Detection rules › Splunk
AutoHotkey Execution (PowerShell)
Adversaries may execute commands and perform malicious tasks using AutoIT and AutoHotKey automation scripts. AutoIT and AutoHotkey (AHK) are scripting languages that enable users to automate Windows tasks. These automation scripts can be used to perform a wide variety of actions, such as clicking on buttons, entering text, and opening and closing programs. This use case detects the usage of the AutoHotkey software to execute ahk files.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Execution |
References
Telemetry coverage
Rule body
id: '32156.57265'
title: AutoHotkey Execution
description: Adversaries may execute commands and perform malicious tasks using AutoIT
and AutoHotKey automation scripts. AutoIT and AutoHotkey (AHK) are scripting languages
that enable users to automate Windows tasks. These automation scripts can be used
to perform a wide variety of actions, such as clicking on buttons, entering text,
and opening and closing programs. This use case detects the usage of the AutoHotkey
software to execute ahk files.
logic_format: Splunk
logic: '`get_endpoint_data` `get_endpoint_data_powershell` ((TERM(EventCode=4103)
OR "<EventID>4103<") OR (TERM(EventCode=4104) OR "<EventID>4104<")) ("AutoHotkey.exe"
OR "AutoHotkey.rc" OR "AutoHotkey32.exe" OR "AutoHotkey32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkey64.exe"
OR "AutoHotkey64_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyA32.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyA32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU32.exe"
OR "AutoHotkeyU32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU64.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU64_UIA.exe" OR
"AutoHotkeyUX.exe") ".ahk" | table _time, host, user, process | bin span=1s | stats
values(*) as * by _time, host '
techniques:
- execution:command and scripting interpreter
technique_id:
- T1059
data_category:
- PowerShell logs
references:
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/010/
- https://detection.fyi/sigmahq/sigma/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_autohotkey/
- https://www.autohotkey.com/
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: search
`get_endpoint_data` `get_endpoint_data_powershell` ((TERM(EventCode=4103) OR "<EventID>4103<") OR (TERM(EventCode=4104) OR "<EventID>4104<")) ("AutoHotkey.exe" OR "AutoHotkey.rc" OR "AutoHotkey32.exe" OR "AutoHotkey32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkey64.exe" OR "AutoHotkey64_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyA32.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyA32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU32.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU32_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU64.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyU64_UIA.exe" OR "AutoHotkeyUX.exe") ".ahk"
Stage 2: table
| table _time, host, user, process
Stage 3: bucket
| bin span=1s
Stage 4: stats
| stats values(*) as * by _time, host
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
EventCode | eq |
| field:"EventID" kind:eq |
Search terms
These SPL tokens match against raw event text.
| Stage | Term |
|---|---|
| 1 | "<EventID>4103<" |
| 1 | "<EventID>4104<" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey.rc" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey32.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey32_UIA.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey64.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkey64_UIA.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyA32.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyA32_UIA.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyU32.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyU32_UIA.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyU64.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyU64_UIA.exe" |
| 1 | "AutoHotkeyUX.exe" |
| 1 | ".ahk" |