Tampering with RUNNER_TRACKING_ID in GitHub Actions Runners

Last updated 8 days ago on 2025-11-27

Created 8 days ago on 2025-11-27

About

This rule detects processes spawned by GitHub Actions runners where "RUNNER_TRACKING_ID" is overridden from its default "github_*" value. Such tampering has been associated with attempts to evade runner tracking/cleanup on self-hosted runners, including behavior observed in the Shai-Hulud 2.0 npm worm campaign.

Tags

Domain: EndpointOS: LinuxOS: macOSUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: ExecutionTactic: Initial AccessTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic DefendLanguage: eql

Severity

medium

Risk Score

MITRE ATT&CK™

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

↳ Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059)(opens in a new tab or window)

Initial Access (TA0001)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Supply Chain Compromise (T1195)(opens in a new tab or window)

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

↳ Impair Defenses (T1562)(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.process*
Related Integrations: endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)
Query

process where host.os.type in ("linux", "macos") and event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and
process.parent.name in ("Runner.Worker", "Runner.Listener") and process.env_vars like~ "RUNNER_TRACKING_ID*" and
not process.env_vars like~ "RUNNER_TRACKING_ID=github_*"

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Tampering with RUNNER_TRACKING_ID in GitHub Actions Runners 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).