Suspicious Web Shell Spawned via Python or PHP Built-in Server

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1505.003Web Shell
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects launch of a lightweight web server through the Python http.server CGI mode or the PHP built-in development server, a persistence and remote-access technique covered in Elastic Linux persistence research. Attackers stand up these one-line servers to expose a web shell for command execution and file transfer on a compromised host. Such servers spawned outside a development context deserve scrutiny.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious Web Shell Spawned via Python or PHP Built-in Server

Pivot detection · T1505.003 · 9 related

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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