Malicious EdgeStepper iptables DNS Redirection for Adversary-in-the-Middle

PremiumReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
linux
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-06-29
Updated
2026-08-28

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access → Collection
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Discovery

  9. Lateral Movement

  10. C2

  11. Exfiltration

  12. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects iptables NAT PREROUTING rules that redirect outbound DNS traffic on destination port 53, a technique used by the PlushDaemon EdgeStepper implant on compromised network devices. Hijacking DNS at the gateway lets the actor perform adversary-in-the-middle interception and reroute update lookups to attacker infrastructure.

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Possible Adversary-in-the-Middle Proxy Login via Crafted URL Parameters
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Malicious EdgeStepper iptables DNS Redirection for Adversary-in-the-Middle
Pivot detection · T1557 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.