How EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) Works: A Cybersecurity Deep Dive

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Modern EDR solutions are critical for defending endpoints against malware, ransomware, and advanced threats. Here’s a technical breakdown of how EDR operates:

🚨 Detection

  1. Behavior Analysis – Monitors processes in real-time for anomalies (e.g., unusual file encryption).

– Linux Command: `ps aux | grep -i “suspicious_process”`
– Windows Command: `Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.CPU -gt 90 }`

  1. AI/ML & Heuristics – Detects zero-day attacks using pattern recognition.

– Example: `yara -r /malware_samples/ -s “rule malware_behavior { strings: $a = {6A 40 68 00 30 00 00 6A 14} condition: $a }”`

  1. IoC Scans – Checks against threat intelligence feeds (e.g., VirusTotal API).

– Bash Script:

curl -s "https://www.virustotal.com/api/v3/ip_addresses/$SUSPECT_IP" -H "x-apikey: YOUR_API_KEY"

🔍 Investigation

  1. Root Cause Analysis – Traces attack origins via logs.

– Linux: `journalctl -u sshd –no-pager | grep “Failed password”`
– Windows: `Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName=’Security’; ID=4625}`

  1. Attack Visualization – Maps lateral movement with tools like Sysmon or Elastic SIEM.

– Sysmon Config:

<EventFiltering>
<RuleGroup name="Lateral Movement" groupRelation="or">
<NetworkConnect onmatch="include">
<DestinationPort condition="is">445</DestinationPort>
</NetworkConnect>
</RuleGroup>
</EventFiltering>
  1. Enriched Alerts – Integrates with MISP or ThreatFox.

– Python Script:

import pymisp
misp = PyMISP('https://misp.instance.com', 'API_KEY')
misp.search('attributes', value='malware_hash')

⚙️ Response

  1. Automated Isolation – Blocks malicious IPs via firewall.

– Linux: `iptables -A INPUT -s $ATTACKER_IP -j DROP`
– Windows: `New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName “Block Malicious IP” -Direction Inbound -RemoteAddress $ATTACKER_IP -Action Block`

8. Real-Time Mitigation – Kills malicious processes.

  • Linux: `kill -9 $(pgrep -f “ransomware.exe”)`
  • Windows: `Stop-Process -Name “malware_process” -Force`
  1. Recovery Options – Rolls back files using VSS (Windows) or LVM snapshots (Linux).

– Windows: `vssadmin list shadows`
– Linux: `lvcreate –snapshot –name backup_snap –size 10G /dev/vg0/lv0`

You Should Know:

  • EDR Bypass Techniques: Attackers use process hollowing or reflective DLL injection.
  • Detection Command: `lsmod | grep -i “unknown_module”` (Linux kernel modules).
  • Logging: Enable Sysmon (Windows) or auditd (Linux) for granular tracking.
  • Linux: `auditctl -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S execve`
  • Custom Rules: Use Sigma rules for EDR tuning.
  • Example Sigma Rule:
    title: Suspicious PowerShell Execution 
description: Detects PowerShell with hidden window 
logsource:
product: windows
service: powershell
detection:
CommandLine|contains: "-WindowStyle Hidden"

What Undercode Say

EDR is evolving with AI-driven threat hunting, but adversaries adapt fast. Future EDR systems will integrate deception tech (honeypots) and hardware-based security (Intel CET). For now, pair EDR with network segmentation (iptables -A FORWARD -j DROP) and least-privilege models (sudo visudo).

Expected Output:

  • EDR Alert: `[bash] Ransomware detected: Process “encrypt.exe” spawned from “temp\malware.dll”`
  • Mitigation: `[bash] Terminated PID 1337, quarantined /tmp/.ransomware_payload`

Prediction

By 2026, EDR will leverage quantum-resistant encryption and self-healing endpoints via AI auto-remediation.

Relevant URL: MITRE ATT&CK EDR Matrix

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Ouardi Mohamed – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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