Detectionmediumtest

Suspicious Browser Child Process - MacOS

Detects suspicious child processes spawned from browsers. This could be a result of a potential web browser exploitation.

Convert In Phoenix Studio

Open this Sigma rule in the converter with the YAML preloaded and ready for backend selection.

Launch
Sohan G (D4rkCiph3r)Created Wed Apr 050250638a-2b28-4541-86fc-ea4c558fa0c6macos
Log Source
macOSProcess Creation
ProductmacOS← raw: macos
CategoryProcess Creation← raw: process_creation

Events generated when a new process is spawned on the system. Covers command-line arguments, parent/child relationships, and process metadata.

Detection Logic
Detection Logic8 selectors
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|contains:
            - 'com.apple.WebKit.WebContent'
            - 'firefox'
            - 'Google Chrome Helper'
            - 'Google Chrome'
            - 'Microsoft Edge'
            - 'Opera'
            - 'Safari'
            - 'Tor Browser'
        Image|endswith:
            - '/bash'
            - '/curl'
            - '/dash'
            - '/ksh'
            - '/osascript'
            - '/perl'
            - '/php'
            - '/pwsh'
            - '/python'
            - '/sh'
            - '/tcsh'
            - '/wget'
            - '/zsh'
    filter_main_generic:
        CommandLine|contains: '--defaults-torrc' # Informs tor to use default config file
    filter_main_ms_autoupdate:
        CommandLine|contains: '/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU*/Microsoft AutoUpdate.app/Contents/MacOS/msupdate' # Microsoft AutoUpdate utility
    filter_main_chrome:
        ParentImage|contains:
            - 'Google Chrome Helper'
            - 'Google Chrome'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '/Volumes/Google Chrome/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Frameworks/*/Resources/install.sh' # Install the Google Chrome browser
            - '/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Frameworks/Google Chrome Framework.framework/*/Resources/keystone_promote_preflight.sh' # Updates the Google Chrome branding configuration files
            - '/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Frameworks/Google Chrome Framework.framework/*/Resources/keystone_promote_postflight.sh' # Script that performs the post-installation tasks
    filter_main_ms_edge:
        ParentImage|contains: 'Microsoft Edge'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'IOPlatformExpertDevice' # Retrieves the IOPlatformUUID (parent process - Microsoft Edge)
            - 'hw.model' # Retrieves model name of the computer's hardware (parent process - Microsoft Edge)
    filter_main_chromerecovery:
        ParentImage|contains:
            - 'Google Chrome Helper'
            - 'Google Chrome'
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - '/Users/'
            - '/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/recovery/'
            - '/ChromeRecovery'
    filter_optional_null:
        # Aoids alerting for the events which do not have command-line arguments
        CommandLine: null
    filter_optional_empty:
        # Aoids alerting for the events which do not have command-line arguments
        CommandLine: ''
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
False Positives

Legitimate browser install, update and recovery scripts

Rule Metadata
Rule ID
0250638a-2b28-4541-86fc-ea4c558fa0c6
Status
test
Level
medium
Type
Detection
Created
Wed Apr 05
Path
rules/macos/process_creation/proc_creation_macos_susp_browser_child_process.yml
Raw Tags
attack.initial-accessattack.executionattack.t1189attack.t1203attack.t1059
View on GitHub