Elastic Security Detection Rules

SSH Key Generated via ssh-keygen

Last updated 5 months ago on 2025-03-20
Created a year ago on 2024-05-31

About

This rule identifies the creation of SSH keys using the ssh-keygen tool, which is the standard utility for generating SSH keys. Users often create SSH keys for authentication with remote services. However, threat actors can exploit this tool to move laterally across a network or maintain persistence by generating unauthorized SSH keys, granting them SSH access to systems.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: LinuxUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Lateral MovementTactic: PersistenceData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SentinelOneLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

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

↳ Account Manipulation (T1098)(opens in a new tab or window)

Lateral Movement (TA0008)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Remote Services (T1021)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Remote Service Session Hijacking (T1563)(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*endgame-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
file where host.os.type == "linux" and event.action in ("creation", "file_create_event") and
process.executable == "/usr/bin/ssh-keygen" and file.path : ("/home/*/.ssh/*", "/root/.ssh/*", "/etc/ssh/*") and
not file.name : "known_hosts.*"

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect SSH Key Generated via ssh-keygen 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).