Persistence via a Hidden Plist Filename via macOS Security Events

Last updated 15 days ago on 2026-10-06

Created a month ago on 2026-09-22

About

Identifies the registration of a launch agent or launch daemon whose property list (plist) filename begins with a dot, using launch item registration messages collected by the macOS Security Events integration. An adversary may establish persistence by installing a launch agent or daemon that executes at login or boot; plist files with filenames starting with a dot are hidden from default directory listings and are particularly suspicious.

Tags

OS: macOSUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: PersistenceTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: macOS Security EventsRule Type: ESQLPlatform: macOSDomain: EndpointLanguage: esql

Severity

medium

Risk Score

MITRE ATT&CK™

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

↳ Boot or Logon Autostart Execution (T1547)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Create or Modify System Process (T1543)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

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

↳ Hide Artifacts (T1564)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

License

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

Definition

Integration Pack: Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Related Integrations: macos(external, opens in a new tab or window)
Query

✄𐘗text code block:
✄𐘗FROM logs-macos.process_execution_monitoring-* metadata _id, _version, _index
| WHERE data_stream.dataset == "macos.process_execution_monitoring" and
    macos.event.message.description LIKE "*effectiveItemDisposition*" and
    (macos.event.message.description LIKE "*url=file://*/Library/LaunchAgents/.*" or
        macos.event.message.description LIKE "*url=file://*/Library/LaunchDaemons/.*")
| GROK macos.event.message.description "url=file://%{DATA:Esql.plist_path}, config"
| GROK macos.event.message.description "type=%{DATA:Esql.item_type},"
| GROK macos.event.message.description "BTMConfigExecutablePath = \"%{DATA:Esql.executable}\""
| WHERE Esql.plist_path RLIKE ".*/Library/Launch(Agents|Daemons)/\\..*\\.plist"
| KEEP _id, _version, _index, @timestamp, host.name, Esql.plist_path, Esql.item_type, Esql.executable, macos.event.message.description

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Persistence via a Hidden Plist Filename via macOS Security Events 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).