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splunk-security_content/detections/endpoint/linux_gnu_awk_privilege_escalation.yml
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Co-authored-by: Bhavin Patel <bhavin.j.patel91@gmail.com>
2026-02-26 00:00:35 +05:30

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YAML

name: Linux GNU Awk Privilege Escalation
id: 0dcf43b9-50d8-42a6-acd9-d1c9201fe6ae
version: 10
date: '2026-02-25'
author: Gowthamaraj Rajendran, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects the execution of the 'gawk' command with elevated privileges on a Linux system. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) telemetry to identify command-line executions where 'gawk' is used with 'sudo' and 'BEGIN{system' patterns. This activity is significant because it indicates a potential privilege escalation attempt, allowing a user to execute system commands as root. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to full root access, enabling the attacker to control the system, modify critical files, and maintain persistent access.
data_source:
- Sysmon for Linux EventID 1
search: |-
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
WHERE Processes.process="*gawk*"
AND
Processes.process="*BEGIN*{system*"
AND
Processes.process="*sudo*"
BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `linux_gnu_awk_privilege_escalation_filter`
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: False positives may be present, filter as needed.
references:
- https://gtfobins.github.io/gtfobins/gawk/
- https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/gawk-command-in-linux-with-examples/
drilldown_searches:
- name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
search: '%original_detection_search% | search dest = "$dest$"'
earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
latest_offset: $info_max_time$
- name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168 | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
message: An instance of $parent_process_name$ spawning $process_name$ was identified on endpoint $dest$
risk_objects:
- field: dest
type: system
score: 30
threat_objects:
- field: parent_process_name
type: parent_process_name
- field: process_name
type: process_name
tags:
analytic_story:
- Linux Privilege Escalation
- Linux Living Off The Land
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
- T1548.003
product:
- Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Cloud
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
attack_data:
- data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1548/gawk/sysmon_linux.log
source: Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational
sourcetype: sysmon:linux