Detection rules › Sigma

Suspicious Processes Spawned by Java.EXE

Status
test
Severity
high
Log source
product windows, category process_creation
Author
Andreas Hunkeler (@Karneades), Florian Roth
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects suspicious processes spawned from a Java host process which could indicate a sign of exploitation (e.g. log4j)

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Initial AccessNo specific technique
PersistenceNo specific technique
Privilege EscalationNo specific technique

Event coverage

Rule body yaml

title: Suspicious Processes Spawned by Java.EXE
id: 0d34ed8b-1c12-4ff2-828c-16fc860b766d
related:
    - id: dff1e1cc-d3fd-47c8-bfc2-aeb878a754c0
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects suspicious processes spawned from a Java host process which could indicate a sign of exploitation (e.g. log4j)
references:
    - https://web.archive.org/web/20231230220738/https://www.lunasec.io/docs/blog/log4j-zero-day/
author: Andreas Hunkeler (@Karneades), Florian Roth
date: 2021-12-17
modified: 2024-01-18
tags:
    - attack.initial-access
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.privilege-escalation
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\java.exe'
        Image|endswith:
            - '\AppVLP.exe'
            - '\bitsadmin.exe'
            - '\certutil.exe'
            - '\cscript.exe'
            - '\curl.exe'
            - '\forfiles.exe'
            - '\hh.exe'
            - '\mftrace.exe'
            - '\mshta.exe'
            - '\net.exe'
            - '\net1.exe'
            - '\query.exe'
            - '\reg.exe'
            - '\regsvr32.exe'
            - '\rundll32.exe'
            - '\schtasks.exe'
            - '\scrcons.exe'
            - '\scriptrunner.exe'
            - '\sh.exe'
            - '\systeminfo.exe'
            - '\whoami.exe'
            - '\wmic.exe'        # https://app.any.run/tasks/c903e9c8-0350-440c-8688-3881b556b8e0/
            - '\wscript.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate calls to system binaries
    - Company specific internal usage
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\java.exe'
    Image|endswith:
        - '\AppVLP.exe'
        - '\bitsadmin.exe'
        - '\certutil.exe'
        - '\cscript.exe'
        - '\curl.exe'
        - '\forfiles.exe'
        - '\hh.exe'
        - '\mftrace.exe'
        - '\mshta.exe'
        - '\net.exe'
        - '\net1.exe'
        - '\query.exe'
        - '\reg.exe'
        - '\regsvr32.exe'
        - '\rundll32.exe'
        - '\schtasks.exe'
        - '\scrcons.exe'
        - '\scriptrunner.exe'
        - '\sh.exe'
        - '\systeminfo.exe'
        - '\whoami.exe'
        - '\wmic.exe'
        - '\wscript.exe'

Indicators

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

FieldKindValues
Imageends_with
  • \AppVLP.exe corpus 6 (sigma 6)
  • \bitsadmin.exe corpus 29 (sigma 29)
  • \certutil.exe corpus 43 (sigma 43)
  • \cscript.exe corpus 73 (sigma 73)
  • \curl.exe corpus 30 (sigma 30)
  • \forfiles.exe corpus 12 (sigma 12)
  • \hh.exe corpus 16 (sigma 16)
  • \mftrace.exe corpus 6 (sigma 6)
  • \mshta.exe corpus 67 (sigma 67)
  • \net.exe corpus 49 (sigma 49)
  • \net1.exe corpus 47 (sigma 47)
  • \query.exe corpus 6 (sigma 6)
  • \reg.exe corpus 58 (sigma 58)
  • \regsvr32.exe corpus 65 (sigma 65)
  • \rundll32.exe corpus 95 (sigma 95)
  • \schtasks.exe corpus 56 (sigma 56)
  • \scrcons.exe corpus 9 (sigma 9)
  • \scriptrunner.exe corpus 12 (sigma 12)
  • \sh.exe corpus 16 (sigma 16)
  • \systeminfo.exe corpus 11 (sigma 11)
  • \whoami.exe corpus 19 (sigma 19)
  • \wmic.exe corpus 60 (sigma 60)
  • \wscript.exe corpus 75 (sigma 75)
ParentImageends_with
  • \java.exe corpus 8 (sigma 8)