Detection of Masquerading

Technique Detected:  Masquerading | T0849

ID: DET0725
Domains: ICS
Analytics: AN1858, AN2123, AN2231, AN2287
Version: 1.0
Created: 21 October 2025
Last Modified: 13 October 2026

Analytics

AN1858

Real-time monitoring identifies a process or scheduled task whose displayed name matches a known Industrial Control System (ICS) vendor application but whose on-disk binary hash or file path does not match the vendor-signed baseline. The mismatch -- name says one thing, binary integrity says another -- is the defining signal. OT operational-fidelity gate: Alert only when execution violates an approved signer/hash/path/parent/process or tool allowlist, or originates from an unauthorized user/tool, and is tied to an OT asset or follow-on OT-relevant action. Suppress vendor-signed software, approved engineering utilities, diagnostics, patching, backup, and documented maintenance.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Scheduled Job Creation (DC0001) WinEventLog:Security Windows Security Event ID 4698/4702: EventCode=4698 referencing Industrial Control Systems (ICS) vendor binary name from unauthorized process
File Metadata (DC0059) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=11 matching Industrial Control Systems (ICS) vendor binary name in a path outside vendor install paths
Process Metadata (DC0034) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=1 where image filename matches Industrial Control Systems (ICS) vendor process names but hash not in vendor hash baseline or current directory outside vendor install paths
Service Creation (DC0060) WinEventLog:System EventCode=7045 where ServiceName/ImagePath references Industrial Control Systems (ICS) vendor application with hash/path mismatch
Mutable Elements
Field Description
AssetInventoryDeviceTypes Maintained inventory of expected vendor/product identity strings per enrolled device IP.
ICSDaemonNames List of expected Linux ICS service daemon process names.
ICSVendorProcessNames List of known ICS vendor executable names used as the masquerade-target watchlist.
VendorHashBaseline Cryptographic hash inventory for all legitimate versions of vendor ICS binaries, updated on every patch cycle.
VendorInstallPaths Authorized installation directories for each ICS vendor application.

AN2123

Real-time monitoring identifies a process whose executable name matches a known Industrial Control System (ICS) service daemon but whose execution path falls outside the documented vendor installation directories, or whose binary hash does not match the package manager's recorded checksum for that package. OT operational-fidelity gate: Alert only when execution violates an approved signer/hash/path/parent/process or tool allowlist, or originates from an unauthorized user/tool, and is tied to an OT asset or follow-on OT-relevant action. Suppress vendor-signed software, approved engineering utilities, diagnostics, patching, backup, and documented maintenance.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Process Metadata (DC0034) auditd:SYSCALL Linux Audit SYSCALL/EXECVE/SOCKADDR records (configured audit rule): execve where exe basename matches Industrial Control Systems (ICS) daemon names but path outside vendor install paths
File Metadata (DC0059) linux:pkgintegrity rpm -V/dpkg --verify checksum mismatch for installed Industrial Control Systems (ICS) package binary
Mutable Elements
Field Description
AssetInventoryDeviceTypes Maintained inventory of expected vendor/product identity strings per enrolled device IP.
ICSDaemonNames List of expected Linux ICS service daemon process names.
ICSVendorProcessNames List of known ICS vendor executable names used as the masquerade-target watchlist.
VendorHashBaseline Cryptographic hash inventory for all legitimate versions of vendor ICS binaries, updated on every patch cycle.
VendorInstallPaths Authorized installation directories for each ICS vendor application.

AN2231

Real-time monitoring identifies an ICS device presenting protocol identity attributes (for example vendor, product, model, or capability identifiers) that conflict with the identity and capabilities recorded for that network address/device in the authorized asset inventory. OT operational-fidelity gate: Alert only when execution violates an approved signer/hash/path/parent/process or tool allowlist, or originates from an unauthorized user/tool, and is tied to an OT asset or follow-on OT-relevant action. Suppress vendor-signed software, approved engineering utilities, diagnostics, patching, backup, and documented maintenance.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Network Traffic Content (DC0085) NSM:Content GetIdentity/Identity Object response vendor/product string does not match enrolled asset inventory for device_ip
Mutable Elements
Field Description
AssetInventoryDeviceTypes Maintained inventory of expected vendor/product identity strings per enrolled device IP.
ICSDaemonNames List of expected Linux ICS service daemon process names.
ICSVendorProcessNames List of known ICS vendor executable names used as the masquerade-target watchlist.
VendorHashBaseline Cryptographic hash inventory for all legitimate versions of vendor ICS binaries, updated on every patch cycle.
VendorInstallPaths Authorized installation directories for each ICS vendor application.

AN2287

Real-time monitoring identifies traffic on an Industrial Control System (ICS) protocol port (e.g., 502, 20000, 44818, etc.) with payload content that does not conform to the expected protocol structure for that port, suggesting non-ICS traffic tunneled over ICS port numbers to evade port-based filtering or blend with expected traffic patterns. OT operational-fidelity gate: Alert only when execution violates an approved signer/hash/path/parent/process or tool allowlist, or originates from an unauthorized user/tool, and is tied to an OT asset or follow-on OT-relevant action. Suppress vendor-signed software, approved engineering utilities, diagnostics, patching, backup, and documented maintenance.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Network Traffic Content (DC0085) otids:ProtocolDecoder Protocol decoder/IDS transaction/signature: exploit-relevant request against ICS remote service from unexpected source, correlated with subsequent endpoint/device anomaly
Mutable Elements
Field Description
AssetInventoryDeviceTypes Maintained inventory of expected vendor/product identity strings per enrolled device IP.
ICSDaemonNames List of expected Linux ICS service daemon process names.
ICSVendorProcessNames List of known ICS vendor executable names used as the masquerade-target watchlist.
VendorHashBaseline Cryptographic hash inventory for all legitimate versions of vendor ICS binaries, updated on every patch cycle.
VendorInstallPaths Authorized installation directories for each ICS vendor application.