Techniques › T1564.014 › AN1135
AN1135 Analytic 1135
Linux · attack.mitre.org · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2
<p>Abuse of extended attributes (xattrs) to embed hidden payloads into legitimate files. Defender perspective: detect anomalous use of setfattr or getfattr commands, or direct syscalls (setxattr, getxattr) where attributes are unusually large or contain encoded data. Behavior chain includes: (1) execution of setfattr with suspicious namespaces (user., trusted.), (2) file metadata modification inconsistent with file size/hash, and (3) subsequent process execution reading attributes followed by decoding activity.</p>
- Detects
- T1564.014 Extended Attributes
- Part of
- DET0406 Detection Strategy for Extended Attributes Abuse
Log sources and channels
Exactly as MITRE states them in x_mitre_log_source_references. Where a channel is vague, it is vague in the source; kevmap does not tidy it.
| Log source | Channel | Data component |
|---|---|---|
| auditd:SYSCALL | setxattr or getxattr system call | DC0059 File Metadata |
| auditd:EXECVE | execution of setfattr or getfattr commands | DC0064 Command Execution |
Mutable elements
Parameters MITRE marks as environment-specific. These are the knobs you are expected to tune; they are why an analytic is not a rule.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
XattrNamespaces | Namespaces monitored for suspicious activity (user., trusted., security.). Organizations may tune to reduce noise from benign use. |
PayloadSizeThreshold | Size of xattr values above which they should be considered anomalous (e.g., >1KB). |
CorrelationWindow | Time window to correlate xattr modification with process execution from the same file. |