Sigma rule: Potential Perl Reverse Shell Execution

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-e1964545aa6a, updated 2023-04-07T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Perl Reverse Shell Execution
Status
test
Level
high
Author
@d4ns4n_, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-04-07
File
rules/linux/process_creation/proc_creation_lnx_perl_reverse_shell.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of the perl binary with the "-e" flag and common strings related to potential reverse shell activity

Log source

product
linux
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    Image|endswith: '/perl'
    CommandLine|contains: ' -e '
selection_content:
    - CommandLine|contains|all:
          - 'fdopen('
          - '::Socket::INET'
    - CommandLine|contains|all:
          - 'Socket'
          - 'connect'
          - 'open'
          - 'exec'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.execution

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/linux/process_creation/proc_creation_lnx_perl_reverse_shell.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Perl Reverse Shell Execution" by @d4ns4n_, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/linux/process_creation/proc_creation_lnx_perl_reverse_shell.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Potential Perl Reverse Shell Execution",
entity page, dataset version ref-e1964545aa6a, updated 2023-04-07T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/259df6bc-003f-4306-9f54-4ff1a08fa38e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 259df6bc-003f-4306-9f54-4ff1a08fa38e, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.