Linux SSH Authorized Keys Modification

name: Linux SSH Authorized Keys Modification
id: f5ab595e-28e5-4327-8077-5008ba97c850
version: 12
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects the modification of SSH Authorized Keys on Linux systems. It leverages process execution data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, specifically monitoring commands like "bash" and "cat" interacting with "authorized_keys" files. This activity is significant as adversaries often modify SSH Authorized Keys to establish persistent access to compromised endpoints. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to maintain unauthorized access, bypassing traditional authentication mechanisms and potentially leading to further exploitation or data exfiltration.
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_name IN ("bash","cat") Processes.process IN ("*/authorized_keys*")
      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)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `linux_ssh_authorized_keys_modification_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: Filtering will be required as system administrators will add and remove. One way to filter query is to add "echo".
references:
    - https://redcanary.com/blog/lateral-movement-with-secure-shell/
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1098.004/T1098.004.md
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 ("$user$", "$dest$") 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 $dest$ by user $user$ modifying SSH Authorized Keys.
    risk_objects:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 20
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
    threat_objects:
        - field: parent_process_name
          type: parent_process_name
        - field: process_name
          type: process_name
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Linux Living Off The Land
        - Hellcat Ransomware
        - VoidLink Cloud-Native Linux Malware
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1098.004
    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/T1098.004/ssh_authorized_keys/authkey_linux-sysmon.log
          source: Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: sysmon:linux