LoFP LoFP / administrator or network operator can create file in ~/.ssh folders for automation purposes. please update the filter macros to remove false positives.

Techniques

Sample rules

Linux Possible Ssh Key File Creation

Description

The following analytic detects the creation of SSH key files in the ~/.ssh/ directory. It leverages filesystem data to identify new files in this specific path. This activity is significant because threat actors often create SSH keys to gain persistent access and escalate privileges on a compromised host. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to remotely access the machine using the OpenSSH daemon service, leading to potential unauthorized control and data exfiltration.

Detection logic


| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Filesystem where Filesystem.file_path IN ("*/.ssh*") by Filesystem.action Filesystem.dest Filesystem.file_access_time Filesystem.file_create_time Filesystem.file_hash Filesystem.file_modify_time Filesystem.file_name Filesystem.file_path Filesystem.file_acl Filesystem.file_size Filesystem.process_guid Filesystem.process_id Filesystem.user Filesystem.vendor_product 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Filesystem)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `linux_possible_ssh_key_file_creation_filter`