Malicious PostgreSQL COPY FROM PROGRAM Command Execution via Managed Cloud Database (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access → Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
- T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application
Execution
- T1059.004Unix Shell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the PostgreSQL server process spawning a shell or command utility, the primitive Wiz Research abused through COPY FROM PROGRAM in GCP Cloud SQL and Azure Database for PostgreSQL to run operating-system commands and open reverse shells. Since the database engine should not launch interpreters, such child processes indicate exploitation of database privileges for code execution and container escape.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1190 — drag to rearrange

Possible Bitbucket Pre-Auth RCE via git archive exec Null-Byte Injection (CVE-2022-36804) (via webserver)

Suspicious PAN-OS Shell Execution Setting panusername via Command Injection (via process_creation)

Malicious OMI Server Spawning Shell as Root via OMIGOD SCX Provider (via process_creation)

Possible F5 iControl REST Remote Code Execution via Util Bash Endpoint

Cleo File Transfer Software Spawning Command Interpreter

Possible React2Shell CVE-2025-55182 Prototype Pollution Exploitation

Malicious Shell Payload Piped from curl to zsh

Possible Next.js Middleware Auth Bypass via X-Middleware-Subrequest Header (CVE-2025-29927)

Possible Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Command Injection via License Keys-Status Endpoint (via webserver)

Malicious PostgreSQL COPY FROM PROGRAM Command Execution via Managed Cloud Database (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1190 · 9 related

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

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →