Sigma rule: CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious Confluence Child Process (Windows)

Rule

Title

CVE-2023-22518 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious Confluence Child Process (Windows)

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Andreas Braathen (mnemonic.io)

Date

2023-11-14

File

rules-emerging-threats/2023/Exploits/CVE-2023-22518/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2023_22518_confluence_tomcat_child_proc.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects exploitation attempt of CVE-2023-22518 (Confluence Data Center / Confluence Server), where an attacker can exploit vulnerable endpoints to e.g. create admin accounts and execute arbitrary commands.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_parent:
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\tomcat8.exe'
        - '\tomcat9.exe'
        - '\tomcat10.exe'
    ParentCommandLine|contains: 'confluence'
selection_child:
    # Note: Only children associated with known campaigns
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\cmd.exe'
          - '\powershell.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'Cmd.Exe'
          - 'PowerShell.EXE'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.t1059
• attack.initial-access
• attack.t1190
• cve.2023-22518
• detection.emerging-threats

CVEs this rule names

• CVE-2023-22518

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1059
• T1190

Related rules

• f8987c03-4290-4c96-870f-55e75ee377f4 (similar)

References

• https://confluence.atlassian.com/security/cve-2023-22518-improper-authorization-vulnerability-in-confluence-data-center-and-server-1311473907.html
• https://www.huntress.com/blog/confluence-to-cerber-exploitation-of-cve-2023-22518-for-ransomware-deployment
• https://github.com/ForceFledgling/CVE-2023-22518

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2023/Exploits/CVE-2023-22518/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2023_22518_confluence_tomcat_child_proc.yml