Detection rules › Sigma
Sigma rules: 1n
Account set with reversible encryption (weakness introduction)
#Detects scenarios where an attacker set an account with reversible encryption to facilitate brutforce or cracking operations.
Known False Positives
- None
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4738: A user account was changed. |
Rule Body
title: Account set with reversible encryption (weakness introduction)
description: Detects scenarios where an attacker set an account with reversible encryption to facilitate brutforce or cracking operations.
references:
- https://github.com/mdecrevoisier/EVTX-to-MITRE-Attack/tree/master/TA0003-Persistence/T1098.xxx-Account%20manipulation
- https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/how-i-cracked-a-128-bit-password/
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1098
author: mdecrevoisier
status: experimental
logsource:
product: windows
service: security
detection:
selection:
EventID: 4738
UserAccountControl: '%%2091' # Store password using reversible encryption - True
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- None
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
EventID: 4738
UserAccountControl: '%%2091'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
UserAccountControl | eq |
| field:"UserAccountControl" kind:eq value:"%%2091" |
Activity from Suspicious IP Addresses
#Detects when a Microsoft Cloud App Security reported users were active from an IP address identified as risky by Microsoft Threat Intelligence. These IP addresses are involved in malicious activities, such as Botnet C&C, and may indicate compromised account.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Activity from suspicious IP addresses |
Rule Body
title: Activity from Suspicious IP Addresses
id: a3501e8e-af9e-43c6-8cd6-9360bdaae498
status: test
description: |
Detects when a Microsoft Cloud App Security reported users were active from an IP address identified as risky by Microsoft Threat Intelligence.
These IP addresses are involved in malicious activities, such as Botnet C&C, and may indicate compromised account.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-cloud-apps/anomaly-detection-policy
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-cloud-apps/policy-template-reference
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
date: 2021-08-23
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1573
logsource:
service: threat_detection
product: m365
detection:
selection:
eventSource: SecurityComplianceCenter
eventName: 'Activity from suspicious IP addresses'
status: success
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
eventSource: SecurityComplianceCenter
eventName: 'Activity from suspicious IP addresses'
status: success
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
eventName | eq |
| field:"aws::eventName" kind:eq value:"Activity from suspicious IP addresses" |
eventSource | eq |
| field:"aws::eventSource" kind:eq value:"SecurityComplianceCenter" |
status | eq |
| field:"status" kind:eq value:"success" |
Activity Performed by Terminated User
#Detects when a Microsoft Cloud App Security reported for users whose account were terminated in Azure AD, but still perform activities in other platforms such as AWS or Salesforce. This is especially relevant for users who use another account to manage resources, since these accounts are often not terminated when a user leaves the company.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Impact | No specific technique |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Activity performed by terminated user |
Rule Body
title: Activity Performed by Terminated User
id: 2e669ed8-742e-4fe5-b3c4-5a59b486c2ee
status: test
description: |
Detects when a Microsoft Cloud App Security reported for users whose account were terminated in Azure AD, but still perform activities in other platforms such as AWS or Salesforce.
This is especially relevant for users who use another account to manage resources, since these accounts are often not terminated when a user leaves the company.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-cloud-apps/anomaly-detection-policy
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-cloud-apps/policy-template-reference
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
date: 2021-08-23
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
- attack.impact
logsource:
service: threat_management
product: m365
detection:
selection:
eventSource: SecurityComplianceCenter
eventName: 'Activity performed by terminated user'
status: success
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
eventSource: SecurityComplianceCenter
eventName: 'Activity performed by terminated user'
status: success
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
eventName | eq |
| field:"aws::eventName" kind:eq value:"Activity performed by terminated user" |
eventSource | eq |
| field:"aws::eventSource" kind:eq value:"SecurityComplianceCenter" |
status | eq |
| field:"status" kind:eq value:"success" |
Application Removed Via Wmic.EXE
#Detects the removal or uninstallation of an application via "Wmic.EXE".
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Application Removed Via Wmic.EXE
id: b53317a0-8acf-4fd1-8de8-a5401e776b96
related:
- id: 847d5ff3-8a31-4737-a970-aeae8fe21765 # Uninstall Security Products
type: derived
status: test
description: Detects the removal or uninstallation of an application via "Wmic.EXE".
references:
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1047/T1047.md#atomic-test-10---application-uninstall-using-wmic
author: frack113
date: 2022-01-28
modified: 2024-07-02
tags:
- attack.execution
- attack.t1047
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\WMIC.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'call'
- 'uninstall'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
simulation:
- type: atomic-red-team
name: Application uninstall using WMIC
technique: T1047
atomic_guid: c510d25b-1667-467d-8331-a56d3e9bc4ff
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wmic_uninstall_application/info.yml
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\WMIC.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
Stage 2: selection_cli
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'call'
- 'uninstall'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\WMIC.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"wmic.exe" |
Atlassian Confluence CVE-2022-26134
#Detects spawning of suspicious child processes by Atlassian Confluence server which may indicate successful exploitation of CVE-2022-26134
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access | |
| Execution |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Linux | Event ID 1: Process Create |
Rule Body
title: Atlassian Confluence CVE-2022-26134
id: 7fb14105-530e-4e2e-8cfb-99f7d8700b66
related:
- id: 245f92e3-c4da-45f1-9070-bc552e06db11
type: derived
status: test
description: Detects spawning of suspicious child processes by Atlassian Confluence server which may indicate successful exploitation of CVE-2022-26134
references:
- https://www.volexity.com/blog/2022/06/02/zero-day-exploitation-of-atlassian-confluence/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-06-03
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.execution
- attack.t1190
- attack.t1059
- cve.2022-26134
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: linux
detection:
selection:
# Monitor suspicious child processes spawned by Confluence
ParentImage|startswith: '/opt/atlassian/confluence/'
ParentImage|endswith: '/java'
CommandLine|contains:
- '/bin/sh'
- 'bash'
- 'dash'
- 'ksh'
- 'zsh'
- 'csh'
- 'fish'
- 'curl'
- 'wget'
- 'python'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
ParentImage|startswith: '/opt/atlassian/confluence/'
ParentImage|endswith: '/java'
CommandLine|contains:
- '/bin/sh'
- 'bash'
- 'dash'
- 'ksh'
- 'zsh'
- 'csh'
- 'fish'
- 'curl'
- 'wget'
- 'python'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
ParentImage | ends_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:ends_with value:"/java" |
ParentImage | starts_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:starts_with value:"/opt/atlassian/confluence/" |
Axios NPM Compromise File Creation Indicators - MacOS
#Detects file creation events linked to the Axios NPM supply chain compromise on macOS devices. Axios is a popular JavaScript HTTP client. On March 30, 2026, malicious versions (1.14.1, 0.30.4) were published to npm, injecting a dependency (plain-crypto-js@4.2.1) that executed a postinstall script as a cross-platform RAT dropper.
Known False Positives
- Highly unlikely
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access | |
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
Rule Body
title: Axios NPM Compromise File Creation Indicators - MacOS
id: 2db0458c-05c9-4069-a26f-77becd9c8c13
status: experimental
description: |
Detects file creation events linked to the Axios NPM supply chain compromise on macOS devices. Axios is a popular JavaScript HTTP client.
On March 30, 2026, malicious versions (1.14.1, 0.30.4) were published to npm, injecting a dependency (plain-crypto-js@4.2.1) that executed a postinstall script as a cross-platform RAT dropper.
references:
- https://www.stepsecurity.io/blog/axios-compromised-on-npm-malicious-versions-drop-remote-access-trojan
- https://www.derp.ca/research/axios-npm-supply-chain-rat/
- https://www.trendmicro.com/zh_hk/research/26/c/axios-npm-package-compromised.html
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/axios-supply-chain-compromise-detections
- https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/e10b1fa84f1d6481625f741b69892780140d4e0e7769e7491e5f4d894c2e0e09
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2026-04-01
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1195.002
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1105
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: file_event
product: macos
detection:
selection_curl_download:
Image|endswith: '/curl'
TargetFilename: '/Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond'
selection_node_shell:
Image|endswith: '/node'
TargetFilename: '/tmp/6202033'
condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Highly unlikely
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
1 of selection_*Stage 1: selection_curl_download
selection_curl_download:
Image|endswith: '/curl'
TargetFilename: '/Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond'
Stage 2: selection_node_shell
selection_node_shell:
Image|endswith: '/node'
TargetFilename: '/tmp/6202033'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with |
TargetFilename | eq |
| field:"TargetFilename" kind:eq |
Delete Important Scheduled Task
#Detects when adversaries stop services or processes by deleting their respective scheduled tasks in order to conduct data destructive activities
Known False Positives
- Unlikely
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Impact |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Delete Important Scheduled Task
id: dbc1f800-0fe0-4bc0-9c66-292c2abe3f78
related:
- id: 9e3cb244-bdb8-4632-8c90-6079c8f4f16d # TaskScheduler EventLog
type: similar
- id: 7595ba94-cf3b-4471-aa03-4f6baa9e5fad # Security-Audting Eventlog
type: similar
status: test
description: Detects when adversaries stop services or processes by deleting their respective scheduled tasks in order to conduct data destructive activities
references:
- Internal Research
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-09-09
modified: 2026-03-11
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.t1489
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'schtasks.exe'
selection_cli_delete:
CommandLine|contains|windash: '/delete'
selection_cli_task:
CommandLine|contains:
# Add more important tasks
- '\Windows\BitLocker'
- '\Windows\ExploitGuard'
- '\Windows\SystemRestore\SR'
- '\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\'
- '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
- '\Windows\WindowsBackup\'
- '\Windows\WindowsUpdate\'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_delete/info.yml
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'schtasks.exe'
Stage 2: selection_cli_delete
selection_cli_delete:
CommandLine|contains|windash: '/delete'
Stage 3: selection_cli_task
selection_cli_task:
CommandLine|contains:
- '\Windows\BitLocker'
- '\Windows\ExploitGuard'
- '\Windows\SystemRestore\SR'
- '\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\'
- '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
- '\Windows\WindowsBackup\'
- '\Windows\WindowsUpdate\'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\schtasks.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"schtasks.exe" |
Delete Volume Shadow Copies Via WMI With PowerShell
#Shadow Copies deletion using operating systems utilities via PowerShell
Known False Positives
- Legitimate Administrator deletes Shadow Copies using operating systems utilities for legitimate reason
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Impact |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| PowerShell | Event ID 400 |
Rule Body
title: Delete Volume Shadow Copies Via WMI With PowerShell
id: 87df9ee1-5416-453a-8a08-e8d4a51e9ce1
status: stable
description: Shadow Copies deletion using operating systems utilities via PowerShell
references:
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1490/T1490.md
- https://www.fortinet.com/blog/threat-research/stomping-shadow-copies-a-second-look-into-deletion-methods
author: frack113
date: 2021-06-03
modified: 2023-10-27
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.t1490
logsource:
product: windows
category: ps_classic_start
detection:
selection:
Data|contains|all:
- 'Get-WmiObject'
- 'Win32_ShadowCopy'
Data|contains:
- 'Delete()'
- 'Remove-WmiObject'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate Administrator deletes Shadow Copies using operating systems utilities for legitimate reason
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
Data|contains|all:
- 'Get-WmiObject'
- 'Win32_ShadowCopy'
Data|contains:
- 'Delete()'
- 'Remove-WmiObject'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Data | match |
| field:"Data" kind:match |
Device Installation Blocked
#Detects an installation of a device that is forbidden by the system policy
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 6423: The installation of this device is forbidden by system policy. |
Rule Body
title: Device Installation Blocked
id: c9eb55c3-b468-40ab-9089-db2862e42137
status: test
description: Detects an installation of a device that is forbidden by the system policy
references:
- https://github.com/Yamato-Security/EnableWindowsLogSettings/blob/7f6d755d45ac7cc9fc35b0cbf498e6aa4ef19def/ConfiguringSecurityLogAuditPolicies.md
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-10/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-6423
author: frack113
date: 2022-10-14
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1200
logsource:
service: security
product: windows
detection:
selection:
EventID: 6423
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
EventID: 6423
Dllhost.EXE Execution Anomaly
#Detects a "dllhost" process spawning with no commandline arguments which is very rare to happen and could indicate process injection activity or malware mimicking similar system processes.
Known False Positives
- Unlikely
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Privilege Escalation | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688: A new process has been created. |
Rule Body
title: Dllhost.EXE Execution Anomaly
id: e7888eb1-13b0-4616-bd99-4bc0c2b054b9
status: test
description: Detects a "dllhost" process spawning with no commandline arguments which is very rare to happen and could indicate process injection activity or malware mimicking similar system processes.
references:
- https://redcanary.com/blog/child-processes/
- https://nasbench.medium.com/what-is-the-dllhost-exe-process-actually-running-ef9fe4c19c08
- https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/static-assets/documents/malware-analysis-reports/goofy-guineapig/NCSC-MAR-Goofy-Guineapig.pdf
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-06-27
modified: 2023-05-15
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1055
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: '\dllhost.exe'
CommandLine:
- 'dllhost.exe'
- 'dllhost'
filter_main_null:
CommandLine: null
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_main_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
Image|endswith: '\dllhost.exe'
CommandLine:
- 'dllhost.exe'
- 'dllhost'
Stage 2: not filter_main_null
filter_main_null:
CommandLine: null
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | eq |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:eq |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\dllhost.exe" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | is_null | excludes:CommandLine |
DNS Query To Katz Stealer Domains
#Detects DNS queries to domains associated with Katz Stealer malware. Katz Stealer is a malware variant that is known to be used for stealing sensitive information from compromised systems. In Enterprise environments, DNS queries to these domains may indicate potential malicious activity or compromise.
Known False Positives
- Unlikely
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 22: DNSEvent (DNS query) |
Rule Body
title: DNS Query To Katz Stealer Domains
id: 9c3d6e32-f4c8-4d73-8b8f-95c3b383a13c
related:
- id: 6b0c762f-0e1b-435f-a829-5943b08fe36a
type: similar
status: experimental
description: |
Detects DNS queries to domains associated with Katz Stealer malware.
Katz Stealer is a malware variant that is known to be used for stealing sensitive information from compromised systems.
In Enterprise environments, DNS queries to these domains may indicate potential malicious activity or compromise.
references:
- Internal Research
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2025-05-22
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1071.004
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
product: windows
category: dns_query
detection:
selection:
QueryName|contains:
- 'katz-panel.com'
- 'katz-stealer.com'
- 'katzstealer.com'
- 'twist2katz.com'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
QueryName|contains:
- 'katz-panel.com'
- 'katz-stealer.com'
- 'katzstealer.com'
- 'twist2katz.com'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
QueryName | match |
| field:"QueryName" kind:match |
ETW Trace Evasion Activity
#Detects command line activity that tries to clear or disable any ETW trace log which could be a sign of logging evasion.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth | |
| Defense Impairment |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688: A new process has been created. |
Rule Body
title: ETW Trace Evasion Activity
id: a238b5d0-ce2d-4414-a676-7a531b3d13d6
status: test
description: |
Detects command line activity that tries to clear or disable any ETW trace log which could be a sign of logging evasion.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wevtutil
- https://abuse.io/lockergoga.txt
- https://medium.com/palantir/tampering-with-windows-event-tracing-background-offense-and-defense-4be7ac62ac63
author: '@neu5ron, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jonhnathan Ribeiro, oscd.community'
date: 2019-03-22
modified: 2022-06-28
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1070
- attack.t1685
- car.2016-04-002
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_clear_1:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'cl'
- '/Trace'
selection_clear_2:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'clear-log'
- '/Trace'
selection_disable_1:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'sl'
- '/e:false'
selection_disable_2:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'set-log'
- '/e:false'
selection_disable_3: # ETW provider removal from a trace session
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'logman'
- 'update'
- 'trace'
- '--p'
- '-ets'
selection_pwsh_remove: # Autologger provider removal
CommandLine|contains: 'Remove-EtwTraceProvider'
selection_pwsh_set: # Provider “Enable” property modification
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'Set-EtwTraceProvider'
- '0x11'
condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
1 of selection_*Stage 1: selection_clear_1
selection_clear_1:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'cl'
- '/Trace'
Stage 2: selection_clear_2
selection_clear_2:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'clear-log'
- '/Trace'
Stage 3: selection_disable_1
selection_disable_1:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'sl'
- '/e:false'
Stage 4: selection_disable_2
selection_disable_2:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'set-log'
- '/e:false'
Stage 5: selection_disable_3
selection_disable_3:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'logman'
- 'update'
- 'trace'
- '--p'
- '-ets'
Stage 6: selection_pwsh_remove
selection_pwsh_remove:
CommandLine|contains: 'Remove-EtwTraceProvider'
Stage 7: selection_pwsh_set
selection_pwsh_set:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'Set-EtwTraceProvider'
- '0x11'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Exchange Exploitation CVE-2021-28480
#Detects successful exploitation of Exchange vulnerability as reported in CVE-2021-28480
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access |
Rule Body
title: Exchange Exploitation CVE-2021-28480
id: a2a9d722-0acb-4096-bccc-daaf91a5037b
status: test
description: Detects successful exploitation of Exchange vulnerability as reported in CVE-2021-28480
references:
- https://twitter.com/GossiTheDog/status/1392965209132871683?s=20
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2021-05-14
modified: 2023-01-02
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1190
- cve.2021-28480
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: webserver
detection:
selection:
cs-uri-query|contains: '/owa/calendar/a'
cs-method: 'POST'
filter_main_status:
sc-status: 503
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: critical
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
cs-uri-query|contains: '/owa/calendar/a'
cs-method: 'POST'
Stage 2: not filter_main_status
filter_main_status:
sc-status: 503
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
cs-method | eq |
| field:"cs-method" kind:eq value:"POST" |
cs-uri-query | match |
| field:"cs-uri-query" kind:match value:"/owa/calendar/a" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
sc-status | eq | 503 | excludes:sc-status field:"sc-status" value:"503" |
File Download Via InstallUtil.EXE
#Detects use of .NET InstallUtil.exe in order to download arbitrary files. The files will be written to "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE"
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: File Download Via InstallUtil.EXE
id: 75edd216-1939-4c73-8d61-7f3a0d85b5cc
status: test
description: |
Detects use of .NET InstallUtil.exe in order to download arbitrary files. The files will be written to "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE\"
references:
- https://github.com/LOLBAS-Project/LOLBAS/pull/239
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-08-19
modified: 2023-11-09
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\InstallUtil.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'InstallUtil.exe'
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains:
- 'ftp://'
- 'http://'
- 'https://'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\InstallUtil.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'InstallUtil.exe'
Stage 2: selection_cli
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains:
- 'ftp://'
- 'http://'
- 'https://'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\InstallUtil.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"InstallUtil.exe" |
Finger.EXE Execution
#Detects execution of the "finger.exe" utility. Finger.EXE or "TCPIP Finger Command" is an old utility that is still present on modern Windows installation. It Displays information about users on a specified remote computer (typically a UNIX computer) that is running the finger service or daemon. Due to the old nature of this utility and the rareness of machines having the finger service. Any execution of "finger.exe" can be considered "suspicious" and worth investigating.
Known False Positives
- Admin activity (unclear what they do nowadays with finger.exe)
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Finger.EXE Execution
id: af491bca-e752-4b44-9c86-df5680533dbc
related:
- id: c082c2b0-525b-4dbc-9a26-a57dc4692074
type: similar
- id: 2fdaf50b-9fd5-449f-ba69-f17248119af6
type: similar
status: test
description: |
Detects execution of the "finger.exe" utility.
Finger.EXE or "TCPIP Finger Command" is an old utility that is still present on modern Windows installation. It Displays information about users on a specified remote computer (typically a UNIX computer) that is running the finger service or daemon.
Due to the old nature of this utility and the rareness of machines having the finger service. Any execution of "finger.exe" can be considered "suspicious" and worth investigating.
references:
- https://twitter.com/bigmacjpg/status/1349727699863011328?s=12
- https://app.any.run/tasks/40115012-a919-4208-bfed-41e82cb3dadf/
- http://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/Windows_TCPIP_Finger_Command_C2_Channel_and_Bypassing_Security_Software.txt
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), omkar72, oscd.community
date: 2021-02-24
modified: 2024-06-27
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1105
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
- OriginalFileName: 'finger.exe'
- Image|endswith: '\finger.exe'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Admin activity (unclear what they do nowadays with finger.exe)
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_finger_execution/info.yml
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
- OriginalFileName: 'finger.exe'
- Image|endswith: '\finger.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\finger.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"finger.exe" |
Firewall Rule Modified In The Windows Firewall Exception List
#Detects when a rule has been modified in the Windows firewall exception list
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Defense Impairment |
Telemetry Coverage
Rule Body
title: Firewall Rule Modified In The Windows Firewall Exception List
id: 5570c4d9-8fdd-4622-965b-403a5a101aa0
status: test
description: Detects when a rule has been modified in the Windows firewall exception list
references:
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-r2-and-2008/dd364427(v=ws.10)
author: frack113
date: 2022-02-19
modified: 2024-01-22
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1686.003
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
product: windows
service: firewall-as
detection:
selection:
EventID:
- 2005 # A rule has been modified in the Windows Defender Firewall exception list (Windows 10)
- 2073 # A rule has been modified in the Windows Defender Firewall exception list. (Windows 11)
filter_optional_teams:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\local\microsoft\teams\current\teams.exe'
filter_optional_keybase:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Keybase\keybase.exe'
filter_optional_messenger:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Programs\Messenger\Messenger.exe'
filter_optional_opera:
ApplicationPath|contains|all:
- ':\Users\'
- '\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\'
- '\opera.exe'
filter_optional_brave:
ApplicationPath|contains|all:
- ':\Users\'
- '\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*
level: low
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
EventID:
- 2005
- 2073
Stage 2: not filter_optional_*
filter_optional_teams:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\local\microsoft\teams\current\teams.exe'
filter_optional_keybase:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Keybase\keybase.exe'
filter_optional_messenger:
ApplicationPath|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Programs\Messenger\Messenger.exe'
filter_optional_opera:
ApplicationPath|contains|all:
- ':\Users\'
- '\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\'
- '\opera.exe'
filter_optional_brave:
ApplicationPath|contains|all:
- ':\Users\'
- '\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe'
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
HybridConnectionManager Service Installation
#Rule to detect the Hybrid Connection Manager service installation.
Known False Positives
- Legitimate use of Hybrid Connection Manager via Azure function apps.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4697: A service was installed in the system. |
Rule Body
title: HybridConnectionManager Service Installation
id: 0ee4d8a5-4e67-4faf-acfa-62a78457d1f2
status: test
description: Rule to detect the Hybrid Connection Manager service installation.
references:
- https://twitter.com/Cyb3rWard0g/status/1381642789369286662
author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research)
date: 2021-04-12
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1554
logsource:
product: windows
service: security
definition: The 'System Security Extension' audit subcategory need to be enabled to log the EID 4697
detection:
selection:
EventID: 4697
ServiceName: HybridConnectionManager
ServiceFileName|contains: HybridConnectionManager
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate use of Hybrid Connection Manager via Azure function apps.
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
EventID: 4697
ServiceName: HybridConnectionManager
ServiceFileName|contains: HybridConnectionManager
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ServiceFileName | match |
| field:"ServiceFileName" kind:match value:"HybridConnectionManager" |
ServiceName | eq |
| field:"ServiceName" kind:eq value:"HybridConnectionManager" |
Important Scheduled Task Deleted/Disabled
#Detects when adversaries stop services or processes by deleting or disabling their respective scheduled tasks in order to conduct data destructive activities
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Persistence | |
| Privilege Escalation |
Telemetry Coverage
Rule Body
title: Important Scheduled Task Deleted/Disabled
id: 7595ba94-cf3b-4471-aa03-4f6baa9e5fad
related:
- id: dbc1f800-0fe0-4bc0-9c66-292c2abe3f78 # ProcCreation schtasks delete
type: similar
- id: 9ac94dc8-9042-493c-ba45-3b5e7c86b980 # ProcCreation schtasks disable
type: similar
- id: 9e3cb244-bdb8-4632-8c90-6079c8f4f16d # TaskScheduler EventLog
type: similar
status: test
description: Detects when adversaries stop services or processes by deleting or disabling their respective scheduled tasks in order to conduct data destructive activities
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-10/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4699
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-10/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4701
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-12-05
modified: 2023-03-13
tags:
- attack.execution
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1053.005
logsource:
product: windows
service: security
definition: 'The Advanced Audit Policy setting Object Access > Audit Other Object Access Events has to be configured to allow this detection. We also recommend extracting the Command field from the embedded XML in the event data.'
detection:
selection:
EventID:
- 4699 # Task Deleted Event
- 4701 # Task Disabled Event
TaskName|contains:
# Add more important tasks
- '\Windows\SystemRestore\SR'
- '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
- '\Windows\BitLocker'
- '\Windows\WindowsBackup\'
- '\Windows\WindowsUpdate\'
- '\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\Schedule'
- '\Windows\ExploitGuard'
filter_main_defender_update:
EventID: 4699
SubjectUserName|endswith: '$' # False positives during upgrades of Defender, where its tasks get removed and added
TaskName|contains: '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_susp_scheduled_task_delete_or_disable/info.yml
simulation:
- type: atomic-red-team
name: Windows - Disable the SR scheduled task
technique: T1490
atomic_guid: 1c68c68d-83a4-4981-974e-8993055fa034
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_main_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
EventID:
- 4699
- 4701
TaskName|contains:
- '\Windows\SystemRestore\SR'
- '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
- '\Windows\BitLocker'
- '\Windows\WindowsBackup\'
- '\Windows\WindowsUpdate\'
- '\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\Schedule'
- '\Windows\ExploitGuard'
Stage 2: not filter_main_defender_update
filter_main_defender_update:
EventID: 4699
SubjectUserName|endswith: '$'
TaskName|contains: '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
TaskName | match |
| field:"TaskName" kind:match |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUserName | ends_with | $ | excludes:SubjectUserName field:"SubjectUserName" value:"$" |
TaskName | match | \Windows\Windows Defender\ | excludes:TaskName field:"TaskName" value:"\Windows\Windows Defender\" |
Indirect Command Execution By Program Compatibility Wizard
#Detect indirect command execution via Program Compatibility Assistant pcwrun.exe
Known False Positives
- Need to use extra processing with 'unique_count' / 'filter' to focus on outliers as opposed to commonly seen artifacts
- Legit usage of scripts
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688: A new process has been created. |
Rule Body
title: Indirect Command Execution By Program Compatibility Wizard
id: b97cd4b1-30b8-4a9d-bd72-6293928d52bc
status: test
description: Detect indirect command execution via Program Compatibility Assistant pcwrun.exe
references:
- https://twitter.com/pabraeken/status/991335019833708544
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Pcwrun/
author: A. Sungurov , oscd.community
date: 2020-10-12
modified: 2021-11-27
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218
- attack.execution
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\pcwrun.exe'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Need to use extra processing with 'unique_count' / 'filter' to focus on outliers as opposed to commonly seen artifacts
- Legit usage of scripts
level: low
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\pcwrun.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ParentImage | ends_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:ends_with value:"\pcwrun.exe" |
Install Root Certificate
#Detects installation of new certificate on the system which attackers may use to avoid warnings when connecting to controlled web servers or C2s
Known False Positives
- Legitimate administration activities
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Defense Impairment |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Linux | Event ID 1: Process Create |
Rule Body
title: Install Root Certificate
id: 78a80655-a51e-4669-bc6b-e9d206a462ee
status: test
description: Detects installation of new certificate on the system which attackers may use to avoid warnings when connecting to controlled web servers or C2s
references:
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1553.004/T1553.004.md
author: Ömer Günal, oscd.community
date: 2020-10-05
modified: 2022-07-07
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1553.004
logsource:
product: linux
category: process_creation
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith:
- '/update-ca-certificates'
- '/update-ca-trust'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate administration activities
level: low
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
Image|endswith:
- '/update-ca-certificates'
- '/update-ca-trust'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with |
Invoke-Obfuscation STDIN+ Launcher - Powershell
#Detects Obfuscated use of stdin to execute PowerShell
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| PowerShell | Event ID 4104: Creating Scriptblock text (MessageNumber of MessageTotal). |
Rule Body
title: Invoke-Obfuscation STDIN+ Launcher - Powershell
id: 779c8c12-0eb1-11eb-adc1-0242ac120002
status: test
description: Detects Obfuscated use of stdin to execute PowerShell
references:
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/issues/1009 # (Task 25)
author: Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community
date: 2020-10-15
modified: 2024-04-05
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1027
- attack.execution
- attack.t1059.001
logsource:
product: windows
category: ps_script
definition: 'Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled'
detection:
selection_4104:
ScriptBlockText|re: 'cmd.{0,5}(?:/c|/r).+powershell.+(?:\$?\{?input\}?|noexit).+"'
condition: selection_4104
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection_4104Stage 1: selection_4104
selection_4104:
ScriptBlockText|re: 'cmd.{0,5}(?:/c|/r).+powershell.+(?:\$?\{?input\}?|noexit).+"'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ScriptBlockText | regex_match |
| field:"ScriptBlockText" kind:regex_match |
Microsoft Office DLL Sideload
#Detects DLL sideloading of DLLs that are part of Microsoft Office from non standard location
Known False Positives
- Unlikely
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 7: Image loaded |
Rule Body
title: Microsoft Office DLL Sideload
id: 829a3bdf-34da-4051-9cf4-8ed221a8ae4f
status: test
description: Detects DLL sideloading of DLLs that are part of Microsoft Office from non standard location
references:
- https://hijacklibs.net/ # For list of DLLs that could be sideloaded (search for dlls mentioned here in there)
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Wietze Beukema (project and research)
date: 2022-08-17
modified: 2023-03-15
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.execution
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1574.001
logsource:
category: image_load
product: windows
detection:
selection:
ImageLoaded|endswith: '\outllib.dll'
filter:
ImageLoaded|startswith:
- 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE'
condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not filterStage 1: selection
selection:
ImageLoaded|endswith: '\outllib.dll'
Stage 2: not filter
filter:
ImageLoaded|startswith:
- 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE'
- 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ImageLoaded | ends_with |
| field:"ImageLoaded" kind:ends_with value:"\outllib.dll" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ImageLoaded | starts_with | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE | excludes:ImageLoaded field:"ImageLoaded" value:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE" |
ImageLoaded | starts_with | C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE | excludes:ImageLoaded field:"ImageLoaded" value:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE" |
ImageLoaded | starts_with | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE | excludes:ImageLoaded field:"ImageLoaded" value:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE" |
ImageLoaded | starts_with | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE | excludes:ImageLoaded field:"ImageLoaded" value:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Root\OFFICE" |
Monitoring For Persistence Via BITS
#BITS will allow you to schedule a command to execute after a successful download to notify you that the job is finished. When the job runs on the system the command specified in the BITS job will be executed. This can be abused by actors to create a backdoor within the system and for persistence. It will be chained in a BITS job to schedule the download of malware/additional binaries and execute the program after being downloaded.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Persistence | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Monitoring For Persistence Via BITS
id: b9cbbc17-d00d-4e3d-a827-b06d03d2380d
status: test
description: |
BITS will allow you to schedule a command to execute after a successful download to notify you that the job is finished.
When the job runs on the system the command specified in the BITS job will be executed.
This can be abused by actors to create a backdoor within the system and for persistence.
It will be chained in a BITS job to schedule the download of malware/additional binaries and execute the program after being downloaded.
references:
- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/10/kegtap-and-singlemalt-with-a-ransomware-chaser.html
- http://0xthem.blogspot.com/2014/03/t-emporal-persistence-with-and-schtasks.html
- https://isc.sans.edu/diary/Wipe+the+drive+Stealthy+Malware+Persistence+Mechanism+-+Part+1/15394
author: Sreeman
date: 2020-10-29
modified: 2024-01-25
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.execution
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1197
logsource:
product: windows
category: process_creation
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\bitsadmin.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'bitsadmin.exe'
selection_cli_notify_1:
CommandLine|contains: '/SetNotifyCmdLine'
selection_cli_notify_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- '%COMSPEC%'
- 'cmd.exe'
- 'regsvr32.exe'
selection_cli_add_1:
CommandLine|contains: '/Addfile'
selection_cli_add_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- 'http:'
- 'https:'
- 'ftp:'
- 'ftps:'
condition: selection_img and (all of selection_cli_notify_* or all of selection_cli_add_*)
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection_img and (all of selection_cli_notify_* or all of selection_cli_add_*)Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\bitsadmin.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'bitsadmin.exe'
Stage 2: selection_cli_notify_1
selection_cli_notify_1:
CommandLine|contains: '/SetNotifyCmdLine'
Stage 3: selection_cli_notify_2
selection_cli_notify_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- '%COMSPEC%'
- 'cmd.exe'
- 'regsvr32.exe'
Stage 4: selection_cli_add_1
selection_cli_add_1:
CommandLine|contains: '/Addfile'
Stage 5: selection_cli_add_2
selection_cli_add_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- 'http:'
- 'https:'
- 'ftp:'
- 'ftps:'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\bitsadmin.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"bitsadmin.exe" |
Notepad++ Updater DNS Query to Uncommon Domains
#Detects when the Notepad++ updater (gup.exe) makes DNS queries to domains that are not part of the known legitimate update infrastructure. This could indicate potential exploitation of the updater mechanism or suspicious network activity that warrants further investigation.
Known False Positives
- Some legitimate network misconfigurations or proxy issues causing unexpected DNS queries.
- Other legitimate query to official domains not listed in the filter, needing tuning.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access | |
| Credential Access | |
| Collection |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 22: DNSEvent (DNS query) |
Rule Body
title: Notepad++ Updater DNS Query to Uncommon Domains
id: 2074e137-1b73-4e2d-88ba-5a3407dbdce0
status: experimental
description: |
Detects when the Notepad++ updater (gup.exe) makes DNS queries to domains that are not part of the known legitimate update infrastructure.
This could indicate potential exploitation of the updater mechanism or suspicious network activity that warrants further investigation.
references:
- https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v889-released/
- https://www.heise.de/en/news/Notepad-updater-installed-malware-11109726.html
- https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/tr-chrysalis-backdoor-dive-into-lotus-blossoms-toolkit/
- https://www.validin.com/blog/exploring_notepad_plus_plus_network_indicators/
- https://securelist.com/notepad-supply-chain-attack/118708/
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2026-02-02
modified: 2026-03-16
tags:
- attack.collection
- attack.credential-access
- attack.t1195.002
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1557
logsource:
category: dns_query
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: '\gup.exe'
filter_main_notepad_legit_domain:
QueryName: 'notepad-plus-plus.org'
filter_optional_sourceforge_legit_domain:
QueryName|endswith: '.sourceforge.net'
filter_optional_github_legit_domain:
- QueryName|endswith: '.githubusercontent.com'
- QueryName: 'github.com'
filter_optional_google_storage_legit_domain:
QueryName|endswith: '.googleapis.com'
filter_optional_uncommon_domains:
QueryName|endswith:
- '.azurewebsites.net'
- 'block.opendns.com'
- 'gateway.zscalerthree.net'
# Add other known legitimate domains if any
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
- Some legitimate network misconfigurations or proxy issues causing unexpected DNS queries.
- Other legitimate query to official domains not listed in the filter, needing tuning.
level: medium # can be upgraded to high after tuning with known legitimate DNS queries
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
Image|endswith: '\gup.exe'
Stage 2: not filter_main_notepad_legit_domain
filter_main_notepad_legit_domain:
QueryName: 'notepad-plus-plus.org'
Stage 3: not filter_optional_*
filter_optional_sourceforge_legit_domain:
QueryName|endswith: '.sourceforge.net'
filter_optional_github_legit_domain:
- QueryName|endswith: '.githubusercontent.com'
- QueryName: 'github.com'
filter_optional_google_storage_legit_domain:
QueryName|endswith: '.googleapis.com'
filter_optional_uncommon_domains:
QueryName|endswith:
- '.azurewebsites.net'
- 'block.opendns.com'
- 'gateway.zscalerthree.net'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\gup.exe" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
QueryName | eq | notepad-plus-plus.org | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:"notepad-plus-plus.org" |
QueryName | ends_with | .azurewebsites.net | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:".azurewebsites.net" |
QueryName | ends_with | .githubusercontent.com | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:".githubusercontent.com" |
QueryName | ends_with | .googleapis.com | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:".googleapis.com" |
QueryName | ends_with | .sourceforge.net | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:".sourceforge.net" |
QueryName | ends_with | block.opendns.com | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:"block.opendns.com" |
QueryName | ends_with | gateway.zscalerthree.net | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:"gateway.zscalerthree.net" |
QueryName | eq | github.com | excludes:QueryName field:"QueryName" value:"github.com" |
Password Spray Activity
#Indicates that a password spray attack has been successfully performed.
Known False Positives
- We recommend investigating the sessions flagged by this detection in the context of other sign-ins from the user.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Credential Access |
Rule Body
title: Password Spray Activity
id: 28ecba0a-c743-4690-ad29-9a8f6f25a6f9
status: test
description: Indicates that a password spray attack has been successfully performed.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/id-protection/concept-identity-protection-risks#password-spray
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/architecture/security-operations-user-accounts#unusual-sign-ins
author: Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Gloria Lee, '@gleeiamglo'
date: 2023-09-03
tags:
- attack.t1110
- attack.credential-access
logsource:
product: azure
service: riskdetection
detection:
selection:
riskEventType: 'passwordSpray'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- We recommend investigating the sessions flagged by this detection in the context of other sign-ins from the user.
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
riskEventType: 'passwordSpray'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
riskEventType | eq |
| field:"azure_ad::risk_event_types" kind:eq value:"passwordSpray" |
Potential CVE-2024-3400 Exploitation - Palo Alto GlobalProtect OS Command Injection - File Creation
#Detects suspicious file creations in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS' parent telemetry folder, which are processed by the vulnerable 'dt_curl' script if device telemetry is enabled. As said script overrides the shell-subprocess restriction, arbitrary command execution may occur by carefully crafting filenames that are escaped through this function.
Known False Positives
- The PAN-OS device telemetry function does not enforce a standard filename convention, but observations are unlikely.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | No specific technique |
Rule Body
title: Potential CVE-2024-3400 Exploitation - Palo Alto GlobalProtect OS Command Injection - File Creation
id: bcd95697-e3e7-4c6f-8584-8e3503e6929f
status: test
description: |
Detects suspicious file creations in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS' parent telemetry folder, which are processed by the vulnerable 'dt_curl' script if device telemetry is enabled.
As said script overrides the shell-subprocess restriction, arbitrary command execution may occur by carefully crafting filenames that are escaped through this function.
references:
- https://labs.watchtowr.com/palo-alto-putting-the-protecc-in-globalprotect-cve-2024-3400/
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-3400
author: Andreas Braathen (mnemonic.io)
date: 2024-04-25
tags:
- attack.execution
- cve.2024-3400
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
product: paloalto
service: globalprotect
category: file_event
definition: 'Requirements: file creation events need to be ingested from the Palo Alto GlobalProtect appliance'
detection:
selection:
TargetFilename|contains:
- '{IFS}'
- 'base64'
- 'bash'
- 'curl'
- 'http'
TargetFilename|startswith: '/opt/panlogs/tmp/device_telemetry/'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- The PAN-OS device telemetry function does not enforce a standard filename convention, but observations are unlikely.
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
TargetFilename|contains:
- '{IFS}'
- 'base64'
- 'bash'
- 'curl'
- 'http'
TargetFilename|startswith: '/opt/panlogs/tmp/device_telemetry/'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
TargetFilename | match |
| field:"TargetFilename" kind:match |
TargetFilename | starts_with |
| field:"TargetFilename" kind:starts_with value:"/opt/panlogs/tmp/device_telemetry/" |
Potential Linux Amazon SSM Agent Hijacking
#Detects potential Amazon SSM agent hijack attempts as outlined in the Mitiga research report.
Known False Positives
- Legitimate activity of system administrators
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Linux | Event ID 1: Process Create |
Rule Body
title: Potential Linux Amazon SSM Agent Hijacking
id: f9b3edc5-3322-4fc7-8aa3-245d646cc4b7
status: test
description: Detects potential Amazon SSM agent hijack attempts as outlined in the Mitiga research report.
references:
- https://www.mitiga.io/blog/mitiga-security-advisory-abusing-the-ssm-agent-as-a-remote-access-trojan
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/amazons-aws-ssm-agent-can-be-used-as-post-exploitation-rat-malware/
- https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/08/02/aws-instances-attackers-access/
author: Muhammad Faisal
date: 2023-08-03
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1219.002
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: linux
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: '/amazon-ssm-agent'
CommandLine|contains|all:
- '-register '
- '-code '
- '-id '
- '-region '
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate activity of system administrators
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
Image|endswith: '/amazon-ssm-agent'
CommandLine|contains|all:
- '-register '
- '-code '
- '-id '
- '-region '
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"/amazon-ssm-agent" |
PowerShell Web Access Feature Enabled Via DISM
#Detects the use of DISM to enable the PowerShell Web Access feature, which could be used for remote access and potential abuse
Known False Positives
- Legitimate PowerShell Web Access installations by administrators
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Privilege Escalation |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: PowerShell Web Access Feature Enabled Via DISM
id: 7e8f2d3b-9c1a-4f67-b9e8-8d9006e0e51f
status: test
description: Detects the use of DISM to enable the PowerShell Web Access feature, which could be used for remote access and potential abuse
references:
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/dism/enable-windowsoptionalfeature
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa24-241a
- https://gist.github.com/MHaggis/7e67b659af9148fa593cf2402edebb41
author: Michael Haag
date: 2024-09-03
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1548.002
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\dism.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'DISM.EXE'
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'WindowsPowerShellWebAccess'
- '/online'
- '/enable-feature'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate PowerShell Web Access installations by administrators
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\dism.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'DISM.EXE'
Stage 2: selection_cli
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'WindowsPowerShellWebAccess'
- '/online'
- '/enable-feature'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\dism.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"DISM.EXE" |
Scheduled Task Executed Uncommon LOLBIN
#Detects the execution of Scheduled Tasks where the program being run is located in a suspicious location or where it is an unusual program to be run from a Scheduled Task
Known False Positives
- False positives may occur with some of the selected binaries if you have tasks using them (which could be very common in your environment). Exclude all the specific trusted tasks before using this rule
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Persistence | |
| Privilege Escalation |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| TaskScheduler | Event ID 129: Task Scheduler launch task "Name" , instance "TaskName" with process ID Path. |
Rule Body
title: Scheduled Task Executed Uncommon LOLBIN
id: f0767f15-0fb3-44b9-851e-e8d9a6d0005d
status: test
description: Detects the execution of Scheduled Tasks where the program being run is located in a suspicious location or where it is an unusual program to be run from a Scheduled Task
references:
- Internal Research
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-12-05
modified: 2023-02-07
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.execution
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1053.005
logsource:
product: windows
service: taskscheduler
definition: 'Requirements: The "Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler/Operational" is disabled by default and needs to be enabled in order for this detection to trigger'
detection:
selection:
EventID: 129 # Created Task Process
Path|endswith:
- '\calc.exe'
- '\cscript.exe'
- '\mshta.exe'
- '\mspaint.exe'
- '\notepad.exe'
- '\regsvr32.exe'
# - '\rundll32.exe'
- '\wscript.exe'
# filter_system:
# Path|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
# TaskName|startswith: '\Microsoft\Windows\'
# condition: selection and not 1 of filter_*
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- False positives may occur with some of the selected binaries if you have tasks using them (which could be very common in your environment). Exclude all the specific trusted tasks before using this rule
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
EventID: 129
Path|endswith:
- '\calc.exe'
- '\cscript.exe'
- '\mshta.exe'
- '\mspaint.exe'
- '\notepad.exe'
- '\regsvr32.exe'
- '\wscript.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Path | ends_with |
| field:"Path" kind:ends_with |
ScreenConnect User Database Modification
#Detects file modifications to the temporary xml user database file indicating local user modification in the ScreenConnect server. This will occur during exploitation of the ScreenConnect Authentication Bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-1709) in versions <23.9.8, but may also be observed when making legitimate modifications to local users or permissions.
Known False Positives
- This will occur legitimately as well and will result in some benign activity.
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence | No specific technique |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 11: FileCreate |
Rule Body
title: ScreenConnect User Database Modification
id: 1a821580-588b-4323-9422-660f7e131020
related:
- id: 4109cb6a-a4af-438a-9f0c-056abba41c6f
type: similar
status: test
description: |
Detects file modifications to the temporary xml user database file indicating local user modification in the ScreenConnect server.
This will occur during exploitation of the ScreenConnect Authentication Bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-1709) in versions <23.9.8, but may also be observed when making legitimate modifications to local users or permissions.
references:
- https://www.connectwise.com/company/trust/security-bulletins/connectwise-screenconnect-23.9.8
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-1709
- https://www.huntress.com/blog/a-catastrophe-for-control-understanding-the-screenconnect-authentication-bypass
author: Matt Anderson, Andrew Schwartz, Caleb Stewart, Huntress
date: 2024-02-21
tags:
- attack.persistence
- cve.2024-1709
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
product: windows
category: file_event
detection:
selection:
TargetFilename|endswith: '.xml'
TargetFilename|contains|all:
- 'Temp'
- 'ScreenConnect'
Image|endswith: '\ScreenConnect.Service.exe'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- This will occur legitimately as well and will result in some benign activity.
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
TargetFilename|endswith: '.xml'
TargetFilename|contains|all:
- 'Temp'
- 'ScreenConnect'
Image|endswith: '\ScreenConnect.Service.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\ScreenConnect.Service.exe" |
TargetFilename | ends_with |
| field:"TargetFilename" kind:ends_with value:".xml" |
TargetFilename | match |
| field:"TargetFilename" kind:match |
SES Identity Has Been Deleted
#Detects an instance of an SES identity being deleted via the "DeleteIdentity" event. This may be an indicator of an adversary removing the account that carried out suspicious or malicious activities
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
Rules Detecting the Same Action
These rules filter on the same operation.
Rule Body
title: SES Identity Has Been Deleted
id: 20f754db-d025-4a8f-9d74-e0037e999a9a
status: test
description: Detects an instance of an SES identity being deleted via the "DeleteIdentity" event. This may be an indicator of an adversary removing the account that carried out suspicious or malicious activities
references:
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/compromised-cloud-compute-credentials/
author: Janantha Marasinghe
date: 2022-12-13
modified: 2022-12-28
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1070
logsource:
product: aws
service: cloudtrail
detection:
selection:
eventSource: 'ses.amazonaws.com'
eventName: 'DeleteIdentity'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
eventSource: 'ses.amazonaws.com'
eventName: 'DeleteIdentity'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
eventName | eq |
| field:"aws::eventName" kind:eq value:"DeleteIdentity" |
eventSource | eq |
| field:"aws::eventSource" kind:eq value:"ses.amazonaws.com" |
Sign-in Failure Due to Conditional Access Requirements Not Met
#Define a baseline threshold for failed sign-ins due to Conditional Access failures
Known False Positives
- Service Account misconfigured
- Misconfigured Systems
- Vulnerability Scanners
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access | |
| Persistence | |
| Privilege Escalation | |
| Stealth | |
| Credential Access |
Telemetry Coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Entra ID | SigninLogs sign-in event: Sign-in blocked by Conditional Access |
Rules Detecting the Same Action
These rules filter on the same operation.
Rule Body
title: Sign-in Failure Due to Conditional Access Requirements Not Met
id: b4a6d707-9430-4f5f-af68-0337f52d5c42
status: test
description: Define a baseline threshold for failed sign-ins due to Conditional Access failures
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/entra/architecture/security-operations-privileged-accounts
author: Yochana Henderson, '@Yochana-H'
date: 2022-06-01
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.initial-access
- attack.credential-access
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1110
- attack.t1078.004
logsource:
product: azure
service: signinlogs
detection:
selection:
ResultType: 53003
Resultdescription: Blocked by Conditional Access
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Service Account misconfigured
- Misconfigured Systems
- Vulnerability Scanners
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
ResultType: 53003
Resultdescription: Blocked by Conditional Access
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ResultType | eq |
| field:"ResultType" kind:eq value:"53003" |
Resultdescription | eq |
| field:"Resultdescription" kind:eq value:"Blocked by Conditional Access" |
Suspicious Autorun Registry Modified via WMI
#Detects suspicious activity where the WMIC process is used to create an autorun registry entry via reg.exe, which is often indicative of persistence mechanisms employed by malware.
Known False Positives
- Legitimate administrative activity or software installations
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Persistence | |
| Privilege Escalation |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Suspicious Autorun Registry Modified via WMI
id: c80e66d8-1780-48a9-b412-46663fd21ac0
status: experimental
description: |
Detects suspicious activity where the WMIC process is used to create an autorun registry entry via reg.exe, which is often indicative of persistence mechanisms employed by malware.
references:
- Internal Research
- https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks/blob/e4c7b21b8f36c97c35b7c622732b38a189ce18f7/src/windows-hardening/windows-local-privilege-escalation/privilege-escalation-with-autorun-binaries.md
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2025-02-17
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.execution
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1547.001
- attack.t1047
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_execution_img:
- Image|endswith: '\wmic.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe' # wmic process call create 'reg.exe add HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v Desktops /t REG_SZ /d "\"C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\tre\Desktops.exe\" random" /f'
- ParentImage|endswith: '\wmiprvse.exe'
selection_execution_cmd:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'reg'
- ' add '
CommandLine|contains:
- '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
- '\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
- '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run'
selection_suspicious_paths_1:
CommandLine|contains:
- ':\Perflogs'
- :\ProgramData'
- ':\Windows\Temp'
- ':\Temp'
- '\AppData\Local\Temp'
- '\AppData\Roaming'
- ':\$Recycle.bin'
- ':\Users\Default'
- ':\Users\public'
- '%temp%'
- '%tmp%'
- '%Public%'
- '%AppData%'
selection_suspicious_paths_user_1:
CommandLine|contains: ':\Users\'
selection_suspicious_paths_user_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- '\Favorites'
- '\Favourites'
- '\Contacts'
- '\Music'
- '\Pictures'
- '\Documents'
- '\Photos'
condition: all of selection_execution_* and (selection_suspicious_paths_1 or (all of selection_suspicious_paths_user_*))
falsepositives:
- Legitimate administrative activity or software installations
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_execution_* and (selection_suspicious_paths_1 or (all of selection_suspicious_paths_user_*))Stage 1: selection_execution_img
selection_execution_img:
- Image|endswith: '\wmic.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
- ParentImage|endswith: '\wmiprvse.exe'
Stage 2: selection_execution_cmd
selection_execution_cmd:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'reg'
- ' add '
CommandLine|contains:
- '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
- '\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
- '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run'
Stage 3: selection_suspicious_paths_1
selection_suspicious_paths_1:
CommandLine|contains:
- ':\Perflogs'
- :\ProgramData'
- ':\Windows\Temp'
- ':\Temp'
- '\AppData\Local\Temp'
- '\AppData\Roaming'
- ':\$Recycle.bin'
- ':\Users\Default'
- ':\Users\public'
- '%temp%'
- '%tmp%'
- '%Public%'
- '%AppData%'
Stage 4: selection_suspicious_paths_user_1
selection_suspicious_paths_user_1:
CommandLine|contains: ':\Users\'
Stage 5: selection_suspicious_paths_user_2
selection_suspicious_paths_user_2:
CommandLine|contains:
- '\Favorites'
- '\Favourites'
- '\Contacts'
- '\Music'
- '\Pictures'
- '\Documents'
- '\Photos'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\wmic.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"wmic.exe" |
ParentImage | ends_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:ends_with value:"\wmiprvse.exe" |
Suspicious Kernel Extension Names
#Detects kernel extensions with suspicious or generic names often used by rootkits and malware
Known False Positives
- Development and testing kexts
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
Rule Body
title: Suspicious Kernel Extension Names
id: 8aa8d6c9-61fc-46ac-b83f-f055cb640186
status: experimental
description: Detects kernel extensions with suspicious or generic names often used
by rootkits and malware
references:
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1014/
- https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/20-common-tools-techniques-used-by-macos-threat-actors-malware/
author: Eric Brown - Nebulock, Inc.
date: 2025/10/29
tags:
- attack.defense_evasion
- attack.t1014
logsource:
product: macos
service: endpointsecurity
category: kernel_extension
detection:
selection:
esf.event_type: 17
event.action: kextload
KextIdentifier|contains:
- rootkit
- backdoor
- keylogger
- stealth
- hidden
- fake
- com.test.
- com.temp.
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Development and testing kexts
level: high
modified: 2025/01/15
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
esf.event_type: 17
event.action: kextload
KextIdentifier|contains:
- rootkit
- backdoor
- keylogger
- stealth
- hidden
- fake
- com.test.
- com.temp.
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
KextIdentifier | match |
| field:"KextIdentifier" kind:match |
esf.event_type | eq |
| field:"esf.event_type" kind:eq value:"17" |
event.action | eq |
| field:"EventType" kind:eq value:"kextload" |
Suspicious Keyboard Layout Load
#Detects the keyboard preload installation with a suspicious keyboard layout, e.g. Chinese, Iranian or Vietnamese layout load in user session on systems maintained by US staff only
Known False Positives
- Administrators or users that actually use the selected keyboard layouts (heavily depends on the organisation's user base)
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Resource Development |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 13: RegistryEvent (Value Set) |
Rule Body
title: Suspicious Keyboard Layout Load
id: 34aa0252-6039-40ff-951f-939fd6ce47d8
status: test
description: Detects the keyboard preload installation with a suspicious keyboard layout, e.g. Chinese, Iranian or Vietnamese layout load in user session on systems maintained by US staff only
references:
- https://renenyffenegger.ch/notes/Windows/registry/tree/HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Keyboard-Layout/Preload/index
- https://github.com/SwiftOnSecurity/sysmon-config/pull/92/files
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2019-10-12
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
- attack.resource-development
- attack.t1588.002
logsource:
category: registry_set
product: windows
definition: 'Requirements: Sysmon config that monitors \Keyboard Layout\Preload subkey of the HKLU hives - see https://github.com/SwiftOnSecurity/sysmon-config/pull/92/files'
detection:
selection_registry:
TargetObject|contains:
- '\Keyboard Layout\Preload\'
- '\Keyboard Layout\Substitutes\'
Details|contains:
- 00000429 # Persian (Iran)
- 00050429 # Persian (Iran)
- 0000042a # Vietnamese
condition: selection_registry
falsepositives:
- Administrators or users that actually use the selected keyboard layouts (heavily depends on the organisation's user base)
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection_registryStage 1: selection_registry
selection_registry:
TargetObject|contains:
- '\Keyboard Layout\Preload\'
- '\Keyboard Layout\Substitutes\'
Details|contains:
- 00000429
- 00050429
- 0000042a
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Details | match |
| field:"Details" kind:match |
TargetObject | match |
| field:"TargetObject" kind:match |
Suspicious Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File
#Detects potential RDP connection via Mstsc using a local ".rdp" file located in suspicious locations.
Known False Positives
- Likelihood is related to how often the paths are used in the environment
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: Suspicious Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File
id: 6e22722b-dfb1-4508-a911-49ac840b40f8
status: test
description: Detects potential RDP connection via Mstsc using a local ".rdp" file located in suspicious locations.
references:
- https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/rogue-rdp-revisiting-initial-access-methods/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20230726144748/https://blog.thickmints.dev/mintsights/detecting-rogue-rdp/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-04-18
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1219.002
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\mstsc.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'mstsc.exe'
selection_extension:
CommandLine|endswith:
- '.rdp'
- '.rdp"'
selection_paths:
# Note: This list of paths is better transformed into a whitelist where you only exclude legitimate locations you use in your env
CommandLine|contains:
- ':\Users\Public\'
- ':\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color'
- ':\Windows\System32\Tasks_Migrated '
- ':\Windows\Tasks\'
- ':\Windows\Temp\'
- ':\Windows\Tracing\'
- '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
# - '\Desktop\' # Could be source of FP depending on the environment
- '\Downloads\' # Could be source of FP depending on the environment
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Likelihood is related to how often the paths are used in the environment
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_img
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: '\mstsc.exe'
- OriginalFileName: 'mstsc.exe'
Stage 2: selection_extension
selection_extension:
CommandLine|endswith:
- '.rdp'
- '.rdp"'
Stage 3: selection_paths
selection_paths:
CommandLine|contains:
- ':\Users\Public\'
- ':\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color'
- ':\Windows\System32\Tasks_Migrated '
- ':\Windows\Tasks\'
- ':\Windows\Temp\'
- ':\Windows\Tracing\'
- '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
- '\Downloads\'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | ends_with |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:ends_with |
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\mstsc.exe" |
OriginalFileName | eq |
| field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"mstsc.exe" |
TacticalRMM Service Installation
#Detects a TacticalRMM service installation. Tactical RMM is a remote monitoring & management tool.
Known False Positives
- Legitimate use of the tool
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Command & Control |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Service-Control-Manager | Event ID 7045: A service was installed in the system. |
Rule Body
title: TacticalRMM Service Installation
id: 4bb79b62-ef12-4861-981d-2aab43fab642
status: test
description: Detects a TacticalRMM service installation. Tactical RMM is a remote monitoring & management tool.
references:
- https://thedfirreport.com/2022/11/28/emotet-strikes-again-lnk-file-leads-to-domain-wide-ransomware/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-11-28
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1219.002
logsource:
product: windows
service: system
detection:
selection_root:
Provider_Name: 'Service Control Manager'
EventID: 7045
selection_service:
- ImagePath|contains: 'tacticalrmm.exe'
- ServiceName|contains: 'TacticalRMM Agent Service'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate use of the tool
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_root
selection_root:
Provider_Name: 'Service Control Manager'
EventID: 7045
Stage 2: selection_service
selection_service:
- ImagePath|contains: 'tacticalrmm.exe'
- ServiceName|contains: 'TacticalRMM Agent Service'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ImagePath | match |
| field:"ImagePath" kind:match value:"tacticalrmm.exe" |
Provider_Name | eq |
| field:"Provider_Name" kind:eq value:"Service Control Manager" |
ServiceName | match |
| field:"ServiceName" kind:match value:"TacticalRMM Agent Service" |
Time Travel Debugging Utility Usage
#Detects usage of Time Travel Debugging Utility. Adversaries can execute malicious processes and dump processes, such as lsass.exe, via tttracer.exe.
Known False Positives
- Legitimate usage by software developers/testers
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth | |
| Credential Access |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688: A new process has been created. |
Rule Body
title: Time Travel Debugging Utility Usage
id: 0b4ae027-2a2d-4b93-8c7e-962caaba5b2a
related:
- id: e76c8240-d68f-4773-8880-5c6f63595aaf
type: derived
status: test
description: Detects usage of Time Travel Debugging Utility. Adversaries can execute malicious processes and dump processes, such as lsass.exe, via tttracer.exe.
references:
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Tttracer/
- https://twitter.com/mattifestation/status/1196390321783025666
- https://twitter.com/oulusoyum/status/1191329746069655553
author: 'Ensar Şamil, @sblmsrsn, @oscd_initiative'
date: 2020-10-06
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
- attack.credential-access
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218
- attack.t1003.001
logsource:
product: windows
category: process_creation
detection:
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\tttracer.exe'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate usage by software developers/testers
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\tttracer.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ParentImage | ends_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:ends_with value:"\tttracer.exe" |
UAC Bypass via Windows Firewall Snap-In Hijack
#Detects attempts to bypass User Account Control (UAC) by hijacking the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Windows Firewall snap-in
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Privilege Escalation |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
Rule Body
title: UAC Bypass via Windows Firewall Snap-In Hijack
id: e52cb31c-10ed-4aea-bcb7-593c9f4a315b
status: test
description: Detects attempts to bypass User Account Control (UAC) by hijacking the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Windows Firewall snap-in
references:
- https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/uac-bypass-via-windows-firewall-snap-in-hijack.html#uac-bypass-via-windows-firewall-snap-in-hijack
author: Tim Rauch, Elastic (idea)
date: 2022-09-27
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.t1548
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\mmc.exe'
ParentCommandLine|contains: 'WF.msc'
filter:
Image|endswith: '\WerFault.exe'
condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not filterStage 1: selection
selection:
ParentImage|endswith: '\mmc.exe'
ParentCommandLine|contains: 'WF.msc'
Stage 2: not filter
filter:
Image|endswith: '\WerFault.exe'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ParentCommandLine | match |
| field:"ParentCommandLine" kind:match value:"WF.msc" |
ParentImage | ends_with |
| field:"ParentImage" kind:ends_with value:"\mmc.exe" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with | \WerFault.exe | excludes:Image field:"Image" value:"\WerFault.exe" |
UAC Bypass With Fake DLL
#Attempts to load dismcore.dll after dropping it
Known False Positives
- Actions of a legitimate telnet client
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution | |
| Privilege Escalation | |
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 7: Image loaded |
Rule Body
title: UAC Bypass With Fake DLL
id: a5ea83a7-05a5-44c1-be2e-addccbbd8c03
status: test
description: Attempts to load dismcore.dll after dropping it
references:
- https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@ah101/uac-bypassing-utility
author: oscd.community, Dmitry Uchakin
date: 2020-10-06
modified: 2022-12-25
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.execution
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1548.002
- attack.t1574.001
logsource:
category: image_load
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: '\dism.exe'
ImageLoaded|endswith: '\dismcore.dll'
filter:
ImageLoaded: 'C:\Windows\System32\Dism\dismcore.dll'
condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
- Actions of a legitimate telnet client
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not filterStage 1: selection
selection:
Image|endswith: '\dism.exe'
ImageLoaded|endswith: '\dismcore.dll'
Stage 2: not filter
filter:
ImageLoaded: 'C:\Windows\System32\Dism\dismcore.dll'
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\dism.exe" |
ImageLoaded | ends_with |
| field:"ImageLoaded" kind:ends_with value:"\dismcore.dll" |
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
| Field | Kind | Excluded values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
ImageLoaded | eq | C:\Windows\System32\Dism\dismcore.dll | excludes:ImageLoaded field:"ImageLoaded" value:"C:\Windows\System32\Dism\dismcore.dll" |
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installation (command)
#Detects scenarios where an attacker enables the WSL to cary out malicious activities in a virtual instance to avoid detection.
Known False Positives
- developer computer (with Visual Studio Code)
- administrator activity
MITRE ATT&CK Coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Stealth |
Telemetry Coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1: Process creation |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688: A new process has been created. |
Rule Body
title: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installation (command)
description: Detects scenarios where an attacker enables the WSL to cary out malicious activities in a virtual instance to avoid detection.
references:
- https://github.com/mdecrevoisier/EVTX-to-MITRE-Attack/tree/master/TA0005-Defense%20Evasion/T1564-Hide%20artifacts
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-manual
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Wsl/
- https://blog.f-secure.com/hunting-for-windows-subsystem-for-linux/
- https://blog.lumen.com/no-longer-just-theory-black-lotus-labs-uncovers-linux-executables-deployed-as-stealth-windows-loaders/
tags:
- attack.defense_evasion
- attack.t1564.006
author: mdecrevoisier
status: experimental
logsource:
product: windows
category: process_creation
detection:
selection_wsl_activation_modern: # wsl --install
CommandLine|contains|all:
- wsl
- '--install'
selection_wsl_activation_deprecated: # dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
NewProcessName|endswith: '\dism.exe'
CommandLine|contains|all:
- Enable-feature
- Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
condition: selection_wsl_activation_modern or selection_wsl_activation_deprecated
falsepositives:
- developer computer (with Visual Studio Code)
- administrator activity
level: medium
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection_wsl_activation_modern or selection_wsl_activation_deprecatedStage 1: selection_wsl_activation_modern
selection_wsl_activation_modern:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- wsl
- '--install'
Stage 2: selection_wsl_activation_deprecated
selection_wsl_activation_deprecated:
NewProcessName|endswith: '\dism.exe'
CommandLine|contains|all:
- Enable-feature
- Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
| field:"CommandLine" kind:match |
NewProcessName | ends_with |
| field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\dism.exe" |