzy correlation by namespace and pod name).  Rather than considering it a standalone rule, it may be best used as generic auditing rule while examining other triggered  rules in this container/tty.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container and shell_procs  and proc.tty != 0 and container_entrypoint and not user_expected_terminal_shell_in_container_conditions
Output:
A shell was spawned in a container with an attached terminal (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable container shell mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to communicate with the K8S API Server from a container by non-profiled users. Kubernetes APIs play a  pivotal role in configuring the cluster management lifecycle. Detecting potential unauthorized access to the API server  is of utmost importance. Audit your complete infrastructure and pinpoint any potential machines from which the API server  might be accessible based on your network layout. If Falco can't operate on all these machines, consider analyzing the  Kubernetes audit logs (typically drained from control nodes, and Falco offers a k8saudit plugin) as an additional data  source for detections within the control plane.
Condition:
evt.type=connect and evt.dir=<  and (fd.typechar=4 or fd.typechar=6)  and container  and k8s_api_server  and not k8s_containers  and not user_known_contact_k8s_api_server_activities
Output:
Unexpected connection to K8s API Server from container (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable container network k8s mitre_discovery T1565
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Netcat Program runs inside container that allows remote code execution and may be utilized  as a part of a variety of reverse shell payload https://github.com/swisskyrepo/PayloadsAllTheThings/. These programs are of higher relevance as they are commonly installed on UNIX-like operating systems. Can fire in combination with the "Redirect STDOUT/STDIN to Network Connection in Container"  rule as it utilizes a different evt.type.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container  and ((proc.name = "nc" and (proc.cmdline contains " -e" or 
                            proc.cmdline contains " -c")) or
     (proc.name = "ncat" and (proc.args contains "--sh-exec" or 
                              proc.args contains "--exec" or proc.args contains "-e " or
                              proc.args contains "-c " or proc.args contains "--lua-exec"))
     )
Output:
Netcat runs inside container that allows remote code execution (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable container network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to search for private keys or passwords using the grep or find command. This is often seen with  unsophisticated attackers, as there are many ways to access files using bash built-ins that could go unnoticed.  Regardless, this serves as a solid baseline detection that can be tailored to cover these gaps while maintaining  an acceptable noise level.
Condition:
spawned_process  and ((grep_commands and private_key_or_password) or
     (proc.name = "find" and (proc.args contains "id_rsa" or 
                              proc.args contains "id_dsa" or 
                              proc.args contains "id_ed25519" or 
                              proc.args contains "id_ecdsa"
      )
    ))
Output:
Grep private keys or passwords activities found (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container process filesystem mitre_credential_access T1552.001
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect clearing of critical access log files, typically done to erase evidence that could be attributed to an adversary's  actions. To effectively customize and operationalize this detection, check for potentially missing log file destinations  relevant to your environment, and adjust the profiled containers you wish not to be alerted on.
Condition:
open_write  and access_log_files  and evt.arg.flags contains "O_TRUNC"  and not containerd_activities and not trusted_logging_images  and not allowed_clear_log_files
Output:
Log files were tampered (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_defense_evasion T1070 NIST_800-53_AU-10
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect a process running to clear bulk data from disk with the intention to destroy data, possibly interrupting availability  to systems. Profile your environment and use user_known_remove_data_activities to tune this rule.
Condition:
spawned_process  and clear_data_procs  and not user_known_remove_data_activities
Output:
Bulk data has been removed from disk (file=%fd.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container process filesystem mitre_impact T1485
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect symlinks created over a curated list of sensitive files or subdirectories under /etc/ or  root directories. Can be customized as needed. Refer to further and equivalent guidance within the  rule "Read sensitive file untrusted".
Condition:
create_symlink  and (evt.arg.target in (sensitive_file_names) or evt.arg.target in (sensitive_directory_names))
Output:
Symlinks created over sensitive files (target=%evt.arg.target linkpath=%evt.arg.linkpath evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_credential_access T1555
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect hardlink created over a curated list of sensitive files or subdirectories under /etc/ or  root directories. Can be customized as needed. Refer to further and equivalent guidance within the  rule "Read sensitive file untrusted".
Condition:
create_hardlink  and (evt.arg.oldpath in (sensitive_file_names))
Output:
Hardlinks created over sensitive files (target=%evt.arg.oldpath linkpath=%evt.arg.newpath evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container filesystem mitre_credential_access T1555
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect new packet socket at the device driver (OSI Layer 2) level in a container. Packet socket could be used for ARP Spoofing  and privilege escalation (CVE-2020-14386) by an attacker. Noise can be reduced by using the user_known_packet_socket_binaries template list.
Condition:
evt.type=socket and evt.dir=> and container  and evt.arg.domain contains AF_PACKET  and not proc.name in (user_known_packet_socket_binaries)
Output:
Packet socket was created in a container (socket_info=%evt.args connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable container network mitre_credential_access T1557.002
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect redirection of stdout/stdin to a network connection within a container, achieved by utilizing a  variant of the dup syscall (potential reverse shell or remote code execution  https://github.com/swisskyrepo/PayloadsAllTheThings/). This detection is behavior-based and may generate  noise in the system, and can be adjusted using the user_known_stand_streams_redirect_activities template  macro. Tuning can be performed similarly to existing detections based on process lineage or container images,  and/or it can be limited to interactive tty (tty != 0).
Condition:
dup  and container  and evt.rawres in (0, 1, 2)  and fd.type in ("ipv4", "ipv6")  and not user_known_stand_streams_redirect_activities
Output:
Redirect stdout/stdin to network connection (gparent=%proc.aname[2] ggparent=%proc.aname[3] gggparent=%proc.aname[4] fd.sip=%fd.sip connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable container network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Inject Linux Kernel Modules from containers using insmod or modprobe with init_module and finit_module syscalls, given the precondition of sys_module effective capabilities. Profile the environment and consider allowed_container_images_loading_kernel_module to reduce noise and account for legitimate cases.
Condition:
kernel_module_load  and container  and thread.cap_effective icontains sys_module  and not container.image.repository in (allowed_container_images_loading_kernel_module)
Output:
Linux Kernel Module injection from container (parent_exepath=%proc.pexepath gparent=%proc.aname[2] gexepath=%proc.aexepath[2] module=%proc.args res=%evt.res evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container process mitre_persistence TA0003
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect file system debugger debugfs launched inside a privileged container which might lead to container escape.  This rule has a more narrow scope.
Condition:
spawned_process  and container and container.privileged=true and proc.name=debugfs
Output:
Debugfs launched started in a privileged container (evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable container cis process mitre_privilege_escalation T1611
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect an attempt to exploit a container escape using release_agent file.  By running a container with certains capabilities, a privileged user can modify  release_agent file and escape from the container.
Condition:
open_write  and container  and fd.name endswith release_agent  and (user.uid=0 or thread.cap_effective contains CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE)  and thread.cap_effective contains CAP_SYS_ADMIN
Output:
Detect an attempt to exploit a container escape using release_agent file (file=%fd.name cap_effective=%thread.cap_effective evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_stable container process mitre_privilege_escalation T1611
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect an attempt to inject potentially malicious code into a process using PTRACE in order to evade  process-based defenses or elevate privileges. Common anti-patterns are debuggers. Additionally, profiling  your environment via the known_ptrace_procs template macro can reduce noise.  A successful ptrace syscall generates multiple logs at once.
Condition:
ptrace_attach_or_injection  and proc_name_exists  and not known_ptrace_procs
Output:
Detected ptrace PTRACE_ATTACH attempt (proc_pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container process mitre_privilege_escalation T1055.008
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect usage of the PTRACE system call with the PTRACE_TRACEME argument, indicating a program actively attempting  to avoid debuggers attaching to the process. This behavior is typically indicative of malware activity. Read more about PTRACE in the "PTRACE attached to process" rule.
Condition:
evt.type=ptrace and evt.dir=>  and evt.arg.request contains PTRACE_TRACEME  and proc_name_exists
Output:
Detected potential PTRACE_TRACEME anti-debug attempt (proc_pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable host container process mitre_defense_evasion T1622
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect attempts to search for private keys or passwords using the grep or find command, particularly targeting standard  AWS credential locations. This is often seen with unsophisticated attackers, as there are many ways to access files  using bash built-ins that could go unnoticed. Regardless, this serves as a solid baseline detection that can be tailored  to cover these gaps while maintaining an acceptable noise level. This rule complements the rule "Search Private Keys or Passwords".
Condition:
spawned_process  and ((grep_commands and private_aws_credentials) or
     (proc.name = "find" and proc.args endswith ".aws/credentials"))
Output:
Detected AWS credentials search activity (proc_pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline proc_cwd=%proc.cwd group_gid=%group.gid group_name=%group.name user_loginname=%user.loginname evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container process aws mitre_credential_access T1552
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
This rule detects file execution in the /dev/shm directory, a tactic often used by threat actors to store their readable, writable, and  occasionally executable files. /dev/shm acts as a link to the host or other containers, creating vulnerabilities for their compromise  as well. Notably, /dev/shm remains unchanged even after a container restart. Consider this rule alongside the newer  "Drop and execute new binary in container" rule.
Condition:
spawned_process  and (proc.exe startswith "/dev/shm/" or 
    (proc.cwd startswith "/dev/shm/" and proc.exe startswith "./" ) or 
    (shell_procs and proc.args startswith "-c /dev/shm") or 
    (shell_procs and proc.args startswith "-i /dev/shm") or 
    (shell_procs and proc.args startswith "/dev/shm") or 
    (proc.cwd startswith "/dev/shm/" and proc.args startswith "./" )) 
and not container.image.repository in (falco_privileged_images, trusted_images)
Output:
File execution detected from /dev/shm (evt_res=%evt.res file=%fd.name proc_cwd=%proc.cwd proc_pcmdline=%proc.pcmdline user_loginname=%user.loginname group_gid=%group.gid group_name=%group.name evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: WARNING
Tags: maturity_stable host container mitre_execution T1059.004
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect if an executable not belonging to the base image of a container is being executed. The drop and execute pattern can be observed very often after an attacker gained an initial foothold. is_exe_upper_layer filter field only applies for container runtimes that use overlayfs as union mount filesystem. Adopters can utilize the provided template list known_drop_and_execute_containers containing allowed container  images known to execute binaries not included in their base image. Alternatively, you could exclude non-production namespaces in Kubernetes settings by adjusting the rule further. This helps reduce noise by applying application  and environment-specific knowledge to this rule. Common anti-patterns include administrators or SREs performing  ad-hoc debugging.
Condition:
spawned_process and container and proc.is_exe_upper_layer=true  and not container.image.repository in (known_drop_and_execute_containers)
Output:
Executing binary not part of base image (proc_exe=%proc.exe proc_sname=%proc.sname gparent=%proc.aname[2] proc_exe_ino_ctime=%proc.exe_ino.ctime proc_exe_ino_mtime=%proc.exe_ino.mtime proc_exe_ino_ctime_duration_proc_start=%proc.exe_ino.ctime_duration_proc_start proc_cwd=%proc.cwd container_start_ts=%container.start_ts evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_stable container process mitre_persistence TA0003 PCI_DSS_11.5.1
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect any new outbound SSH connection from the host or container using a non-standard port. This rule holds the potential  to detect a family of reverse shells that cause the victim machine to connect back out over SSH, with STDIN piped from  the SSH connection to a shell's STDIN, and STDOUT of the shell piped back over SSH. Such an attack can be launched against  any app that is vulnerable to command injection. The upstream rule only covers a limited selection of non-standard ports.  We suggest adding more ports, potentially incorporating ranges based on your environment's knowledge and custom SSH port  configurations. This rule can complement the "Redirect STDOUT/STDIN to Network Connection in Container" or  "Disallowed SSH Connection" rule.
Condition:
outbound  and proc.exe endswith ssh  and fd.l4proto=tcp  and ssh_non_standard_ports_network
Output:
Disallowed SSH Connection (connection=%fd.name lport=%fd.lport rport=%fd.rport fd_type=%fd.type fd_proto=fd.l4proto evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: NOTICE
Tags: maturity_stable host container network process mitre_execution T1059
Status: enabled
Link:
Description:
Detect if a binary is executed from memory using the memfd_create technique. This is a well-known defense evasion  technique for executing malware on a victim machine without storing the payload on disk and to avoid leaving traces  about what has been executed. Adopters can whitelist processes that may use fileless execution for benign purposes  by adding items to the list known_memfd_execution_processes.
Condition:
spawned_process and proc.is_exe_from_memfd=true and not known_memfd_execution_processes
Output:
Fileless execution via memfd_create (container_start_ts=%container.start_ts proc_cwd=%proc.cwd evt_res=%evt.res proc_sname=%proc.sname gparent=%proc.aname[2] evt_type=%evt.type user=%user.name user_uid=%user.uid user_loginuid=%user.loginuid process=%proc.name proc_exepath=%proc.exepath parent=%proc.pname command=%proc.cmdline terminal=%proc.tty exe_flags=%evt.arg.flags %container.info)
Maturity: stable
Priority: CRITICAL
Tags: maturity_stable host container process mitre_defense_evasion T1620
Status: enabled
Link: