Detection rules › Splunk

Get DomainPolicy with Powershell Script Block

Status
production
Severity
medium
Group by
Guid, Name, Opcode, Path, ScriptBlockId, ScriptBlockText, dest, process_id, signature, signature_id, user_id, vendor_product
Author
Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
Source
github.com/splunk/security_content

The following analytic detects the execution of the Get-DomainPolicy cmdlet using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). It leverages logs capturing script block text to identify attempts to obtain the password policy in a Windows domain. This activity is significant as it indicates potential reconnaissance efforts by adversaries or Red Teams to gather domain policy information, which is crucial for planning further attacks. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to detailed knowledge of domain security settings, aiding in privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network.

Known false positives

  • Administrators or power users may use this command for troubleshooting.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Discovery

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

name: Get DomainPolicy with Powershell Script Block
id: a360d2b2-065a-11ec-b0bf-acde48001122
version: 11
creation_date: '2021-08-27'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the execution of the `Get-DomainPolicy` cmdlet using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). It leverages logs capturing script block text to identify attempts to obtain the password policy in a Windows domain. This activity is significant as it indicates potential reconnaissance efforts by adversaries or Red Teams to gather domain policy information, which is crucial for planning further attacks. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to detailed knowledge of domain security settings, aiding in privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network.
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: |-
    `powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText ="*Get-DomainPolicy*"
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest signature signature_id
           user_id vendor_product EventID
           Guid Opcode Name
           Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
           ScriptBlockText
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `get_domainpolicy_with_powershell_script_block_filter`
how_to_implement: The following analytic requires PowerShell operational logs to be imported. Modify the powershell macro as needed to match the sourcetype or add index. This analytic is specific to 4104, or PowerShell Script Block Logging.
known_false_positives: Administrators or power users may use this command for troubleshooting.
references:
    - https://github.com/S1ckB0y1337/Active-Directory-Exploitation-Cheat-Sheet
    - https://powersploit.readthedocs.io/en/latest/Recon/Get-DomainPolicy/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1201/
finding:
    title: Powershell process indicative of querying domain policy, spawned by $user_id$ on $dest$
    entity:
        field: user_id
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: Powershell process indicative of querying domain policy, spawned by $user_id$ on $dest$
analytic_story:
    - Active Directory Discovery
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1201
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: search

`powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText ="*Get-DomainPolicy*"

Stage 2: fillnull

| fillnull

Stage 3: stats

| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
    BY dest signature signature_id
       user_id vendor_product EventID
       Guid Opcode Name
       Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
       ScriptBlockText

Stage 4: search

| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`

Stage 5: search

| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`

Stage 6: search

| `get_domainpolicy_with_powershell_script_block_filter`

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

FieldKindValuesSearch
EventCodeeq
  • 4104 corpus 269 (splunk 269)
field:"EventID" kind:eq value:"4104"
ScriptBlockTexteq
  • "*Get-DomainPolicy*"
field:"ScriptBlockText" kind:eq