TA0006 · CREDENTIAL ACCESS
/etc/passwd and /etc/shadow
Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow to enable offline password cracking.
Detect it with
The AuditD monitoring tool, which ships stock in many Linux distributions, can be used to watch for hostile processes attempting to access /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow , alerting on the pid, process name, and arguments of such programs.
Why it matters on shift
/etc/passwd and /etc/shadow is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve credential access. Recognising it in telemetry lets you name the technique in your ticket and pivot to what came before and after.
What to look for next
After credential access, the next tactic is usually Discovery. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
Kill-chain context