systemctl Execution

No violationsstackroxlowruntime

Detected usage of the systemctl service manager

Rationale: The systemctl service manager is generally not used in containers, and its use could indicate suspicious activity
Remediation: Remove systemctl from the image before deploying, or consider using a base image that doesn't bundle systemctl

CategoriesSystem Modification

Compliance mappingsView coverage →

NIST SP 800-53 rev. 5: SI-4

Generated artifacts

1 of 5 targets supported

systemctl-execution.yaml

- rule: systemctl-execution
  desc: Detected usage of the systemctl service manager
  condition: proc.name in ("systemctl") and not (proc.cmdline contains "--version")
  output: Process %proc.name executed by user %user.name (uid=%user.uid) in container %container.id image=%container.image.repository (policy=systemctl Execution)
  priority: NOTICE
  source: syscall
  tags:
    - stackrox-import
    - policy

IR (canonical)

{
  "id": "f2183906-4577-47de-9bf4-270d09e0a93c",
  "name": "systemctl Execution",
  "description": "Detected usage of the systemctl service manager",
  "rationale": "The systemctl service manager is generally not used in containers, and its use could indicate suspicious activity",
  "remediation": "Remove systemctl from the image before deploying, or consider using a base image that doesn't bundle systemctl",
  "severity": "low",
  "categories": [
    "System Modification"
  ],
  "lifecycle": [
    "runtime"
  ],
  "eventSource": "deployment",
  "scope": [],
  "exclusions": [
    {
      "name": "Don't alert on StackRox namespace",
      "namespace": "stackrox"
    }
  ],
  "enforcement": {
    "failBuild": false
  },
  "expression": {
    "op": "and",
    "children": [
      {
        "op": "criterion",
        "field": "process-name",
        "values": [
          "systemctl"
        ],
        "valuesOp": "or",
        "negate": false
      },
      {
        "op": "criterion",
        "field": "process-arguments",
        "values": [
          "--version"
        ],
        "valuesOp": "or",
        "negate": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "disabled": false
}

Original StackRox JSON

{
  "id": "f2183906-4577-47de-9bf4-270d09e0a93c",
  "name": "systemctl Execution",
  "description": "Detected usage of the systemctl service manager",
  "rationale": "The systemctl service manager is generally not used in containers, and its use could indicate suspicious activity",
  "remediation": "Remove systemctl from the image before deploying, or consider using a base image that doesn't bundle systemctl",
  "disabled": false,
  "categories": [
    "System Modification"
  ],
  "lifecycleStages": [
    "RUNTIME"
  ],
  "eventSource": "DEPLOYMENT_EVENT",
  "exclusions": [
    {
      "name": "Don't alert on StackRox namespace",
      "deployment": {
        "name": "",
        "scope": {
          "cluster": "",
          "namespace": "stackrox",
          "label": null
        }
      },
      "image": null
    }
  ],
  "scope": [],
  "severity": "LOW_SEVERITY",
  "enforcementActions": [],
  "policySections": [
    {
      "sectionName": "",
      "policyGroups": [
        {
          "fieldName": "Process Name",
          "booleanOperator": "OR",
          "negate": false,
          "values": [
            {
              "value": "systemctl"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "fieldName": "Process Arguments",
          "booleanOperator": "OR",
          "negate": true,
          "values": [
            {
              "value": "--version"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "notifiers": [],
  "lastUpdated": null,
  "SORTName": "",
  "SORTLifecycleStage": "",
  "SORTEnforcement": false,
  "policyVersion": "1.1",
  "mitreAttackVectors": [
    {
      "tactic": "TA0003",
      "techniques": [
        "T1543.002"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tactic": "TA0004",
      "techniques": [
        "T1543.002"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "criteriaLocked": true,
  "mitreVectorsLocked": true,
  "isDefault": true,
  "source": "IMPERATIVE"
}