Detection rules › Sigma
Sticky key file created from CMD copy
Detects scenarios where an attacker attempts to replace the original sethc.exe file by cmd.exe.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Privilege Escalation | T1546.008 Event Triggered Execution: Accessibility Features |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 11 | FileCreate |
Rule body yaml
title: Sticky key file created from CMD copy
description: Detects scenarios where an attacker attempts to replace the original sethc.exe file by cmd.exe.
references:
- https://github.com/mdecrevoisier/EVTX-to-MITRE-Attack/tree/master/TA0004-Privilege%20Escalation/T1546-Image%20File%20Execution%20Options%20Injection
- https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/jonathantrull/2016/10/03/detecting-sticky-key-backdoors/
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/apt29-domain-frontin
- https://www.clearskysec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ClearSky-Fox-Kitten-Campaign-v1.pdf
tags:
- attack.privilege_escalation
- attack.t1546.008
author: mdecrevoisier
status: experimental
logsource:
product: windows
category: file_event
detection:
selection: # command: 'copy /y C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe C:\windows\system32\sethc.exe'
EventID: 11 # File created
Image|endswith:
- \cmd.exe
- \powershell.exe
- \pwsh.exe # PowerShell v6
- \powershell_ise.exe # Development GUI
TargetFilename|endswith:
- \sethc.exe # Full path 'C:\Windows\System32\sethc.exe'
- \seth2c.exe # Full path 'C:\Windows\System32\seth2c.exe'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- None
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
EventID: 11
Image|endswith:
- \cmd.exe
- \powershell.exe
- \pwsh.exe
- \powershell_ise.exe
TargetFilename|endswith:
- \sethc.exe
- \seth2c.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.
| Field | Kind | Values |
|---|---|---|
Image | ends_with |
|
TargetFilename | ends_with |
|