> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/analytics-alerts/alerts-by-name/uncommon-macos-shell-command-execution.md).
# Uncommon macOS shell command execution
### Synopsis
| Field | Value |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Activation Period | 14 Days |
| Training Period | 30 Days |
| Test Period | N/A (single event) |
| Deduplication Period | 1 Day |
| Required Data | XDR Agent |
| Detector Tags | Shell Analytics |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059) |
| Severity | Informational |
### Description
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
### Attacker's Goals
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
### Investigative actions
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
### Variations
Uncommon macOS shell command execution by a BAS solution
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059) |
| Severity | High |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution running a curl / wget in an uncommon way
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059) |
| Severity | High |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution taking a screenshot
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Collection (TA0009) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), Screen Capture (T1113) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution trying to gather information about the system
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Discovery (TA0007) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), System Information Discovery (T1082), Software Discovery (T1518), Account Discovery (T1087), Account Discovery: Local Account (T1087.001), System Owner/User Discovery (T1033), Network Service Discovery (T1046), System Network Configuration Discovery (T1016), System Network Connections Discovery (T1049), File and Directory Discovery (T1083), Peripheral Device Discovery (T1120), Software Discovery: Security Software Discovery (T1518.001) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution loading a kernel extension
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Persistence (TA0003), Privilege Escalation (TA0004) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Kernel Modules and Extensions (T1547.006) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution, possibly granting file execution permissions
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Defense Impairment (TA0112) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), File and Directory Permissions Modification (T1222) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution running a process kill command
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution executed an AppleScript
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), Command and Scripting Interpreter: AppleScript (T1059.002) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution from an unsigned process
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Stealth (TA0005) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), Masquerading: Invalid Code Signature (T1036.001) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
Uncommon macOS shell command execution of an exceedingly rare process
**Synopsis**
| Field | Value |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ATT\&CK Tactic | Execution (TA0002), Discovery (TA0007) |
| ATT\&CK Technique | Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell (T1059.004), Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059), Network Service Discovery (T1046) |
| Severity | Low |
**Description**
An unusual process execution of a shell command on macOS. This action may indicate possible exploitation or shell command execution via a backdoor.
**Attacker's Goals**
An attacker may attempt to execute a malicious shell command on the system.
**Investigative actions**
* Check whether the executing process is benign and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.
* Check the executed shell command (and possible child processes) for malicious actions.
---
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