Detect Python in IBM QRadar
Adversaries may abuse Python commands and scripts for execution. Python is a cross-platform scripting language that can be executed interactively from the command-line (via python.exe/python3), via scripts (.py), or compiled into binary executables. Python's built-in libraries for file operations, networking (socket, urllib, requests), and system interaction make it a powerful tool for adversaries. Threat actors including APT31, APT37, MuddyWater, and Contagious Interview have used Python-based implants, reverse shells, and backdoors across Windows, Linux, macOS, and ESXi environments.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Execution
- Technique
- T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter
- Sub-technique
- T1059.006 Python
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/006/
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(starttime, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS event_time,
logsourcename(logsourceid) AS log_source,
username,
sourceip,
"hostname",
QIDNAME(qid) AS event_name,
"Process Name" AS process_name,
"Command" AS command_line,
"Parent Process Name" AS parent_process
FROM events
WHERE LOGSOURCETYPEID IN (12, 352, 433)
AND (
LOWER("Process Name") LIKE '%python%'
OR LOWER("Process Name") LIKE '%python3%'
OR LOWER("Process Name") LIKE '%pythonw%'
)
AND (
LOWER("Command") LIKE '%socket.socket%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%pty.spawn%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%subprocess.popen%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%subprocess.call%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%os.system%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%os.popen%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%exec(%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%eval(%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%compile(%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%__import__%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%base64.b64decode%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%codecs.decode%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%reverse_shell%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%/bin/sh%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%urllib%'
OR LOWER("Command") LIKE '%requests%'
)
AND starttime > NOW() - 86400000
ORDER BY starttime DESC
LIMIT 500Detects suspicious Python interpreter execution for T1059.006 by querying QRadar events from Windows Sysmon (LOGSOURCETYPEID 352), Linux auditd (LOGSOURCETYPEID 433), and Microsoft Windows Security Event Log (LOGSOURCETYPEID 12). Matches process command lines containing patterns associated with reverse shells, download-and-execute behavior, subprocess abuse, and dynamic code execution via Python.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Python-based monitoring agents (Datadog, New Relic, etc.) that use subprocess or socket for metrics collection
- DevOps tooling such as Fabric, Invoke, or Ansible runner scripts executed from CI/CD pipelines
- Data science workloads running Jupyter notebooks or ML training jobs that legitimately use urllib and requests for dataset downloads
Other platforms for T1059.006
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 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 1Python Reverse Shell One-Liner
Expected signal: Auditd: EXECVE record for python3 with -c flag and socket.socket in arguments. Network connection attempt to 127.0.0.1:4444. MDE DeviceProcessEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents on managed endpoints.
- Test 2Python Download and Execute
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for python.exe with urllib in CommandLine. Sysmon Event ID 3: Network Connection to 127.0.0.1:8080 (will fail without listener). The exec() call triggers even though download fails.
- Test 3Python Subprocess Command Execution
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for python.exe with subprocess.Popen in CommandLine. Child process event for cmd.exe spawned by python.exe.
References (5)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/006/
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1059.006/T1059.006.md
- https://www.revshells.com/
- https://github.com/fortra/impacket
- https://www.zscaler.com/blogs/security-research/apt-31-leverages-covid-19-vaccine-theme-and-abuses-legitimate-online
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