Loadable Kernel Module Configuration File Creation

Last updated 21 days ago on 2025-06-03
Created 6 months ago on 2024-12-17

About

This rule detects the creation of Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) configuration files. Attackers may create or modify these files to allow their LKMs to be loaded upon reboot, ensuring persistence on a compromised system.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: LinuxUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: PersistenceTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic DefendLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

Persistence (TA0003)(opens in a new tab or window)

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

License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
logs-endpoint.events.file*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
file where host.os.type == "linux" and event.action in ("rename", "creation") and process.executable != null and
file.path like (
  "/etc/modules", "/etc/modprobe.d/*", "/run/modprobe.d/*", "/usr/local/lib/modprobe.d/*", "/usr/lib/modprobe.d/*",
  "/lib/modprobe.d/*", "/etc/modules-load.d/*", "/run/modules-load.d/*", "/usr/local/lib/modules-load.d/*",
  "/usr/lib/modules-load.d/*"
) and not (
  process.executable in (
    "/bin/dpkg", "/usr/bin/dpkg", "/bin/dockerd", "/usr/bin/dockerd", "/usr/sbin/dockerd", "/bin/microdnf",
    "/usr/bin/microdnf", "/bin/rpm", "/usr/bin/rpm", "/bin/snapd", "/usr/bin/snapd", "/bin/yum", "/usr/bin/yum",
    "/bin/dnf", "/usr/bin/dnf", "/bin/podman", "/usr/bin/podman", "/bin/dnf-automatic", "/usr/bin/dnf-automatic",
    "/bin/pacman", "/usr/bin/pacman", "/usr/bin/dpkg-divert", "/bin/dpkg-divert", "/sbin/apk", "/usr/sbin/apk",
    "/usr/local/sbin/apk", "/usr/bin/apt", "/usr/sbin/pacman", "/bin/podman", "/usr/bin/podman", "/usr/bin/puppet",
    "/bin/puppet", "/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/bin/puppet", "/usr/bin/chef-client", "/bin/chef-client",
    "/bin/autossl_check", "/usr/bin/autossl_check", "/proc/self/exe", "/dev/fd/*",  "/usr/bin/pamac-daemon",
    "/bin/pamac-daemon", "/usr/local/bin/dockerd", "/opt/elasticbeanstalk/bin/platform-engine",
    "/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/bin/ruby", "/usr/libexec/platform-python", "/opt/imunify360/venv/bin/python3",
    "/opt/eset/efs/lib/utild", "/usr/sbin/anacron", "/usr/bin/podman", "/kaniko/kaniko-executor", "/usr/bin/prime-select"
  ) or
  file.extension in ("swp", "swpx", "swx", "dpkg-remove") or
  file.Ext.original.extension == "dpkg-new" or
  process.executable like (
    "/nix/store/*", "/var/lib/dpkg/info/kmod.postinst", "/tmp/vmis.*", "/snap/*", "/dev/fd/*",
    "/usr/libexec/platform-python*"
  ) or
  process.executable == null or
  process.name in (
    "crond", "executor", "puppet", "droplet-agent.postinst", "cf-agent", "schedd", "imunify-notifier", "perl",
    "jumpcloud-agent", "crio", "dnf_install", "utild"
  ) or
  (process.name == "sed" and file.name : "sed*") or
  (process.name == "perl" and file.name : "e2scrub_all.tmp*")
)

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Loadable Kernel Module Configuration File Creation 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(opens in a new tab or window).