Identifier / Programs / Linux and Unix
tex
Compile a DVI document from TeX source files. tldr-pages
GTFOBins shell 1 ATT&CK technique 1 documented command
How tex is abused
shell T1059.004 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell
--shell-escapeEach abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for tex.
1 documented command
shell unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID
tex --shell-escape '\immediate\write18{/bin/sh}'The command the identifier reads trips no Sigma process-creation rule. This command is from GTFOBins, at commit acd524623f9c of 2026-05-27, under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. Changed: Markdown is shown formatted. The source is in lolbas-gtfobins-commands.json.gz, and the full entry is on GTFOBins’s page for tex. The identifier reads the line that runs tex.
What detects it
Everyday use
Compile a DVI document
tex source.texIdentifyCompile a DVI document, specifying an output directory
tex -output-directory=path/to/directory source.texIdentifyCompile a DVI document, exiting on each error
tex -halt-on-error source.texIdentifyNone of the 3 examples the identifier reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.