Mask System Power Settings Via Systemctl

calendar Oct 20, 2025 · attack.persistence attack.impact attack.t1653  ·
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Detects the use of systemctl mask to disable system power management targets such as suspend, hibernate, or hybrid sleep. Adversaries may mask these targets to prevent a system from entering sleep or shutdown states, ensuring their malicious processes remain active and uninterrupted. This behavior can be associated with persistence or defense evasion, as it impairs normal system power operations to maintain long-term access or avoid termination of malicious activity.

Sigma rule (View on GitHub)

 1title: Mask System Power Settings Via Systemctl
 2id: c172b7b5-f3a1-4af2-90b7-822c63df86cb
 3status: experimental
 4description: |
 5    Detects the use of systemctl mask to disable system power management targets such as suspend, hibernate, or hybrid sleep.
 6    Adversaries may mask these targets to prevent a system from entering sleep or shutdown states, ensuring their malicious processes remain active and uninterrupted.
 7    This behavior can be associated with persistence or defense evasion, as it impairs normal system power operations to maintain long-term access or avoid termination of malicious activity.    
 8author: Milad Cheraghi, Nasreddine Bencherchali
 9date: 2025-10-17
10references:
11    - https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/systemctl.1.html
12    - https://linux-audit.com/systemd/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-systemctl-disable-and-systemctl-mask/
13tags:
14    - attack.persistence
15    - attack.impact
16    - attack.t1653
17logsource:
18    category: process_creation
19    product: linux
20detection:
21    selection_systemctl:
22        Image|endswith: '/systemctl'
23        CommandLine|contains: ' mask'
24    selection_power_options:
25        CommandLine|contains:
26            - 'suspend.target'
27            - 'hibernate.target'
28            - 'hybrid-sleep.target'
29    condition: all of selection_*
30falsepositives:
31    - Unlikely
32level: high

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