Detectors

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

382 detectors match the current filters.

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Type Name Severity Module Data source / event ATT&CK
Analytics BIOC Exchange Safe Link policy disabled or removed A user disabled an Exchange Safe Link policy, which provides phishing protection to emails that contain hyperlinks. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection, Email Security Office 365 Audit Defense Evasion, Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Exchange transport forwarding rule configured A user configured an Exchange transport (mail flow) forwarding rule, which is applied to all emails that match certain conditions in the organization. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection, Email Security Office 365 Audit Collection, Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC Exchange user mailbox forwarding A user configured Exchange SMTP forwarding on a mailbox, which forwards all emails sent to that mailbox to a specified recipient. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection, Email Security Office 365 Audit Collection, Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC Executable or Script file written by a web server process An uncommon executable or script file was created, written, or renamed by a web server process. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Initial Access, Persistence
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 First Azure AD PowerShell operation for a user A user performed an Azure AD operation using a PowerShell user-agent for the first time. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection AzureAD Audit Log Initial Access
Analytics BIOC FTP Connection Using an Anonymous Login or Default Credentials An FTP connection using an anonymous login was detected. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs Initial Access, Credential Access
BIOC FTP/SSH client reads office files Seeing FTP/SSH related software accessing office files could be an indication of data exfiltration. Low Platform Analytics File Exfiltration
Analytics BIOC GCP data asset shared public The GCP data asset was publicly shared. Low Cortex Cloud Gcp Audit Log Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC GCP IAM deny policy creation An identity created a GCP IAM deny policy. Low Cortex Cloud Gcp Audit Log Impact
Analytics BIOC GCP sensitive role granted to group A cloud identity granted a sensitive role to a group. Low Cortex Cloud Gcp Audit Log Persistence, Privilege Escalation
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 Image file execution options (IFEO) registry key set Attackers may use the Image File Execution Options Registry key to launch their executable whenever the user attempts to execute a certain executable. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Privilege Escalation, Persistence
Analytics Impossible traveler - SSO User connected from several remote countries, at least one of which is not commonly used in the organization, within a short period of time. This may indicate the account is compromised. Low Identity Analytics AzureAD, Azure SignIn Log, Idira, Duo, Okta, OneLogin, PingOne Credential Access, Resource Development
Analytics Impossible traveler - VPN A user connected to a VPN service from multiple remote countries in a short period of time, which should normally be impossible. This may indicate the account is compromised. Low Identity Analytics Palo Alto Networks Global Protect, Third-Party VPNs Credential Access, Resource Development
Analytics BIOC Installation of a new System-V service Installation of a new System-V service. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent Persistence, Privilege Escalation
BIOC Installation of Cain & Abel password recovery tool A process created a Registry key associated with the common password cracking tool Cain & Abel. Low Platform Analytics Registry Credential Access
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 Interactive local account enumeration Multiple non-existing accounts attempted interactive local logins to a host within a short period. This may indicate that an attacker has physical access to the host and is trying to enumerate accounts. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Discovery, Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Interactive login by a service account A service account performed an interactive or remote interactive login. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Initial Access
BIOC Internet Explorer home page modification The Internet Explorer home page could be changed to a malicious page. Low Platform Analytics Registry Impact, Credential Access
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 BIOC Known service display name with uncommon image-path Service created with a known display name but has an uncommon image-path. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Persistence, Execution
Analytics BIOC Known service name with an uncommon image-path A Service with a known service name has an uncommon image-path. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Persistence, Execution
Analytics BIOC Kubernetes pod creation from unknown container image registry A Kubernetes pod was created with a container image from an unknown registry. Low Cortex Cloud AWS Audit Log, Azure Audit Log, Gcp Audit Log, Kubernetes Audit Logs Execution
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 LDAP AD CS Enumeration via Attack Tool A user sent a suspicious AD CS enumeration query via LDAP. The query is associated with an AD CS LDAP enumeration tool that may be used during attacks against the organization. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Discovery, Credential Access
Analytics BIOC LDAP search query from an unpopular and unsigned process An unpopular and unsigned process performed an LDAP search query. This may be indicative of LDAP enumeration. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Discovery
Analytics BIOC Linux system firewall was modified The system firewall was modified. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Login attempt by a honey user A login attempt was made by a honey user, a decoy account created to detect unauthorized access. This may indicate potential attacker activity attempting to use valid or stolen credentials. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Initial Access
Analytics Logs were not collected from a data source for an abnormally long time Logs were not collected from a data source for an abnormally long time. Low Platform Analytics Health Monitoring Data Impact
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
BIOC Manipulation of default file extension configuration Alerts when a handler of a known file extension is modified. Applicable to EXE, DLL, SYS, PS1, BAT, CMD, ZIP and LNK extensions. Low Platform Analytics Registry Persistence
BIOC Manipulation of Windows DNS configuration using WMIC This command can be leveraged by attackers to change the way DNS requests are sent, bypassing the corporate DNS servers. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Execution
Analytics BIOC Masquerading as a default local account A user created a new local account with the name of a default local account, such as Guest and DefaultAccount. An attacker may create a user with these known names to evade detection. Low Identity Analytics Windows Event Collector, XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Defense Evasion, Persistence
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 MFA Disabled for Google Workspace An administrator has disabled Multi-Factor Authentication for Google Workspace users. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection Google Workspace Audit Logs Credential Access
Analytics BIOC MFA was disabled for an Azure identity MFA was disabled for the user. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection AzureAD Audit Log Credential Access, Defense Evasion, Persistence
Analytics Microsoft 365 storage services exfiltration activity The Microsoft Graph API was used to download Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint files. Low Cortex Cloud Azure Audit Log, Microsoft Graph Logs Collection
BIOC Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer loads a file from the users to temporary folder The Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer (CMSTP.exe) is a command-line program used to install Connection Manager service profiles. CMSTP.exe may be abused to load and execute DLLs and/or COM scriptlets (SCT) from remote servers. This execution may also bypass AppLocker and other whitelisting defenses since CMSTP.exe is a legitimate, signed Microsoft application. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Defense Evasion
BIOC Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer makes connections to the network The Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer (CMSTP.exe) is a command-line program used to install Connection Manager service profiles. CMSTP.exe may be abused to load and execute DLLs and/or COM scriptlets (SCT) from remote servers. This execution may also bypass AppLocker and other whitelisting defenses since CMSTP.exe is a legitimate, signed Microsoft application. Low Platform Analytics Network Defense Evasion
BIOC Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer runs command line or PowerShell The Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer (CMSTP.exe) is a command-line program used to install Connection Manager service profiles. CMSTP.exe may be abused to load and execute DLLs and/or COM scriptlets (SCT) from remote servers. This execution may also bypass AppLocker and other whitelisting defenses since CMSTP.exe is a legitimate, signed Microsoft application. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC Microsoft Office adds a value to autostart Registry key Microsoft Office adds a value to a registry entry (run keys, startup folders) to establish persistence. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Persistence
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 ML artifacts destruction An identity deleted multiple ML artifacts. Low Cortex Cloud AWS Audit Log, Gcp Audit Log Impact
Analytics BIOC Modification of NTLM restrictions in the Registry Allowing the transmission of NTLM could be part of an NTLM downgrade or an Internal Monologue attack. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Credential 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 alerts of different MITRE tactics were seen Multiple alerts of different MITRE tactics were seen on the same host under the same causality. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Platform Alerts, Third-Party Alerts Execution
Analytics Multiple Azure AD admin role removals An Azure AD identity removed multiple administrators from their roles. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection AzureAD Audit Log Impact
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 Multiple network-related alerts of different MITRE tactics on the same host Multiple alerts of different MITRE tactics were seen on the same host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Platform Alerts, Third-Party Alerts Execution
Analytics Multiple network-related alerts produced by different detectors on the same host Multiple alerts produced by different detectors were seen on the same host. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Platform Alerts, Third-Party Alerts Execution
Analytics Multiple Rare LOLBIN Process Executions by User A user executed multiple living-off-the-land binary (LOLBIN) processes that are unusual for this user. This may be indicative of a compromised account. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Execution
Analytics Multiple Suspicious FTP Login Attempts Multiple suspicious FTP sessions were detected, which may indicate a brute-force attempt. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs Initial Access, Credential Access
Analytics Multiple suspicious user accounts were created A user was observed creating multiple rare user accounts. Low Identity Analytics Windows Event Collector, XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Persistence
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 user accounts failed login due to account lockouts A high amount of user accounts were locked out from a single source host in a short time period. This may be the result of a brute-force or password spray attack. Low Identity Analytics 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
BIOC Nagios enumeration A Nagios XI database may be enumerated for the credentials of the hosts monitored. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Credential Access
BIOC Network share discovery via command-line tool Attackers may use command-line tools to discover mapped shares on the host. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Discovery
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 New cloud identity created with administrative policy New cloud identity was created and assigned administrative policy. Low Cortex Cloud AWS Audit Log, Gcp Audit Log Persistence
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 New Shared User Account A user account has been seen active on multiple hosts. Shared accounts are often considered 'bad practice' and may present multiple security risks to the organization. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Non-browser access to a pastebin-like site Non-browser access to a pastebin-like site. Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Url Logs Command and Control
BIOC Notepad process makes a network connection Notepad.exe processes should not normally make network connections (with the occasional exception of printing documents). This can be a possible indicator of exploitation, e.g. Metasploit Meterpreter injection. Low Platform Analytics Network Defense Evasion
Analytics BIOC NTDS.dit file written by an uncommon executable The Active Directory database file was written by an uncommon process to a non-default location. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Credential Access
Analytics NTLM Brute Force on a Service Account A service account attempted to authenticate to a target using NTLM an excessive number of times in a short period. This may indicate a NTLM brute-force attack. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics NTLM Brute Force on an Administrator Account An administrator account attempted to authenticate using NTLM to a target an excessive number of times in a short period. This may indicate an NTLM brute-force attack. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics BIOC Office process accessed an unusual .LNK file An attacker may embed a .LNK file in an Office document to execute malicious code. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Execution, Persistence
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 Okta FastPass reported phishing attack suspected Okta FastPass authentication reported a phishing attack suspected. Low Identity Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall EAL Logs, XDR Agent, Palo Alto Networks Firewall threat Logs Initial Access
Analytics BIOC Okta Reported Attack Suspected Okta Threat Insight Reported Attack Suspected. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR), SaaS Threat Detection Okta Audit Log Initial Access
BIOC Out of band testing domain connection Connection from web service process to out-of-band-testing domain. Low Platform Analytics Network Initial Access
Analytics Outlook files accessed by an unsigned process An attacker may use an uncommon and unsigned process to access Outlook data files. Low Platform Analytics XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Collection
BIOC Plink/SSH reverse tunnel PuTTY link (Plink) / SSH can be used to create encrypted tunnels to communicate back to an attacker's C2 server. Low Platform Analytics Process execution Command and Control
BIOC Port Monitor added in Registry Adversaries may use port monitors to run an adversary-supplied DLL during system boot for persistence or privilege escalation. Low Platform Analytics Registry Persistence
Analytics BIOC Possible DCSync from a non domain controller Attackers may pose a compromised host as a DC to replicate data to it (DCSync). Low Platform Analytics Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs, XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Credential Access, 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 Possible external RDP Brute-Force Multiple failed remote logins originated from an external IP with at least one successful login. This may indicate a successful brute-force attack. Low Identity Analytics XDR Agent Credential Access
Analytics Possible Insider Threat Activity A user was observed performing suspicious activity that might indicate an attempt to use their access to organizational resources for personal gain. Low Identity Threat Detection (ITDR) AzureAD Audit Log, Microsoft Graph Logs, Office 365 Audit, Okta, Palo Alto Networks Global Protect, Third-Party VPNs, XDR Agent, XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH) Impact