Detect Stripped Payloads in IBM QRadar
Adversaries may attempt to make a payload difficult to analyze by removing symbols, strings, and other human readable information. Scripts and executables may contain variable names and other strings that help developers document code functionality. Symbols are often created by an operating system's linker when executable payloads are compiled. Adversaries use stripped payloads to make malware analysis more difficult. Stripped payload formats include run-only AppleScripts (compiled and stripped AppleScript), stripped ELF binaries on Linux, and stripped PE files on Windows. Cuckoo Stealer and macOS.OSAMiner are notable examples using stripped formats. Golang malware is frequently stripped to remove symbol tables.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Defense Evasion
- Technique
- T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information
- Sub-technique
- T1027.008 Stripped Payloads
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027/008/
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT DATEFORMAT(starttime, 'YYYY-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS "Event Time",
sourceip AS "Source IP",
username AS "Username",
"devicehostname" AS "Hostname",
QIDNAME(qid) AS "Event Name",
"Command" AS "Command Line",
LOGSOURCETYPENAME(devicetype) AS "Log Source Type"
FROM events
WHERE (
("Command" ILIKE '%osacompile%' AND ("Command" ILIKE '% -x %' OR "Command" ILIKE '%run-only%'))
OR ("Command" ILIKE '% strip %' AND ("Command" ILIKE '%--strip-all%' OR "Command" ILIKE '% -s %'))
OR ("Command" ILIKE '%go build%' AND "Command" ILIKE '%-ldflags%'
AND ("Command" ILIKE '% -s %' OR "Command" ILIKE '% -w %'))
OR (("Command" ILIKE '%gcc %' OR "Command" ILIKE '%g++ %') AND "Command" ILIKE '% -s ')
OR "Command" ILIKE '%pdbremove%'
OR "Command" ILIKE '%cv2pdb%'
)
AND LOGSOURCETYPENAME(devicetype) NOT IN ('Custom Rule Engine', 'Flow Stitching Engine')
LAST 24 HOURSQRadar AQL query detecting T1027.008 stripped payload creation across macOS, Linux, and Windows log sources. Uses ILIKE for case-insensitive command line pattern matching targeting osacompile run-only compilation, strip tool usage with symbol-removal flags, Go build stripping via ldflags, GCC/G++ -s flag, and Windows PE/PDB symbol removal utilities. Filters out internal QRadar processing sources.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Go microservice release pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions runners) using -ldflags '-s -w' for binary size optimization in production build environments
- Linux distribution package build systems (dpkg-buildpackage, rpmbuild, Buildroot, Yocto) invoking strip --strip-all as a standard post-compilation packaging step
- macOS enterprise deployment workflows using osacompile -x to produce run-only AppleScript automation packages distributed via Jamf, Mosyle, or Kandji MDM
Other platforms for T1027.008
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Create Run-Only AppleScript (macOS Stripped Payload)
Expected signal: Process creation events for osacompile (twice) and osascript. File creation events for compiled.scpt and runonly.scpt. The runonly.scpt will fail osadecompile, confirming stripped (run-only) status.
- Test 2Strip Symbols from Linux Binary with strip Command
Expected signal: Process creation for cp, strip, file, and nm commands. File creation and modification events for /tmp/stripped_ls. The 'file' output will show 'stripped', and nm will return 'no symbols'.
- Test 3Compile Go Binary with Symbol Stripping Flags
Expected signal: Process creation for go build with -ldflags '-s -w' arguments. File creation of stripped_go in /tmp. Execution of stripped_go from /tmp. The 'file' command shows stripped ELF.
- Test 4Verify Stripped Binary Cannot Be Analyzed with Standard Tools
Expected signal: Process creation events for cp (twice), strip, and nm (twice). This test demonstrates the before/after comparison an analyst would perform to confirm stripping.
References (4)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027/008/
- https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/fade-dead-adventures-in-reversing-malicious-run-only-applescripts/
- https://www.intezer.com/blog/malware-analysis/executable-linkable-format-101-part-2-symbols/
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/golang-internals-symbol-recovery
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