Cross-source coverage
T1059.012 / ATT&CK
Command and Scripting Interpreter: Hypervisor CLI
9 rules across 1 source.
From MITRE ATT&CK 19.2
Adversaries may abuse hypervisor command line interpreters (CLIs) to execute malicious commands. Hypervisor CLIs typically enable a wide variety of functionality for managing both the hypervisor itself and the guest virtual machines it hosts.
For example, on ESXi systems, tools such as esxcli and vim-cmd allow administrators to configure firewall rules and log forwarding on the hypervisor, list virtual machines, start and stop virtual machines, and more. Adversaries may be able to leverage these tools in order to support further actions, such as File and Directory Discovery or Data Encrypted for Impact.
- Tactics
- Execution
- Platforms
- ESXi
- Telemetry
-
esxi:vmkernelesxi:auth
How MITRE says to detect it DET0558
Detection Strategy for ESXi Hypervisor CLI Abuse
ESXi Analytic 1537
Detects suspicious use of ESXi native CLI tools like esxcli and vim-cmd by unauthorized users or outside expected maintenance windows. Focus is on actions such as stopping VMs, reconfiguring network/firewall settings, and enabling SSH or logging.
esxi:vmkernelesxcli, vim-cmd invocationesxi:authSSH session/login
SigmaHQ/sigma
9 rules| Detection | Severity | Format |
|---|---|---|
| ESXi Admin Permission Assigned To Account Via ESXCLI | High | Sigma |
| ESXi Account Creation Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi Network Configuration Discovery Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi Storage Information Discovery Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi Syslog Configuration Change Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi System Information Discovery Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi VM Kill Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi VM List Discovery Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |
| ESXi VSAN Information Discovery Via ESXCLI | Medium | Sigma |