Endpoint Tripwires

A subject installs custom software or malware on an endpoint, potentially disguising it as a legitimate process. This software includes tripwire logic to monitor the system for signs of security activity.

The tripwire software monitors various aspects of the endpoint to detect potential investigations:

• Security Tool Detection: It scans running processes and monitors new files or services for signatures of known security tools, such as antivirus programs, forensic tools, and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems.
• File and System Access: It tracks access to critical files or system directories (e.g., system logs, registry entries) commonly accessed during security investigations. Attempts to open or read sensitive files can trigger an alert.
• Network Traffic Analysis: The software analyzes network traffic to identify unusual patterns, including connections to Security Operations Centers (SOC) or the blocking of command-and-control servers by network security controls.
• User and System Behavior: It observes system behavior and monitors logs (such as event logs) that indicate an investigation is in progress, such as switching to an administrative account or modifying security settings (e.g., enabling disk encryption, changing firewall rules).

Upon detecting security activity, the tripwire can initiate various evasive responses:

• Alert the Subject: It covertly sends an alert to an external server controlled by the subject, using common system tools (e.g., curl, wget, or HTTP requests).
• Modify Endpoint Behavior: It can terminate malicious processes, erase evidence (e.g., logs, browser history, specific files), or restore system and network configurations to conceal signs of tampering.