How do I install the Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add gabrielmoreira/hunting-for-data-staging-before-exfiltration in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: executes scripts, reads secrets. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under Apache-2.

Who published Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration?

gabrielmoreira (@gabrielmoreira) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration by gabrielmoreira

Name: Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: gabrielmoreira

Hunting For Data Staging Before Exfiltration

Detect data-staging activity (MITRE ATT&CK T1074) by analyzing EDR/Sysmon process-creation and file-system telemetry (Event ID 4688, Sysmon 1/11) for 7-Zip/RAR/tar archive creation, unusual temp or hidden folder access, and anomalous consolidation of files from multiple directories. Use when hunting for pre-exfiltration staging behavior, building detection rules for archiver abuse, or validating monitoring coverage for T1074.

gabrielmoreira Updated Sep 9, 2026 17 repo stars

File contents

Hunting for Data Staging Before Exfiltration

Overview

Before exfiltrating data, adversaries typically stage collected files in a central location (MITRE ATT&CK T1074). This involves creating archives with tools like 7-Zip, RAR, or tar, consolidating files from multiple directories, and using temporary or hidden staging directories. This skill detects staging behavior by analyzing process creation logs for archiver activity, monitoring file system events in common staging paths, and identifying anomalous file consolidation patterns.

When to Use

When investigating security incidents that require hunting for data staging before exfiltration
When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

EDR or Sysmon telemetry with process creation and file system events
Windows Event Logs (Event ID 4688) or Sysmon Event ID 1, 11
Python 3.8+ with standard library
Access to process creation logs in JSON/CSV format

Steps

Detect Archive Tool Execution — Monitor for 7z.exe, rar.exe, tar, zip, and WinRAR process creation with compression arguments
Identify Staging Directories — Flag file writes to common staging locations (Recycle Bin, %TEMP%, ProgramData, hidden directories)
Detect Large File Consolidation — Identify patterns of multiple file reads followed by writes to a single directory
Monitor Sensitive Path Access — Track bulk reads from document directories, database paths, and network shares
Analyze Archive Metadata — Extract and analyze archive file sizes, creation times, and source paths
Score Staging Risk — Apply heuristic scoring based on archive size, source diversity, staging path suspicion, and timing
Generate Hunt Report — Produce a structured report with staging event timeline and MITRE ATT&CK mapping

Expected Output

JSON report of detected staging events with risk scores
Archive creation timeline with source file analysis
MITRE ATT&CK mapping (T1074.001, T1074.002, T1560)
Staging directory heat map showing suspicious write activity

---name: hunting-for-data-staging-before-exfiltrationdescription: Detect data-staging activity (MITRE ATT&CK T1074) by analyzing EDR/Sysmon process-creation and file-system telemetry (Event ID 4688, Sysmon 1/11) for 7-Zip/RAR/tar archive creation, unusual temp or hidden folder access, and anomalous consolidation of files from multiple directories. Use when hunting for pre-exfiltration staging behavior, building detection rules for archiver abuse, or validating monitoring coverage for T1074.license: Apache-2.0--- # Hunting for Data Staging Before Exfiltration ## Overview Before exfiltrating data, adversaries typically stage collected files in a central location (MITRE ATT&CK T1074). This involves creating archives with tools like 7-Zip, RAR, or tar, consolidating files from multiple directories, and using temporary or hidden staging directories. This skill detects staging behavior by analyzing process creation logs for archiver activity, monitoring file system events in common staging paths, and identifying anomalous file consolidation patterns. ## When to Use - When investigating security incidents that require hunting for data staging before exfiltration - When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain - When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type - When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques ## Prerequisites - EDR or Sysmon telemetry with process creation and file system events - Windows Event Logs (Event ID 4688) or Sysmon Event ID 1, 11 - Python 3.8+ with standard library - Access to process creation logs in JSON/CSV format ## Steps 1. **Detect Archive Tool Execution** — Monitor for 7z.exe, rar.exe, tar, zip, and WinRAR process creation with compression arguments 2. **Identify Staging Directories** — Flag file writes to common staging locations (Recycle Bin, %TEMP%, ProgramData, hidden directories) 3. **Detect Large File Consolidation** — Identify patterns of multiple file reads followed by writes to a single directory 4. **Monitor Sensitive Path Access** — Track bulk reads from document directories, database paths, and network shares 5. **Analyze Archive Metadata** — Extract and analyze archive file sizes, creation times, and source paths 6. **Score Staging Risk** — Apply heuristic scoring based on archive size, source diversity, staging path suspicion, and timing 7. **Generate Hunt Report** — Produce a structured report with staging event timeline and MITRE ATT&CK mapping ## Expected Output - JSON report of detected staging events with risk scores - Archive creation timeline with source file analysis - MITRE ATT&CK mapping (T1074.001, T1074.002, T1560) - Staging directory heat map showing suspicious write activity

Frequently asked questions