T1036.009_break-process-trees

DevOps & Security

An adversary may attempt to evade process tree-based analysis by modifying executed malware's parent process ID (PPID).

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T1036.009 Break Process Trees

Sub-technique of: T1036

High-Level Description

An adversary may attempt to evade process tree-based analysis by modifying executed malware's parent process ID (PPID). If endpoint protection software leverages the “parent-child" relationship for detection, breaking this relationship could result in the adversary’s behavior not being associated with previous process tree activity. On Unix-based systems breaking this process tree is common practice for administrators to execute software using scripts and programs.

On Linux systems, adversaries may execute a series of Native API calls to alter malware's process tree. For example, adversaries can execute their payload without any arguments, call the fork() API call twice, then have the parent process exit. This creates a grandchild process with no parent process that is immediately adopted by the init system process (PID 1), which successfully disconnects the execution of the adversary's payload from its previous process tree.

Another example is using the “daemon” syscall to detach from the current parent process and run in the background.

Kill Chain Phase

Defense Evasion (TA0005)

Platforms: Linux, macOS

What to Check

Identify if Break Process Trees technique is applicable to target environment
Check Linux systems for indicators of Break Process Trees
Check macOS systems for indicators of Break Process Trees
Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Manual Testing

Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Break Process Trees by examining the target platforms (Linux, macOS).
Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1036.009 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.
Execute Test: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.

Note: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.

Remediation Guide

No specific mitigations documented for this technique.

Detection

Detection Strategy for Masquerading via Breaking Process Trees

Risk Assessment

Finding	Severity	Impact
Break Process Trees technique applicable	Low	Defense Evasion

CWE Categories

CWE ID	Title
CWE-693	Protection Mechanism Failure