Web Server GET Requests Containing SSTI Payload Strings (Server-Side Template Injection)
Flags GET requests containing SSTI probe strings in web access logs when the response is not 404.
- Category
- webserver
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-06-14
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
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 identifies potential server-side template injection attempts in web server access logs by matching GET requests that contain common SSTI payload patterns. Attackers may use these strings to trigger server-side template evaluation and execute unintended logic or code. The detection relies on HTTP method and specific keyword fragments in logged request data, and it excludes matches where the server response status is 404.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: Web Server GET Requests Containing SSTI Payload Strings (Server-Side Template Injection)
id: c0faa4a1-ec86-4b3d-9d84-7667e7829184
status: test
description: This rule identifies potential server-side template injection attempts in web server access logs by matching GET requests that contain common SSTI payload patterns. Attackers may use these strings to trigger server-side template evaluation and execute unintended logic or code. The detection relies on HTTP method and specific keyword fragments in logged request data, and it excludes matches where the server response status is 404.
references:
- https://book.hacktricks.xyz/pentesting-web/ssti-server-side-template-injection
- https://github.com/payloadbox/ssti-payloads
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/web/webserver_generic/web_ssti_in_access_logs.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-06-14
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1221
logsource:
category: webserver
detection:
select_method:
cs-method: GET
keywords:
- ={{
- =%7B%7B
- =${
- =$%7B
- =<%=
- =%3C%25=
- =@(
- freemarker.template.utility.Execute
- .getClass().forName('javax.script.ScriptEngineManager')
- T(org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils)
filter:
sc-status: 404
condition: select_method and keywords and not filter
falsepositives:
- User searches in search boxes of the respective website
- Internal vulnerability scanners can cause some serious FPs when used, if you experience a lot of FPs due to this think of adding more filters such as "User Agent" strings and more response codes
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: ada3bc4f-f0fd-42b9-ba91-e105e8af7342
type: derived