Detection rules › Sigma

Uncommon Child Process Of Appvlp.EXE

Status
test
Severity
medium
Log source
category process_creation, product windows
Author
Sreeman
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects uncommon child processes of Appvlp.EXE Appvlp or the Application Virtualization Utility is included with Microsoft Office. Attackers are able to abuse "AppVLP" to execute shell commands. Normally, this binary is used for Application Virtualization, but it can also be abused to circumvent the ASR file path rule folder or to mark a file as a system file.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

title: Uncommon Child Process Of Appvlp.EXE
id: 9c7e131a-0f2c-4ae0-9d43-b04f4e266d43
status: test
description: |
    Detects uncommon child processes of Appvlp.EXE
    Appvlp or the Application Virtualization Utility is included with Microsoft Office. Attackers are able to abuse "AppVLP" to execute shell commands.
    Normally, this binary is used for Application Virtualization, but it can also be abused to circumvent the ASR file path rule folder
    or to mark a file as a system file.
references:
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Appvlp/
author: Sreeman
date: 2020-03-13
modified: 2023-11-09
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218
    - attack.execution
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\appvlp.exe'
    # Note: Filters based on data from EchoTrail: https://www.echotrail.io/insights/search/appvlp.exe/
    filter_main_generic:
        Image|endswith:
            - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe'
            - ':\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe'
    filter_optional_office_msoasb:
        Image|contains: ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
        Image|endswith: '\msoasb.exe'
    filter_optional_office_skype:
        Image|contains|all:
            - ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
            - '\SkypeSrv\'
        Image|endswith: '\SKYPESERVER.EXE'
    filter_optional_office_msouc:
        Image|contains: ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
        Image|endswith: '\MSOUC.EXE'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\appvlp.exe'

Stage 2: not filter_main_generic

filter_main_generic:
    Image|endswith:
        - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe'
        - ':\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe'

Stage 3: not filter_optional_*

filter_optional_office_msoasb:
    Image|contains: ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
    Image|endswith: '\msoasb.exe'
filter_optional_office_skype:
    Image|contains|all:
        - ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
        - '\SkypeSrv\'
    Image|endswith: '\SKYPESERVER.EXE'
filter_optional_office_msouc:
    Image|contains: ':\Program Files\Microsoft Office'
    Image|endswith: '\MSOUC.EXE'

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

FieldKindExcluded valuesSearch
Imageends_with:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exeexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:":\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe"
Imageends_with:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exeexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:":\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe"
Imageends_with\MSOUC.EXEexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:"\MSOUC.EXE"
Imagematch:\Program Files\Microsoft Officeexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:":\Program Files\Microsoft Office"
Imageends_with\SKYPESERVER.EXEexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:"\SKYPESERVER.EXE"
Imagematch\SkypeSrv\excludes:Image field:"Image" value:"\SkypeSrv\"
Imageends_with\msoasb.exeexcludes:Image field:"Image" value:"\msoasb.exe"

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.