Suspicious MOTD Or Git Hook Script Creation For Linux Persistence

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1037Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
- T1546Event Triggered Execution
Priv Esc
- T1037Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
- T1546Event Triggered Execution
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects creation of executable scripts in the dynamic message-of-the-day directory or a git hooks directory which are persistence locations abused to run attacker code on login or developer workflow events. Adversaries drop scripts into update-motd.d or git hooks so their payload executes automatically with the privileges of the triggering process.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1546 — drag to rearrange

AdminSDHolder Permissions Changed for Persistence (via security)

Suspicious Persistence via Shell Script Dropped in profile.d Directory (via file_event)

Suspicious Command Processor AutoRun Persistence via Registry Set

Suspicious Python Site Hook or PTH File Written to Site-Packages via File Event

Windows: Suspicious Outlook VbaProject.OTM Macro File Created

Windows MSSQL: Extended Stored Procedure execution with provider name MSSQLSERVER and message containing 'maggie'

Windows: File Creation of Get-Variable.exe in PowerShell WindowsApps Path

Windows process and registry activity matching SOURGUM persistence/privilege escalation behavior

Windows Persistence: Outlook LoadMacroProviderOnBoot Registry Setting Modification

Suspicious MOTD Or Git Hook Script Creation For Linux Persistence

Pivot detection · T1546 · 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 →