Detection rules › Splunk

GetDomainGroup 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
Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
Source
github.com/splunk/security_content

The following analytic detects the execution of the Get-DomainGroup cmdlet using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). This cmdlet, part of the PowerView tool, is used to enumerate domain groups within a Windows domain. The detection leverages script block text to identify this specific command. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it may indicate an adversary or Red Team performing reconnaissance to gain situational awareness and map out Active Directory structures. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to further exploitation, including privilege escalation and lateral movement within the network.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

Rule body splunk

name: GetDomainGroup with PowerShell Script Block
id: 09725404-a44f-4ed3-9efa-8ed5d69e4c53
version: 13
creation_date: '2021-08-27'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the execution of the `Get-DomainGroup` cmdlet using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). This cmdlet, part of the PowerView tool, is used to enumerate domain groups within a Windows domain. The detection leverages script block text to identify this specific command. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it may indicate an adversary or Red Team performing reconnaissance to gain situational awareness and map out Active Directory structures. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to further exploitation, including privilege escalation and lateral movement within the network.
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: |-
    `powershell` EventCode=4104 (ScriptBlockText = "*Get-DomainGroup*")
      | 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)`
      | `getdomaingroup_with_powershell_script_block_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this analytic, you will need to enable PowerShell Script Block Logging on some or all endpoints. Additional setup here https://help.splunk.com/en/security-offerings/splunk-user-behavior-analytics/get-data-in/5.4.1/add-other-data-to-splunk-uba/configure-powershell-logging-to-see-powershell-anomalies-in-splunk-uba.
known_false_positives: Administrators or power users may use this PowerView functions for troubleshooting.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1069/002/
    - https://powersploit.readthedocs.io/en/latest/Recon/Get-DomainGroup/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$Computer$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  Computer = "$Computer$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$Computer$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$Computer$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: Domain group discovery enumeration using PowerView on $dest$ by $user_id$
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Active Directory Discovery
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1069.002
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1059.001/powershell_script_block_logging/domaingroup.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: search

`powershell` EventCode=4104 (ScriptBlockText = "*Get-DomainGroup*")

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

| `getdomaingroup_with_powershell_script_block_filter`

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
EventCodeeq
  • 4104 corpus 268 (splunk 268)
ScriptBlockTexteq
  • "*Get-DomainGroup*"