Suspicious LaunchDaemon Load via launchctl
- Product
- macos
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-07-12
- Updated
- 2026-08-28
ATT&CK techniques
Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule detects loading and enabling of a launchd job via launchctl with the -w flag. This behavior matches macOS lateral movement and persistence tradecraft where attackers install malicious plist based services to maintain access. While used by legitimate administration, unexpected launchctl load activity on endpoints can indicate persistence installation and should be reviewed.
Reporting behind it
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
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