Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion T1497
Tactics: Stealth, Discovery
Adversaries may employ various means to detect and avoid virtualization and analysis environments. This may include changing behaviors based on the results of checks for the presence of artifacts indicative of a virtual machine environment (VME) or sandbox. If the adversary detects a VME, they may alter their malware to disengage from the victim or conceal the core functions of the implant. They may also search for VME artifacts before dropping secondary or additional payloads. Adversaries may use the information learned from Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion during automated discovery to shape follow-on behaviors.
Events covered
6 catalog events are tagged with this technique by at least one rule.
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1 | Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688 | A new process has been created. |
| ESF | exec | Process Execution |
| ESF | rename | File Rename |
| ESF | write | File Write |
| PowerShell | Event ID 4104 | Creating Scriptblock text (MessageNumber of MessageTotal). |
Authoring guide
These 21 rules share fields, values, and exclusions.
Fields filtered most (19 distinct)
These fields appear most often in rule filters.
Top indicator values (117 distinct)
These values appear most often in rule predicates.
Exclusions (37 distinct)
These values appear most often in top-level exclusions.
Rules under this technique
These vendors publish rules tagged with this technique.
Domain: Endpoint
Sigma 3 rules
- Powershell Detect Virtualization Environment
- System Information Discovery Using System_Profiler
- System Information Discovery Via Sysctl - MacOS
Elastic 6 rules
- Delayed Execution via Ping
- Potential Microsoft Office Sandbox Evasion
- Potential Virtual Machine Fingerprinting via VMDetect
- Suspicious SIP Check by macOS Application
- Virtual Machine Fingerprinting
- Virtual Machine Fingerprinting via Grep
Splunk 12 rules
- Common Recon Commands in Short Burst (Sysmon)
- Common Recon Commands in Short Burst (Windows Event Log)
- Headless Browser Usage
- Ping Sleep Batch Command
- Windows Chromium Browser Launched with Small Window Size
- Windows Chromium Browser No Security Sandbox Process
- Windows Chromium Browser with Custom User Data Directory
- Windows Chromium process Launched with Disable Popup Blocking
- Windows Chromium Process Launched with Logging Disabled
- Windows Chromium Process with Disabled Extensions
- Windows Time Based Evasion
- Windows Time Based Evasion via Choice Exec