Linux Command History Tampering — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Patrick Bareiss. Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2019-03-24 / 2024-04-17.

{
  "product": "linux"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 66df93044b76c6f0e52bd2db5a437c89da13a9ad97f8334c9d6f714f0a1a4531

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: Linux Command History Tampering
id: fdc88d25-96fb-4b7c-9633-c0e417fdbd4e
status: test
description: |
    Detects commands that try to clear or tamper with the Linux command history.
    This technique is used by threat actors in order to evade defenses and execute commands without them being recorded in files such as "bash_history" or "zsh_history".
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1070.003/T1070.003.md
    - https://www.hackers-arise.com/post/2016/06/20/covering-your-bash-shell-tracks-antiforensics
    - https://www.cadosecurity.com/spinning-yarn-a-new-linux-malware-campaign-targets-docker-apache-hadoop-redis-and-confluence/
author: Patrick Bareiss
date: 2019-03-24
modified: 2024-04-17
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1070.003
logsource:
    product: linux
detection:
    keywords:
        - 'cat /dev/null >*sh_history'
        - 'cat /dev/zero >*sh_history'
        - 'chattr +i*sh_history'
        - 'echo "" >*sh_history'
        - 'empty_bash_history'
        - 'export HISTFILESIZE=0'
        - 'history -c'
        - 'history -w'
        - 'ln -sf /dev/null *sh_history'
        - 'ln -sf /dev/zero *sh_history'
        - 'rm *sh_history'
        - 'shopt -ou history'
        - 'shopt -uo history'
        - 'shred *sh_history'
        - 'truncate -s0 *sh_history'
        # - 'unset HISTFILE'  # prone to false positives
    condition: keywords
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unknown

Source references

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1070.003/T1070.003.md
• https://www.hackers-arise.com/post/2016/06/20/covering-your-bash-shell-tracks-antiforensics
• https://www.cadosecurity.com/spinning-yarn-a-new-linux-malware-campaign-targets-docker-apache-hadoop-redis-and-confluence/