Elastic Security Detection Rules

Potential Cookies Theft via Browser Debugging

Last updated 9 months ago on 2025-03-20
Created 5 years ago on 2020-12-21

About

Identifies the execution of a Chromium based browser with the debugging process argument, which may indicate an attempt to steal authentication cookies. An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: LinuxOS: WindowsOS: macOSUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Credential AccessData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Windows Security Event LogsData Source: SysmonLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Credential Access (TA0006)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Steal Web Session Cookie (T1539)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Developers performing browsers plugin or extension debugging.
License
Elastic License v2(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
auditbeat-*logs-endpoint.events.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.forwarded*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*winlogbeat-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(external, opens in a new tab or window)

windows(external, opens in a new tab or window)

system(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Query
text code block:
process where event.type in ("start", "process_started", "info") and
  process.name in (
             "Microsoft Edge",
             "chrome.exe",
             "Google Chrome",
             "google-chrome-stable",
             "google-chrome-beta",
             "google-chrome",
             "msedge.exe") and
   process.args : ("--remote-debugging-port=*",
                   "--remote-debugging-targets=*",
                   "--remote-debugging-pipe=*") and
   process.args : "--user-data-dir=*" and not process.args:"--remote-debugging-port=0"

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Potential Cookies Theft via Browser Debugging in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(external, opens in a new tab or window).