Clipboard Data Access with Anomalous Context

Technique Detected:  Clipboard Data | T1115

ID: DET0341
Domains: Enterprise
Analytics: AN0965, AN0966, AN0967
Version: 1.0
Created: 21 October 2025
Last Modified: 21 October 2025

Analytics

AN0965

Detection of clipboard access via OS utilities (e.g., clip.exe, Get-Clipboard) by non-interactive or abnormal parent processes, potentially chained with staging or exfiltration commands.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Process Creation (DC0032) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=1
Process Access (DC0035) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=10
Mutable Elements
Field Description
TimeWindow Defines how far back to look for parent-child relationships and follow-on network activity.
UserContext Filters based on service vs interactive users to reduce noise.
ParentProcessName Tunable list of expected/benign clipboard accessors.

AN0966

Detection of pbpaste/pbcopy clipboard access by processes without terminal sessions or linked to launch agents, potentially staged for collection.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Process Creation (DC0032) macos:unifiedlog process
Mutable Elements
Field Description
ExecutionChainLength How many chained or embedded processes to track for correlation.
TerminalSession Whether the pbpaste/pbcopy action is tied to a user terminal.
BinaryPath Adjust if clipboard tooling is relocated (e.g., /opt/empyre/pbpaste).

AN0967

Detection of xclip or xsel access to clipboard buffers outside of user terminal context, especially when chained to staging (gzip, base64) or network exfiltration (curl, scp).

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Process Creation (DC0032) auditd:SYSCALL execve
Mutable Elements
Field Description
ClipboardCommand Tool used (xclip, xsel, custom clipboard-read binary).
CorrelationWindow Temporal window to chain staging or network activity with clipboard access.
TTYLinked Was access linked to interactive user TTY?