CmdID / Programs / Linux and Unix

watch

Execute a program periodically and monitor the output in full-screen mode. tldr-pages

GTFOBins shell 1 ATT&CK technique 2 documented commands

How watch is abused

documented by GTFOBins

shell T1059.004 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell

-xExec command directly (without "sh -c") toybox

-c

shell T1059.004 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell

Each abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for watch.

2 documented commands

from GTFOBins, each read by CmdID

shell unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID

watch -x /bin/sh -c 'reset; exec /bin/sh 1>&0 2>&0'

Identify

As SUID:

watch -x /bin/sh -p -c 'reset; exec /bin/sh -p 1>&0 2>&0'

shell unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID

watch 'reset; exec /bin/sh 1>&0 2>&0'

Identify

None of the 2 commands CmdID reads trips a Sigma process-creation rule. These commands are 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 watch. CmdID reads the line of each that runs watch.

What detects it

Sigma process creation rules

T1059.004Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix Shell

Everyday use

from tldr-pages, CC BY 4.0

Repeatedly run a command and show the result

watch commandIdentify

Re-run a command every 60 seconds

watch --interval 60 commandIdentify

Monitor disk space, highlighting differences as they appear

watch --differences dfIdentify

None of the 3 examples CmdID reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.

Options

5 in toybox

Show every option of watch

-n SECNumber of seconds between repeats (default 2.0)

-tDon't print header

-eExit on error

-bBeep on command error

-xExec command directly (without "sh -c")