Interactive Shell Launched via Unusual Parent Process in a Container

ELASTIC detection rule by Elastic · Elastic License v2

This rule detects when an interactive shell process is launched via an unusual parent processes inside a container. Interactive processes are typically run in the foreground and require user input, which is unusual behavior for a containerized environment. This activity could indicate an attacker attempting to gain access to the container environment or perform malicious actions.

[metadata]
creation_date = "2025/03/12"
integration = ["endpoint"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2025/12/19"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
description = """
This rule detects when an interactive shell process is launched via an unusual parent processes inside a container.
Interactive processes are typically run in the foreground and require user input, which is unusual behavior for a
containerized environment. This activity could indicate an attacker attempting to gain access to the container
environment or perform malicious actions.
"""
from = "now-9m"
index = ["logs-endpoint.events.process*"]
language = "kuery"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Interactive Shell Launched via Unusual Parent Process in a Container"
risk_score = 47
rule_id = "7020ff25-76d7-4a7d-b95b-266cf27d70e8"
setup = """## Setup

This rule requires data coming in from Elastic Defend.

### Elastic Defend Integration Setup
Elastic Defend is integrated into the Elastic Agent using Fleet. Upon configuration, the integration allows the Elastic Agent to monitor events on your host and send data to the Elastic Security app.

#### Prerequisite Requirements:
- Fleet is required for Elastic Defend.
- To configure Fleet Server refer to the [documentation](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/fleet/current/fleet-server.html).

#### The following steps should be executed in order to add the Elastic Defend integration on a Linux System:
- Go to the Kibana home page and click "Add integrations".
- In the query bar, search for "Elastic Defend" and select the integration to see more details about it.
- Click "Add Elastic Defend".
- Configure the integration name and optionally add a description.
- Select the type of environment you want to protect, either "Traditional Endpoints" or "Cloud Workloads".
- Select a configuration preset. Each preset comes with different default settings for Elastic Agent, you can further customize these later by configuring the Elastic Defend integration policy. [Helper guide](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/configure-endpoint-integration-policy.html).
- We suggest selecting "Complete EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response)" as a configuration setting, that provides "All events; all preventions"
- Enter a name for the agent policy in "New agent policy name". If other agent policies already exist, you can click the "Existing hosts" tab and select an existing policy instead.

For more details on Elastic Agent configuration settings, refer to the [helper guide](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/fleet/8.10/agent-policy.html).
- Click "Save and Continue".
- To complete the integration, select "Add Elastic Agent to your hosts" and continue to the next section to install the Elastic Agent on your hosts.
For more details on Elastic Defend refer to the [helper guide](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/install-endpoint.html).
"""
severity = "medium"
tags = [
    "Domain: Container",
    "OS: Linux",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Execution",
    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
    "Resources: Investigation Guide",
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "new_terms"
query = '''
event.category:process and host.os.type:linux and event.type:start and event.action:exec and
process.entry_leader.entry_meta.type:container and process.interactive:true and
process.name:(sh or bash or dash or tcsh or csh or zsh or ksh or fish) and
not (
  process.parent.name:(dpkg or runc or tini or frontend or elastic-agent or agentbeat or dpkg-query or ansible-playbook or gpgv or apt or apt-get) or
  process.parent.command_line:"runc init"
)
'''

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1059"
name = "Command and Scripting Interpreter"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/"

[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1059.004"
name = "Unix Shell"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/004/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"

[rule.new_terms]
field = "new_terms_fields"
value = ["process.parent.name"]

[[rule.new_terms.history_window_start]]
field = "history_window_start"
value = "now-5d"

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

6c05a3e4-a75b-45d3-8ddd-e115bdb143f9

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Executable code, not a declarative rule

This submission is arbitrary [[ currentRule.format ? currentRule.format.toUpperCase() : '' ]] code, not a declarative detection rule — review it as you would any script before running it, and note that it cannot be safely aggregated or auto-executed alongside YARA/Sigma/Suricata/CRS rules.

Rejected pattern present

[[ reason ]]

What does this mean?

Format & documentation suggestions

Not a security issue — this rule is valid and was accepted as-is. These are optional fields/conventions its own format recommends, mainly affecting its quality score and how well it documents itself for other reviewers.

[[ reason ]]

What do these messages mean?

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

[[ currentRule.title ]]

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