Detectors

Every Cortex detection rule the toolbox knows about — analytics alerts, BIOCs and correlation rules — in one filterable set.

150 detectors match the current filters.

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Type Name Severity Module Data source / event ATT&CK
Analytics BIOC A commonly abused process connected to a rare cloud resource A commonly abused process connected to a rare cloud resource. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC A commonly abused process connected to a rare external host A commonly abused process connected to a rare external host. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics A compromised process accessed a rare external host A compromised process accessed a rare external host. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent, XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Command and Control
Analytics BIOC A suspicious process enrolled for a certificate A suspicious process enrolled for a certificate. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Abnormal communication with a rare combination of TLS and HTTP User Agent Abnormal communication with a rare combination of TLS and HTTP User Agent to an external address. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Command and Control, Exfiltration
Analytics Abnormal ICMP echo (PING) to multiple hosts An endpoint performed an abnormal ICMP echo (PING) to multiple hosts on the network. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics BIOC Abnormal network communication through TOR using an uncommon port Suspicious connection from a known TOR IP to an uncommon port. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics Abnormal RDP connections to multiple hosts from a rarely seen host The endpoint attempted to initiate rare RDP connections to multiple hosts. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Abnormal RDP session to a remote host from a rarely seen host The endpoint performed a rare RDP session to a remote host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Lateral Movement
Analytics Abnormal SMB activity to multiple hosts An endpoint performed a new, unfamiliar SMB activity to multiple hosts on the network. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC An uncommon service was started An uncommon service was started using systemctl or service processes. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence, Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC Attempt to execute a command on a remote host using PsExec.exe There was an attempt to run a command on a remote host using PsExec.exe. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement, Execution
Analytics BIOC Cached credentials discovery with cmdkey Cmdkey is a built-in Windows tool that can cache domain user credentials for use on specific target machines, Attackers can access cached user credentials using cmdkey /list. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access, Discovery
Analytics BIOC Certutil pfx parsing Certutil was used to parse a pfx certificate file. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Collection
Analytics BIOC Command running with COMSPEC in the command line argument COMSPEC is an environmental variable that points to cmd.exe. Attackers may use this command to obfuscate their command and avoid detection. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Compressing data using python Usage of a Python module to compress files. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Collection
Analytics BIOC Conhost.exe spawned a suspicious cmd process Attackers may abuse the conhost process to execute malicious files and evade detection. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Contained process execution with a rare GitHub URL A contained process was executed with a suspicious GitHub url in the command line. This may be a legitimate use, but this technique is frequently used by attackers to download malicious payloads. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Copy a user's GnuPG directory with rsync Copy a user's GnuPG (.gnupg) directory on to a staging folder using the 'find' and 'rsync' commands. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Delayed Deletion of Files A command line deleting files used the time-out or ping commands to delay the file deletion. This is suspicious, as malware sometimes uses these techniques to cover their tracks. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics DNS Tunneling 10 KB or more were sent encoded in subdomain names during a 10-minute window. All subdomains queried were under a single suspicious domain. DNS tunneling encodes data in DNS queries and responses, allowing an attacker to bypass firewalls and proxies to reach his or her command and control server, even when HTTP/S traffic is blocked. The endpoint may be remotely controlled by an attacker, and/or an attacker may have exfiltrated data from it. This detector is not supported when networking events arrive solely from Cortex XDR Linux agents. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Command and Control, Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC Download a script using the python requests module Download a shell script from a remote location using the Python requests module. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Execution of an uncommon process at an early startup stage by Windows system binary Uncommon execution of an executable found in an early startup stage by Windows system binary. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence
Analytics BIOC Execution of command from within a Kubernetes pod using kubelet credentials A command was executed from within a Kubernetes pod using Kubelet credentials. This activity allows an attacker to impersonate the node and perform privileged operations against the cluster API. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC Execution of dllhost.exe with an empty command line The process dllhost.exe was executed with an empty command line. This behavior is suspicious, and may be caused by a malicious actor using 'Image File Execution Options' in the registry to evade detection. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Extracting credentials from Unix files Suspicious Unix files containing insecurely stored credentials were accessed. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics Failed Connections The endpoint has failed connections to other endpoints that have been inactive for more than 24 hours, or that Cortex XDR Analytics has never seen on the network. The endpoint has made an abnormally large number of these failed connections and/or is attempting to connect to an abnormal mixture of missing or inactive endpoints. Your network might contain legitimate scanners that could cause a false positive for this alert. Cortex XDR Analytics attempts to filter these out by checking if a scanner has been active for a long consecutive period of time. Consequently, if this alert is seen, it represents new activity on your network. An attacker may be trying to move laterally, or to scan different parts of the network to look for other endpoints that expose a specific service. Worms also perform a similar activity to automatically infect additional hosts in the network. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Discovery
Analytics Failed DNS The endpoint is performing DNS lookups that are failing at an excessively high rate when compared to its peer group. This alert might be symptomatic of malware that is trying to connect to its command and control (C2) servers. The attacker's C2 server runs on one or more domains that can eventually be identified and blacklisted. To avoid this, malware will sometimes use Domain Generation Algorithms (DGA) that produce many domain names every day. Because only a few of these domains are ever registered, the installed malware must blindly try to access each generated domain name in an effort to locate an active one. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Globally uncommon root domain from a signed process A signed process connected to an external domain that, on a global level, it usually doesn't connect to. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion, Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Globally uncommon root-domain port combination from a signed process A signed process connected to an external domain on a specific port that, on a global level, it usually doesn't connect to. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion, Command and Control
Analytics HTTP with suspicious characteristics Uncommon HTTP communication was performed by the host that might indicate its attempt to hide malicious activities. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Command and Control, Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC Installation of a new System-V service Installation of a new System-V service. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence, Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC Interactive at.exe privilege escalation method Detects an interactive AT scheduled task, which may be used as a form of privilege escalation. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution, Privilege Escalation
Analytics Kerberos Pre-Auth Failures by Host The endpoint failed an unusual number of Kerberos pre-authentications (TGT requests) from at least three users when compared to its baseline. This can indicate a password-spraying attack. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Keylogging using system commands Usage of a Linux system utility to capture input. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access, Collection
Analytics Large Upload (FTP) The endpoint transferred an excessively large amounts of data to a single destination over FTP. Cortex XDR Analytics assumes endpoint traffic towards a specific destination should be about the same over long periods of time. For that reason, Cortex XDR detected this abnormal behavior of a large data upload. An attacker may be exfiltrating data directly to the internet using this protocol. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Exfiltration
Analytics Large Upload (Generic) The endpoint transferred large amounts of data to an external site using a different protocol from HTTP/s, FTP, or SMTP. (A specific detector is used for each of those protocols.) Cortex XDR Analytics assumes that data transfers out of your network are ordinarily performed using one of those three services, so it expects that data transfers over all other ports to be low. For the same reason, Cortex XDR Analytics also assumes endpoint traffic towards a specific destination should be about the same over long periods of time. An attacker may be exfiltrating data directly to the internet. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Exfiltration
Analytics Large Upload (HTTPS) The endpoint transferred an excessive amount of data to an external site over HTTPS. The destination is not a popular upload site for endpoints on your network, and the endpoint performing the upload has not previously downloaded a large amount of data from the site. The upload is considered excessive based on comparison to baseline measurements of HTTPS data transfers on your network. An attacker may be exfiltrating data directly to the internet. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Exfiltration
Analytics Large Upload (SMTP) The endpoint, which is not an internal SMTP server, emailed an excessive amount of data from your network. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC LOLBIN process executed with a high integrity level A process spawned a suspicious LOLBIN process with a higher/system integrity level. The LOLBIN process spawned with an uncommon command line. This may be an indication of malicious code execution to gain privileges. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Privilege Escalation
Analytics Machine Account NTLM Relay An NTLM NTProofStr was seen from more than one source. This indicates that machine account NTLM authentication data has been relayed. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Credential Access, Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Masquerading as the Linux crond process Copies a file and renames it as crond. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Microsoft Office injects code into a process An attacker may inject payloads into processes via Microsoft Office. While legitimate in certain cases, code injection can also be used in malicious ways. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Initial Access, Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Microsoft Office Process Spawning a Suspicious One-Liner A Microsoft Office process spawned a commonly abused process with a full command (not a script), this is a typically malicious behavior. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution, Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Microsoft Office process spawns a commonly abused process Microsoft Office process spawns a commonly abused process with an uncommon command. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution, Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Microsoft Office process spawns conhost.exe This unusual parent-child relationship may indicate that a Microsoft Office application executed a console-based application. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution, Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Mount command was executed from within a Kubernetes pod to list all the attached filesystems The mount command was executed inside a Kubernetes pod to list all the attached filesystems, which may serve as a precursor to container escape and host filesystem access. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC MpCmdRun.exe was used to download files into the system Attackers might be using legitimate Windows Defender executables to download malicious code onto the system. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Mshta.exe launched with suspicious arguments Microsoft HTML application host process has been launched with suspicious arguments, which may indicate malicious intent. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Mshta.exe spawns from a browser process Mshta is the Microsoft HTML Application Host. It executes HTML applications on Windows. Detected when a browser process has spawned mshta, which can be a potential attack vector. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics Multiple discovery commands The alerted causality performed multiple discovery commands in a short timeframe. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics Multiple discovery commands on a Windows host by the same process The alerted process performed multiple discovery commands in a short timeframe. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics BIOC Multiple uncommon SSH Servers with the same Server host key Multiple uncommon SSH servers were observed using the same host key. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics Multiple Weakly-Encrypted Kerberos Tickets Received A user accessed a number of services associated with user accounts in the 10 minutes leading to the alert, generating a number of weakly encrypted Kerberos TGS (ticket granting service) tickets that is significantly larger than the number of weakly encrypted TGS tickets received by that user in the 30 days leading to the alert. Services associated with user accounts are a common target for Kerberoasting due to default weak encryption. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC New addition to Windows Defender exclusion list Windows Defender keeps the exclusion list in the registry, and any addition to it will cause it to ignore a process, path or file extension. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC New FTP Server A new FTP server has been detected. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Initial Access, Collection
Analytics BIOC Office process spawned with suspicious command-line arguments An Office process was executed with LOLBIN-like command-line arguments. This behavior is exhibited in the VBA-RunPE tool that executes executables from the memory of Word/Excel/PowerPoint. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Possible DLL Search Order Hijacking An attacker might abuse the Windows DLL search order to trigger known, signed processes to load the attacker's malicious module. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Possible Kerberoasting without SPNs A user specifically requested weak and deprecated encryption in a Kerberos TGS request. This provides easy-to-crack hashes, and is typically a sign of a Kerberoasting attack. The requested service was specified by using a suspicious SPN type, which is often used by Kerberoasting tools to request by SAN instead of SPN. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Possible Kerberos relay attack A suspicious local network login was observed, which might indicate on Kerberos relay attack. This attack can lead to privilege escalation by obtaining system privileges on the target. Low Platform Analytics Windows Event Collector, XDR Agent Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC Possible network service discovery via command-line tool An attacker may use command-line utilities to discover open ports and services on a remote host. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics BIOC Possible network sniffing attempt via tcpdump or tshark Attackers may monitor network traffic for cleartext credentials or to learn the network's configuration. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access, Discovery
Analytics BIOC Possible path traversal via HTTP request The endpoint received a suspicious URI via an HTTP request that resembles a path traversal attempt. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics BIOC PowerShell runs suspicious base64-encoded commands Running PowerShell with a base64-encoded payload in the command line is often used by attackers to evade detection. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Rare binary connected to a rare cloud resource Rare binary connected to a rare cloud resource. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Rare binary connected to a rare external host Rare binary connected to a rare external host. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Rare communication over email ports to external email server by unsigned process These methods are used by malware and attackers to leak data and remain undetected. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Rare file transfer over SMB protocol The endpoint performed an abnormal file transfer over SMB to a remote host. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Rare process created an SSH session to an uncommon cloud resource A rare process created an SSH session to an uncommon cloud resource. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Rare process created an SSH session to an uncommon external host Rare process created an SSH session to an uncommon external host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Rare process executed by an AppleScript An uncommon process has been executed by the AppleScript interpreter process. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Rare process with VNC server capabilities started A rare process with VNC server capabilities was started. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control, Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Rare RDP session to a remote host The endpoint performed a rare RDP session to a remote host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Rare security product signed executable executed in the network Attackers may attempt to install a security product with a known vulnerability to bypass security features. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Rare SMB session to a remote host The endpoint performed a rare SMB activity to a remote host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Rare SSH Session Secure Shell (SSH) provides a secure means of remote administration. Attackers can use valid SSH credentials and keys to remotely connect to endpoints running the SSH service. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Rare unsigned process execution by scheduled task Rare and unsigned process was executed by a scheduled task. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence
Analytics BIOC Rare Unsigned Process Spawned by Office Process Under Suspicious Directory Microsoft Office executed an unsigned process in a suspicious directory. This behavior is common with malicious macros. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Rare Windows Remote Management (WinRM) HTTP Activity The endpoint performed unfamiliar WinRM HTTP activity to a remote host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC RDP from an unmanaged endpoint in a typically managed subnet An RDP connection was established from an unmanaged endpoint in a typically managed subnet, indicating a possible lateral movement. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Reading bash command history file Attackers may access the bash history file to glean cleartext usernames and passwords that were entered on the command line. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Recurring access to rare domain The endpoint is periodically connecting to an external domain (categorized as malware) that it and its peers rarely use. Access to this domain has occurred repeatedly over multiple days. This connection pattern is consistent with malware connecting to its command and control server for updates and operating instructions. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, Palo Alto Networks Firewall threat Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Recurring access to rare IP The endpoint is periodically accessing an external fixed-IP address that its peers rarely use. Access to this external IP address has occurred repeatedly over many days. This connection pattern is consistent with malware connecting to its command and control server for updates and operating instructions. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Recurring rare domain access from an unsigned process An unsigned process is periodically connecting to an external domain that it and its peers rarely use. Access to this domain has occurred repeatedly over multiple days. This connection pattern is consistent with malware connecting to its command and control server for updates and operating instructions. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Recurring rare domain access to dynamic DNS domain The endpoint is periodically connecting to an external domain that it and its peers rarely use. Access to this domain has occurred repeatedly over multiple days. This connection pattern is consistent with malware connecting to its command and control server for updates and operating instructions. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Command and Control
Analytics BIOC Remote command execution via wmic.exe Remote command execution using the Windows Management Instrumentation command-line tool. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics BIOC Remote DCOM command execution A remotely triggered DCOM initiated a command execution by a host that rarely executes processes using DCOM to other remote hosts. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement
Analytics BIOC Remote service start from an uncommon source A remotely triggered service initiated by a host that rarely triggers services to other remote hosts. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Lateral Movement, Execution
Analytics BIOC Rundll32.exe executes a rare unsigned module Rundll32.exe executes a rare unsigned module, which can indicate an attacker's malicious execution. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Screensaver process executed from Users or temporary folder An executable file with a screensaver extension was executed from the Users or temp folder. This is not a common behavior for screensavers and may indicate a malicious file disguised as a screensaver in the Users or temp folder. It is recommended to further investigate the execution flow for malicious indicators. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence
Analytics BIOC Scripting engine connected to a rare external host Scripts connecting to external IP addresses may be sanctioned IT scripts. However, when those external IP addresses are only receiving connections from a few specific endpoints in the organization, these scripts may be an indicator of more suspicious activity. Security testers and adversaries use offensive frameworks that employ forms of scripting which result in this type of network activity. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Command and Control, Execution
Analytics BIOC Setuid and Setgid file bit manipulation The setuid or setgid bits were set on a file. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Privilege Escalation, Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC SMB Traffic from Non-Standard Process SMB traffic is usually performed by a standard set of privileged processes through designated ports. The endpoint had a non-standard process communicating over ports normally used by SMB. An attacker might be moving laterally by using tools that implement a custom version of the SMB protocol. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics Spam Bot Traffic The endpoint connected to an excessive number of external SMTP servers. A spambot may be trying to send spam email using multiple SMTP servers. Spambots can cause your domain to be blacklisted, and can contain other malicious functionality. The same mechanism can also be used for exfiltration. Some VPN clients can also tunnel data over SMTP. Note: This detection model looks for SMTP connections to external servers, but the volume of traffic is not considered. A count is performed based on the number of domains being contacted, as well as the number of unresolved IP addresses. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent, Third-Party Firewalls Impact
Analytics BIOC Stored credentials exported using credwiz.exe Attackers may abuse the credwiz tool to export stored accounts. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics Subdomain Fuzzing The root domain within the network is experiencing an unusually high number of access requests to its subdomains, significantly exceeding the typical activity levels for that domain. This anomaly could suggest that someone is attempting to enumerate subdomains or uncover additional virtual hosts associated with the domain, possibly as part of a reconnaissance effort to identify vulnerable or less-secured entry points into the network. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent Reconnaissance
Analytics BIOC SUID/GUID permission discovery Attackers may search for potential to elevate permissions using binaries that have the SUID or GUID bit enabled. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery
Analytics BIOC Suspicious Certutil AD CS contact A suspicious occurrence of Certutil attempted to contact the AD CS Request Interface. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Discovery, Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Suspicious container orchestration job A suspicious orchestration job ran with a rare command line. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Execution, Persistence, Privilege Escalation
Analytics BIOC Suspicious data encryption Known applications were used to encrypt data within a machine's local file system. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Impact, Defense Evasion