Encoded Payload Detected via Defend for Containers

Last updated 5 days ago on 2026-02-06
Created 5 days ago on 2026-02-06

About

This rule detects the interactive execution of potential defense evasion techniques via encoded payloads inside a container. Attackers may use base64 encoding/decoding to obfuscate data, such as command and control traffic or payloads, to evade detection by host- or network-based security controls.
Tags
Data Source: Elastic Defend for ContainersDomain: ContainerOS: LinuxUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionTactic: ExecutionLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Defense Evasion (TA0005)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Execution (TA0002)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

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
logs-cloud_defend.process*
Related Integrations

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

Query
text code block:
process where host.os.type == "linux" and event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and process.interactive == true and ( (process.name in ("base64", "base64plain", "base64url", "base64mime", "base64pem", "base32", "base16") and process.args like~ "*-*d*") or (process.name == "xxd" and process.args like~ ("-*r*", "-*p*")) or (process.name == "openssl" and process.args == "enc" and process.args in ("-d", "-base64", "-a")) or (process.name like "python*" and ( (process.args == "base64" and process.args in ("-d", "-u", "-t")) or (process.args == "-c" and process.args like "*base64*" and process.args like "*b64decode*") )) or (process.name like "perl*" and process.args like "*decode_base64*") or (process.name like "ruby*" and process.args == "-e" and process.args like "*Base64.decode64*") ) and container.id like "?*"

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Encoded Payload Detected via Defend for Containers 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).