Elastic Security Detection Rules

ESXi Curl or Wget Activity

Last updated 2 days ago on 2026-09-30
Created 2 days ago on 2026-09-30

About

Detects `curl` or `wget` from the ESXi shell. These tools download a file or contact a remote URL from the hypervisor. A successful transfer can place a package or script on the host, often under `/tmp`, where a later command can execute it against the datastore.
Tags
Domain: EndpointData Source: VMware vSphereUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Command and ControlRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Platform: VMware ESXiThreat: RansomwareLanguage: kuery
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Command and Control (TA0011)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Ingress Tool Transfer (T1105)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Administrators use `wget` to download a patch, VIB, or support script during maintenance. Confirm the URL and whether the same session continues into file execution or virtual machine shutdown.
License
Elastic License v2(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Query (Kibana Query Language)
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
logs-vsphere.log-*
Related Integrations

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

Query
text code block:
data_stream.dataset: "vsphere.log" and event.module: "vsphere" and message: ("curl" or "wget")

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect ESXi Curl or Wget Activity 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).