Potential Credential Access via Memory Dump File Creation

Status: production
Kind: building block (feeds higher-level correlation rules; not a standalone alert)
Severity: low
Time window: 9m
Author: Elastic
Source: github.com/elastic/detection-rules

Identifies the creation or modification of a medium size memory dump file which can indicate an attempt to access credentials from a process memory.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Credential Access	`T1003.001` OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory

Event coverage

Provider	Event	Title
Sysmon	Event ID 11	FileCreate

Rule body elastic

[metadata]
bypass_bbr_timing = true
creation_date = "2023/09/21"
integration = ["endpoint"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2025/01/10"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
building_block_type = "default"
description = """
Identifies the creation or modification of a medium size memory dump file which can indicate an attempt to access
credentials from a process memory.
"""
from = "now-9m"
index = ["logs-endpoint.events.file-*"]
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Potential Credential Access via Memory Dump File Creation"
risk_score = 21
rule_id = "e707a7be-cc52-41ac-8ab3-d34b38c20005"
severity = "low"
tags = [
    "Domain: Endpoint",
    "OS: Windows",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Credential Access",
    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
    "Rule Type: BBR",
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
file where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "creation" and

  /* MDMP header */
  file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d444d50*" and file.size >= 30000 and
  not

  (
    (
      process.name : "System" or
      process.executable : (
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Wermgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Wermgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WUDFHost.exe",
        "C:\\Windows\\System32\\rdrleakdiag.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Taskmgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Taskmgr.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SystemApps\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Zoom\\bin\\zCrashReport64.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\CCM\\ccmdump.exe",
        "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\Sources\\SetupHost.exe"
      ) and process.code_signature.trusted == true
    ) or
    (
      file.path : (
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WER\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\WDF\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Alteryx\\ErrorLogs\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Goodix\\*",
        "?:\\Windows\\system32\\config\\systemprofile\\AppData\\Local\\CrashDumps\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Zoom\\logs\\zoomcrash*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\Crashpad\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\crashpaddb\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\HungReports\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\CrashDumps\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\NativeCrashReporting\\*",
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*\\Crashpad\\*",
        "?:\\Program Files\\*\\Crashpad\\*"
      ) and (process.code_signature.trusted == true or process.executable == null)
    )
  )
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1003"
name = "OS Credential Dumping"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/"
[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1003.001"
name = "LSASS Memory"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/001/"



[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0006"
name = "Credential Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0006/"

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: `file`

file where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "creation" and
  file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d444d50*" and file.size >= 30000 and
  not
  (
    (
      process.name : "System" or
      process.executable : (
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Wermgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Wermgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WUDFHost.exe",
        "C:\\Windows\\System32\\rdrleakdiag.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Taskmgr.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Taskmgr.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\SystemApps\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Zoom\\bin\\zCrashReport64.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\CCM\\ccmdump.exe",
        "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\Sources\\SetupHost.exe"
      ) and process.code_signature.trusted == true
    ) or
    (
      file.path : (
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WER\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\WDF\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Alteryx\\ErrorLogs\\*",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\Goodix\\*",
        "?:\\Windows\\system32\\config\\systemprofile\\AppData\\Local\\CrashDumps\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Zoom\\logs\\zoomcrash*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\Crashpad\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\crashpaddb\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\HungReports\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\CrashDumps\\*",
        "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\*\\NativeCrashReporting\\*",
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*\\Crashpad\\*",
        "?:\\Program Files\\*\\Crashpad\\*"
      ) and (process.code_signature.trusted == true or process.executable == null)
    )
  )

Exclusions

Top-level NOT(...) conjuncts: predicates this rule actively suppresses.

Field	Kind	Excluded values
`process.code_signature.trusted`	eq	`true`
`process.executable`	is_null	(no value, null check)
`file.path`	wildcard	`?:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\`, `?:\ProgramData\Microsoft\WDF\`, `?:\ProgramData\Alteryx\ErrorLogs\`, `?:\ProgramData\Goodix\`, `?:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\CrashDumps\`, `?:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Zoom\logs\zoomcrash`, `?:\Users\\AppData\\Crashpad\`, `?:\Users\\AppData\\crashpaddb\`, `?:\Users\\AppData\\HungReports\`, `?:\Users\\AppData\\CrashDumps\`, `?:\Users\\AppData\\NativeCrashReporting\`, `?:\Program Files (x86)\\Crashpad\`, `?:\Program Files\\Crashpad\`
`process.code_signature.trusted`	eq	`true`
`process.executable`	wildcard	`?:\Windows\System32\WerFault.exe`, `?:\Windows\SysWOW64\WerFault.exe`, `?:\Windows\System32\Wermgr.exe`, `?:\Windows\SysWOW64\Wermgr.exe`, `?:\Windows\System32\WerFaultSecure.exe`, `?:\Windows\SysWOW64\WerFaultSecure.exe`, `?:\Windows\System32\WUDFHost.exe`, `C:\Windows\System32\rdrleakdiag.exe`, `?:\Windows\System32\Taskmgr.exe`, `?:\Windows\SysWOW64\Taskmgr.exe`, `?:\Program Files\.exe`, `?:\Program Files (x86)\.exe`, `?:\Windows\SystemApps\.exe`, `?:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Zoom\bin\zCrashReport64.exe`, `?:\Windows\CCM\ccmdump.exe`, `?:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\SetupHost.exe`
`process.name`	eq	`System`

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

Field	Kind	Values
`event.type`	eq	`creation` corpus 45 (elastic 45)
`file.Ext.header_bytes`	wildcard	`4d444d50*` corpus 2 (elastic 2)
`file.size`	ge	`30000` corpus 3 (elastic 3)

`j` / `k`	Scroll down / up
`d` / `u`	Half-page down / up
`gg` / `G`	Top / bottom
`h` / `l`	History back / forward
`f`	Follow link (`Shift` = new tab)
`/`	Focus search
`?`	Toggle this help
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate search results
`Enter`	Open highlighted result
`Esc`	Close results / dialog

`type:`	`events` / `rules` / `providers`
`vendor:`	`sigma` / `elastic` / `splunk` / `kusto` / `chronicle` (vendor name alone also works: `sigma:`, `kql:`, `secops:`…)
`tactic:`	TA-id, slug, or name: `credential_access`, `TA0006`
`technique:`	technique or sub-technique ID: `T1003`, `T1003.001` (alias `tech:`)
`severity:`	`critical` / `high` / `medium` / `low` / `informational` (alias `sev:`)
`risk_score`	Numeric comparison on the Elastic risk score (0 to 100): `risk_score>50`, `risk_score<=20`, `risk_score=99` (alias `risk`; Elastic rules only)
`stages:`	Rules with exactly N pipeline stages
`correlation:`	`single_event` / `sequence` / `alternatives` / `alternatives_cross_log` / `all_required` / `correlated`
`with:`	Co-occurrence event-id; stacks (`with:4624 with:4769`) to require all, while a comma list in one occurrence (`with:4624,4769`) is an either-or group. Implies multi-event
`like:`	Structural neighbors of a rule slug (equivalents + subsumption stricter / broader): `like:comsvcs_lsass_memory_dump-splunk-sysmon`
`groupby:`	Entity-grouping substring match against `group_by_keys`: `groupby:user`, `groupby:host`
`uses:`	Rules whose predicate tree touches the field (any kind, any value): `uses:CommandLine`
`excludes:`	Rules with top-level `not()` clauses on the field (FP whitelists): `excludes:ParentImage`
`field:` / `value:`	Predicate search; narrows rule cards to those with a matching leaf and drives the indicator tier. Unquoted = substring, wildcards allowed (`value:mimikatz`)
`indicator:`	Shorthand for `field:F value:V`: `indicator:Image=*\powershell.exe`
`kind:`	Filter by predicate kind. Narrows rule cards to those carrying a matching predicate leaf (`vendor:elastic kind:cidr_match`) and drives the indicator tier: `contains` / `starts_with` / `ends_with` / `regex` / `cidr` / `eq` / `in` … (operator aliases `op:`/`match:`)
`has:` / `no:`	`sample`, `field`, `notes`, `refs`, `trace`, `thirdparty`, `rule`, `pattern`, `timewindow`, `threshold`, `newterms`, `sigma`/`elastic`/`splunk`/`kusto`/`chronicle`
`-op:val`	Exclude matches; works on most operators but not `type:`/`like:`/`has:`/`no:` (use `no:<flag>` to exclude a rule flag): `tactic:execution -vendor:splunk`. Standalone `-kind:`/`-field:`/`-value:` drop every rule carrying a matching predicate leaf (`type:rules -kind:is_null`)
`field:"…"` / `value:"…"`	Quoted value = anchored exact match (also allows spaces): `value:"net user"`
`a,b`	Comma = OR inside one operator (`vendor:sigma,elastic`, `severity:high,critical`); repeating a facet merges the same way. `field:`/`value:` never split (literal commas)
`vendors:` / `stage:`	Singular and plural spellings fold to the canonical operator and value: `tactics:` = `tactic:`, `type:event` = `type:events`, `correlation:sequences` = `correlation:sequence`, `has:thresholds` = `has:threshold`
`"quoted phrase"`	Exact-match a multi-word phrase (free text)

Potential Credential Access via Memory Dump File Creation

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

Rule body elastic

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: `file`

Exclusions

Indicators

Keyboard shortcuts

Search operators

Potential Credential Access via Memory Dump File Creation

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

Rule body elastic

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: file

Exclusions

Indicators

Stage 1: `file`