Linux Command History Tampering

01

description

What this is, in brief.

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".

02

rule source (YAML)

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

04

detects techniques (1)

ATT&CK techniques this enables or maps to.

T1070.003Clear Command History

05

references

External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.