splunk_escuAnomaly

MacOS Gatekeeper Bypass

Detects known MacOS security bypass techniques that may be used to enable malicious code execution. Specifically monitors for attempts to remove the com.apple.quarantine attribute using xattr, or to disable Gatekeeper protections via spctl --master-disable, both of which can allow untrusted or malicious applications to execute without standard system safeguards.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1553.001

Detection Query

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
  count min(_time) as firstTime
        max(_time) as lastTime

from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where

(
    Processes.process = "*xattr*"
    Processes.process = "*com.apple.quarantine*"
)
OR
(
    Processes.process = "*spctl*"
    Processes.process = "*master-disable*"
)

by Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process_id
   Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
   Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id
   Processes.process_current_directory Processes.process_name
   Processes.process_path Processes.user
   Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product

| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `macos_gatekeeper_bypass_filter`

Author

Raven Tait, Splunk

Created

2026-04-15

Data Sources

Osquery Results

References

Tags

MacOS Privilege EscalationMacOS Post-ExploitationMacOS Persistence Techniques

Raw Content

name: MacOS Gatekeeper Bypass
id: 2c9346f3-bbeb-48ce-8411-fc13d09d83a5
version: 2
date: '2026-04-15'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: |-
    Detects known MacOS security bypass techniques that may be used to enable malicious code execution.
    Specifically monitors for attempts to remove the com.apple.quarantine attribute using xattr, or to disable Gatekeeper protections via spctl --master-disable, both of which can allow untrusted or malicious applications to execute without standard system safeguards.
data_source:
    - Osquery Results
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
      count min(_time) as firstTime
            max(_time) as lastTime

    from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where

    (
        Processes.process = "*xattr*"
        Processes.process = "*com.apple.quarantine*"
    )
    OR
    (
        Processes.process = "*spctl*"
        Processes.process = "*master-disable*"
    )

    by Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process_id
       Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
       Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id
       Processes.process_current_directory Processes.process_name
       Processes.process_path Processes.user
       Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product

    | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `macos_gatekeeper_bypass_filter`
how_to_implement: |-
    This detection uses osquery and endpoint security on MacOS. Follow the link in references, which describes how to setup process auditing in MacOS with endpoint security and osquery.
    Also the [TA-OSquery](https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/8574) must be deployed across your indexers and universal forwarders in order to have the osquery data populate the data models.
known_false_positives: |-
    Administrators or power users may need to disable Gatekeeper to install unsigned tools.
references:
    - https://osquery.readthedocs.io/en/stable/deployment/process-auditing/
    - https://ss64.com/mac/xattr.html
    - https://ss64.com/mac/spctl.html
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
rba:
    message: Attempt to bypass gatekeeper protections on $dest$ by $user$ via $process$
    risk_objects:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 20
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
    threat_objects:
        - field: process
          type: process
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - MacOS Privilege Escalation
        - MacOS Post-Exploitation
        - MacOS Persistence Techniques
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1553.001
    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/T1553.001/osquery_gatekeeper/osquery.log
          source: osquery
          sourcetype: osquery:results