type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--dca670cf-eeec-438f-8185-fd959d9ef211
created: 2020-01-15T16:25:22.260Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/004
external_id: T1037.004
source_name: Apple Developer Doco Archive Launchd
description: Apple. (2016, September 13). Daemons and Services Programming Guide - Creating Launch Daemons and Agents. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
url: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingLaunchdJobs.html
source_name: Startup Items
description: Apple. (2016, September 13). Startup Items. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
url: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/StartupItems.html
source_name: Juniper Networks ESXi Backdoor 2022
description: Asher Langton. (2022, December 9). A Custom Python Backdoor for VMWare ESXi Servers. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
url: https://blogs.juniper.net/en-us/threat-research/a-custom-python-backdoor-for-vmware-esxi-servers
source_name: Ubuntu Manpage systemd rc
description: Canonical Ltd.. (n.d.). systemd-rc-local-generator - Compatibility generator for starting /etc/rc.local and /usr/sbin/halt.local during boot and shutdown. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
url: http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/systemd-rc-local-generator.8.html
source_name: IranThreats Kittens Dec 2017
description: Iran Threats . (2017, December 5). Flying Kitten to Rocket Kitten, A Case of Ambiguity and Shared Code. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
url: https://iranthreats.github.io/resources/attribution-flying-rocket-kitten/
source_name: Methods of Mac Malware Persistence
description: Patrick Wardle. (2014, September). Methods of Malware Persistence on Mac OS X. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
url: https://www.virusbulletin.com/uploads/pdf/conference/vb2014/VB2014-Wardle.pdf
source_name: intezer-kaiji-malware
description: Paul Litvak. (2020, May 4). Kaiji: New Chinese Linux malware turning to Golang. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
url: https://www.intezer.com/blog/research/kaiji-new-chinese-linux-malware-turning-to-golang/
source_name: Intezer HiddenWasp Map 2019
description: Sanmillan, I. (2019, May 29). HiddenWasp Malware Stings Targeted Linux Systems. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
url: https://www.intezer.com/blog-hiddenwasp-malware-targeting-linux-systems/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:49:28.955Z
name: RC Scripts
description: Adversaries may establish persistence by modifying RC scripts, which are executed during a Unix-like system’s startup. These files allow system administrators to map and start custom services at startup for different run levels. RC scripts require root privileges to modify.

Adversaries may establish persistence by adding a malicious binary path or shell commands to rc.local, rc.common, and other RC scripts specific to the Unix-like distribution.(Citation: IranThreats Kittens Dec 2017)(Citation: Intezer HiddenWasp Map 2019) Upon reboot, the system executes the script's contents as root, resulting in persistence.

Adversary abuse of RC scripts is especially effective for lightweight Unix-like distributions using the root user as default, such as ESXi hypervisors, IoT, or embedded systems.(Citation: intezer-kaiji-malware) As ESXi servers store most system files in memory and therefore discard changes on shutdown, leveraging `/etc/rc.local.d/local.sh` is one of the few mechanisms for enabling persistence across reboots.(Citation: Juniper Networks ESXi Backdoor 2022)

Several Unix-like systems have moved to Systemd and deprecated the use of RC scripts. This is now a deprecated mechanism in macOS in favor of Launchd.(Citation: Apple Developer Doco Archive Launchd)(Citation: Startup Items) This technique can be used on Mac OS X Panther v10.3 and earlier versions which still execute the RC scripts.(Citation: Methods of Mac Malware Persistence) To maintain backwards compatibility some systems, such as Ubuntu, will execute the RC scripts if they exist with the correct file permissions.(Citation: Ubuntu Manpage systemd rc)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: persistence
kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: privilege-escalation
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.3.0
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: enterprise-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: yes
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: macOS
Linux
Network Devices
ESXi
x_mitre_version: 2.2