Individual skill
analyzing-macos-persistence-and-autostart
Enumerating, planting, and hunting macOS persistence and auto-start (ASEP) locations during authorized engagements - LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons, shell rc files, login items, cron/at/periodic jobs, login/logout hooks, Dock and Terminal/iTerm2 preferences, audio/QuickLook/Spotlight plugins, PAM modules, Authorization plugins, emond, and StartupItems - and mapping each to its trigger, required privilege, and sandbox/TCC implications.
internal/tools/skills/data/macos-security/analyzing-macos-persistence-and-autostart/SKILL.md
Source commit d42f381ad34843e71a42658e5c57290c713e85af
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- Matches the observed repository HEAD
- Yes
- Scanner rules are current
- Yes
- Repository scan complete
- No
- Skill scan complete
- No
- Observed behavior
- Network or broad shell
- Last checked
- Nov 9, 2026
These are observations at the recorded commit, not a guarantee of safety. Review the source before running it.
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Repository context
- Repository stars (not skill ratings)
- 1,325
- Repository last updated
- Nov 9, 2026
- License
- Apache-2.0
Observed agent integration: No specific integration evidence. Standard SKILL.md installation does not imply verified compatibility.
- cybersecurity Repository topic
- security Repository topic
- bug-bounty Repository topic
- automation Repository topic
- autonomous-pentesting Repository topic
- ai-agent Repository topic
- ai-security Repository topic
- ethical-hacking Repository topic
- golang Repository topic
- penetration-testing Repository topic
- penetration-testing Declared skill tag
- macos Declared skill tag
- persistence Declared skill tag
- testing Derived category
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# Analyzing macOS Persistence and Autostart
## When to Use
- During authorized macOS assessments to
establish or demonstrate persistence after gaining code execution
- During threat hunting / DFIR to enumerate Auto-Start Extensibility Points (ASEPs) and spot implants
- When you need a persistence method that survives reboot, relogin, or a specific user action
- When choosing a technique by its required privilege (user vs root) and sandbox/TCC posture
- macOS exposes many ASEPs beyond LaunchAgents; map each to its trigger and permission cost
## Critical: Techniques Most Often Missed
### 1. User-owned plist in a system LaunchDaemon folder runs as the USER