Suspicious Modification of rc.local Startup Script by Knife Framework
- Category
- file_event
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-07-09
- Updated
- 2026-08-28
ATT&CK techniques
Persistence → Priv EscRecon
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 modification of the rc.local startup script on Linux systems. The Knife framework inserts persistence markers into rc.local so its implants relaunch at boot on compromised edge devices. Unexpected changes to rc.local are a common Linux persistence indicator.
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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