Detection rules › Elastic

Suspicious Execution via Microsoft Common Console

Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

Identifies the execution of a child process from a Microsoft Common Console file. Adversaries may embed malicious commands in an MSC file in order to trick them into executing malicious commands.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
Identifies the execution of a child process from a Microsoft Common Console file. Adversaries may embed malicious
commands in an MSC file in order to trick them into executing malicious commands.
"""
id = "6e5cb5a0-1439-481d-bcba-0c5307b4746b"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Suspicious Execution via Microsoft Common Console"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = [
    "https://www.genians.co.kr/blog/threat_intelligence/facebook",
    "https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/grimresource",
]
version = "1.0.6"

query = '''
process where event.action == "start" and
 process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe" and process.parent.args : "*.msc" and
 not process.parent.args : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\*.msc", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.msc", "?:\\Program files\\*.msc", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.msc") and
 not process.executable :
              ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wermgr.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\DWWIN.EXE",
               "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\mmc.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\shrpubw.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\certreq.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\spool\\drivers\\x64\\3\\*.EXE",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files\\internet explorer\\iexplore.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\vbc.exe",
               "?:\\windows\\system32\\VmConnect.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Dism\\dismhost.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\DeviceProperties.exe") and
 not (process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\explorer.exe" and process.args : "ms-settings:windowsupdate") and
 not (process.pe.original_file_name == "DismHost.exe" and process.args : "{*}" and
      process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Windows" and process.code_signature.trusted == true) and
 process.hash.sha256 != "7208b36f57e9af293043adcaf2180db10fff9e0bfffdbac81ad2ac5dbead6a30"
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.16.0"
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[optional_actions]]
action = "rollback"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1566"
name = "Phishing"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1566.001"
name = "Spearphishing Attachment"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/001/"

[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1566.002"
name = "Spearphishing Link"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/002/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0001"
name = "Initial Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1204"
name = "User Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1204.001"
name = "Malicious Link"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/001/"

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



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0002"
name = "Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1218"
name = "System Binary Proxy Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1218.014"
name = "MMC"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/014/"



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

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.16.0"

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: process

process where event.action == "start" and
 process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe" and process.parent.args : "*.msc" and
 not process.parent.args : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\*.msc", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.msc", "?:\\Program files\\*.msc", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.msc") and
 not process.executable :
              ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wermgr.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\DWWIN.EXE",
               "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\mmc.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\shrpubw.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\certreq.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\spool\\drivers\\x64\\3\\*.EXE",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files\\internet explorer\\iexplore.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\vbc.exe",
               "?:\\windows\\system32\\VmConnect.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Dism\\dismhost.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\DeviceProperties.exe") and
 not (process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\explorer.exe" and process.args : "ms-settings:windowsupdate") and
 not (process.pe.original_file_name == "DismHost.exe" and process.args : "{*}" and
      process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Windows" and process.code_signature.trusted == true) and
 process.hash.sha256 != "7208b36f57e9af293043adcaf2180db10fff9e0bfffdbac81ad2ac5dbead6a30"

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
process.argseqms-settings:windowsupdateexcludes:process.args field:"process.args" value:"ms-settings:windowsupdate"
process.executableeq?:\Windows\explorer.exeexcludes:process.executable field:"process.executable" value:"?:\Windows\explorer.exe"
process.argswildcard{*}excludes:process.args field:"process.args" value:"{*}"
process.code_signature.subject_nameeqMicrosoft Windowsexcludes:process.code_signature.subject_name field:"process.code_signature.subject_name" value:"Microsoft Windows"
process.code_signature.trustedeqtrueexcludes:process.code_signature.trusted field:"process.code_signature.trusted" value:"true"
process.pe.original_file_nameeqDismHost.exeexcludes:process.pe.original_file_name field:"process.pe.original_file_name" value:"DismHost.exe"
process.executablewildcard?:\Windows\System32\mmc.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\wermgr.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\WerFault.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\DWWIN.EXE, ?:\Windows\SysWOW64\mmc.exe, ?:\Program Files\*.exe, ?:\Program Files (x86)\*.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\shrpubw.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\certreq.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3\*.EXE, ?:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe, ?:\Program Files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe, ?:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\*\vbc.exe, ?:\windows\system32\VmConnect.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\Dism\dismhost.exe, ?:\Windows\System32\DeviceProperties.exeexcludes:process.executable
process.parent.argswildcard?:\Windows\System32\*.msc, ?:\Windows\SysWOW64\*.msc, ?:\Program files\*.msc, ?:\Program Files (x86)\*.mscexcludes:process.parent.args

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.