CodeIntegrity - Unmet WHQL Requirements For Loaded Kernel Module

Status: test
Severity: high
Log source: product windows, service codeintegrity-operational
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Source: github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects loaded kernel modules that did not meet the WHQL signing requirements.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Privilege Escalation	No specific technique

Event coverage

Provider	Event	Title
CodeIntegrity	Event ID 3082	Code Integrity determined kernel module FileNameBuffer that did not meet the WHQL requirements is loaded into the system.
CodeIntegrity	Event ID 3083	Code Integrity determined kernel module FileNameBuffer that did not meet the WHQL requirements is loaded into the system.

Rule body yaml

title: CodeIntegrity - Unmet WHQL Requirements For Loaded Kernel Module
id: 2f8cd7a0-9d5a-4f62-9f8b-2c951aa0dd1f
status: test
description: Detects loaded kernel modules that did not meet the WHQL signing requirements.
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-control/windows-defender-application-control/operations/event-id-explanations
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-control/windows-defender-application-control/operations/event-tag-explanations
    - Internal Research
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-06-06
modified: 2023-06-14
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
logsource:
    product: windows
    service: codeintegrity-operational
detection:
    selection:
        EventID:
            - 3082 # Code Integrity determined kernel module %2 that did not meet the WHQL requirements is loaded into the system. However, due to code integrity auditing policy, the image was allowed to load
            - 3083 # Code Integrity determined kernel module %2 that did not meet the WHQL requirements is loaded into the system. Check with the publisher to see if a WHQL compliant kernel module is available
    filter_optional_vmware:
        FileNameBuffer:
            - 'system32\drivers\vsock.sys'
            - 'System32\drivers\vmci.sys'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `condition`

selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*

Stage 1: `selection`

selection:
    EventID:
        - 3082
        - 3083

Stage 2: `not filter_optional_vmware`

filter_optional_vmware:
    FileNameBuffer:
        - 'system32\drivers\vsock.sys'
        - 'System32\drivers\vmci.sys'

Exclusions

Top-level NOT(...) conjuncts: predicates this rule actively suppresses.

Field	Kind	Excluded values
`FileNameBuffer`	eq	`System32\drivers\vmci.sys`
`FileNameBuffer`	eq	`system32\drivers\vsock.sys`

`j` / `k`	Scroll down / up
`d` / `u`	Half-page down / up
`gg` / `G`	Top / bottom
`h` / `l`	History back / forward
`f`	Follow link (`Shift` = new tab)
`/`	Focus search
`?`	Toggle this help
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate search results
`Enter`	Open highlighted result
`Esc`	Close results / dialog

`type:`	`events` / `rules` / `providers`
`vendor:`	`sigma` / `elastic` / `splunk` / `kusto` / `chronicle` (vendor name alone also works: `sigma:`, `kql:`, `secops:`…)
`tactic:`	TA-id, slug, or name: `credential_access`, `TA0006`
`technique:`	technique or sub-technique ID: `T1003`, `T1003.001` (alias `tech:`)
`severity:`	`critical` / `high` / `medium` / `low` / `informational` (alias `sev:`)
`risk_score`	Numeric comparison on the Elastic risk score (0 to 100): `risk_score>50`, `risk_score<=20`, `risk_score=99` (alias `risk`; Elastic rules only)
`stages:`	Rules with exactly N pipeline stages
`correlation:`	`single_event` / `sequence` / `alternatives` / `alternatives_cross_log` / `all_required` / `correlated`
`with:`	Co-occurrence event-id; stacks (`with:4624 with:4769`) to require all, while a comma list in one occurrence (`with:4624,4769`) is an either-or group. Implies multi-event
`like:`	Structural neighbors of a rule slug (equivalents + subsumption stricter / broader): `like:comsvcs_lsass_memory_dump-splunk-sysmon`
`groupby:`	Entity-grouping substring match against `group_by_keys`: `groupby:user`, `groupby:host`
`uses:`	Rules whose predicate tree touches the field (any kind, any value): `uses:CommandLine`
`excludes:`	Rules with top-level `not()` clauses on the field (FP whitelists): `excludes:ParentImage`
`field:` / `value:`	Predicate search; narrows rule cards to those with a matching leaf and drives the indicator tier. Unquoted = substring, wildcards allowed (`value:mimikatz`)
`indicator:`	Shorthand for `field:F value:V`: `indicator:Image=*\powershell.exe`
`kind:`	Filter by predicate kind. Narrows rule cards to those carrying a matching predicate leaf (`vendor:elastic kind:cidr_match`) and drives the indicator tier: `contains` / `starts_with` / `ends_with` / `regex` / `cidr` / `eq` / `in` … (operator aliases `op:`/`match:`)
`has:` / `no:`	`sample`, `field`, `notes`, `refs`, `trace`, `thirdparty`, `rule`, `pattern`, `timewindow`, `threshold`, `newterms`, `sigma`/`elastic`/`splunk`/`kusto`/`chronicle`
`-op:val`	Exclude matches; works on most operators but not `type:`/`like:`/`has:`/`no:` (use `no:<flag>` to exclude a rule flag): `tactic:execution -vendor:splunk`. Standalone `-kind:`/`-field:`/`-value:` drop every rule carrying a matching predicate leaf (`type:rules -kind:is_null`)
`field:"…"` / `value:"…"`	Quoted value = anchored exact match (also allows spaces): `value:"net user"`
`a,b`	Comma = OR inside one operator (`vendor:sigma,elastic`, `severity:high,critical`); repeating a facet merges the same way. `field:`/`value:` never split (literal commas)
`vendors:` / `stage:`	Singular and plural spellings fold to the canonical operator and value: `tactics:` = `tactic:`, `type:event` = `type:events`, `correlation:sequences` = `correlation:sequence`, `has:thresholds` = `has:threshold`
`"quoted phrase"`	Exact-match a multi-word phrase (free text)

CodeIntegrity - Unmet WHQL Requirements For Loaded Kernel Module

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

Rule body yaml

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `condition`

Stage 1: `selection`

Stage 2: `not filter_optional_vmware`

Exclusions

Keyboard shortcuts

Search operators

CodeIntegrity - Unmet WHQL Requirements For Loaded Kernel Module

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

Rule body yaml

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

Stage 1: selection

Stage 2: not filter_optional_vmware

Exclusions

Stage 0: `condition`

Stage 1: `selection`

Stage 2: `not filter_optional_vmware`