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analyzing-persistence-mechanisms-in-linux

analyzing-persistence-mechanisms-in-linux

github.com/mukul975Security35.2k322 installsUpdated 8w ago
Repository

About analyzing-persistence-mechanisms-in-linux

This skill gives Linux security analysts and incident responders a structured process for finding persistence mechanisms. It checks common footholds and correlates auditd logs to produce an installation timeline and risk-scored report.

Key features

  1. 01Scan cron, systemd, and init persistence points
  2. 02Inspect LD_PRELOAD and shell profiles
  3. 03Audit SSH authorized_keys
  4. 04Correlate auditd logs into a timeline
  5. 05Generate risk scores and remediation commands

Use cases

  1. 01Investigate persistence during Linux incidents
  2. 02Develop related detection rules or threat-hunting queries
  3. 03Validate monitoring coverage for persistence techniques

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills --skill analyzing-persistence-mechanisms-in-linux

After installing, type/analyzing-persistence-mechanisms-in-linuxin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled files

References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.

LICENSE
references/
api-reference.md
scripts/
agent.py

Details

From the project README

Analyzing Persistence Mechanisms in Linux

Overview

Adversaries establish persistence on Linux systems through crontab jobs, systemd service/timer units, LD_PRELOAD library injection, shell profile modifications (.bashrc, .profile), SSH authorized_keys backdoors, and init script manipulation. This skill scans for all known persistence vectors, checks file timestamps and integrity, and correlates findings with auditd logs to build a timeline of persistence installation.

When to Use

  • When investigating security incidents that require analyzing persistence mechanisms in linux
  • When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
  • When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
  • When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

  • Root or sudo access on target Linux system (or forensic image)
  • auditd configured with file watch rules on persistence paths
  • Python 3.8+ with standard library (os, subprocess, json)
  • Optional: OSSEC/Wazuh agent for file integrity monitoring alerts

Steps

  1. Scan Crontab Entries — Enumerate all user crontabs, /etc/cron.d/, /etc/cron.daily/, and anacron jobs for suspicious commands
  2. Audit Systemd Units — Check /etc/systemd/system/ and ~/.config/systemd/user/ for non-package-managed service and timer units
  3. Detect LD_PRELOAD Hijacking — Check /etc/ld.so.preload and LD_PRELOAD environment variable for injected shared libraries
  4. Inspect Shell Profiles — Scan .bashrc, .bash_profile, .profile, /etc/profile.d/ for injected commands or reverse shells
  5. Check SSH Authorized Keys — Audit all authorized_keys files for unauthorized public keys with command restrictions
  6. Correlate Auditd Logs — Search auditd logs for file modification events on persistence paths to build an installation timeline
  7. Generate Persistence Report — Produce a risk-scored report of all discovered persistence mechanisms

Expected Output

  • JSON report of all persistence mechanisms found with risk scores
  • Timeline of persistence installation from auditd correlation
  • MITRE ATT&CK technique mapping (T1053, T1543, T1574, T1546)
  • Remediation commands for each detected persistence mechanism

Comments

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