Suspicious Troubleshooting Pack Cabinet Execution

[metadata]
creation_date = "2023/09/26"
integration = ["endpoint", "windows", "system"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2026/03/24"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
building_block_type = "default"
description = """
Identifies the execution of the Microsoft Diagnostic Wizard to open a diagcab file from a suspicious path and with an
unusual parent process. This may indicate an attempt to execute malicious Troubleshooting Pack Cabinet files.
"""
from = "now-119m"
index = [
    "endgame-*",
    "logs-endpoint.events.process-*",
    "logs-system.security*",
    "logs-windows.*",
    "winlogbeat-*",
]
interval = "60m"
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Suspicious Troubleshooting Pack Cabinet Execution"
references = ["https://irsl.medium.com/the-trouble-with-microsofts-troubleshooters-6e32fc80b8bd"]
risk_score = 21
rule_id = "808291d3-e918-4a3a-86cd-73052a0c9bdc"
severity = "low"
tags = [
    "Domain: Endpoint",
    "OS: Windows",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Defense Evasion",
    "Rule Type: BBR",
    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
    "Data Source: Elastic Endgame",
    "Data Source: Windows Security Event Logs",
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.action == "start" and
  (process.name : "msdt.exe" or ?process.pe.original_file_name == "msdt.exe") and process.args : "/cab" and
  process.parent.name : (
    "firefox.exe", "chrome.exe", "msedge.exe", "explorer.exe", "brave.exe", "whale.exe", "browser.exe",
    "dragon.exe", "vivaldi.exe", "opera.exe", "iexplore", "firefox.exe", "waterfox.exe", "iexplore.exe",
    "winrar.exe", "winrar.exe", "7zFM.exe", "outlook.exe", "winword.exe", "excel.exe"
  ) and
  process.args : (
    "?:\\Users\\*",
    "\\\\*",
    "http*",
    "ftp://*"
  )
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1218"
name = "System Binary Proxy Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1204"
name = "User Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/"

[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1204.002"
name = "Malicious File"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/002/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"