Remote Process Instantiation via WMI

name: Remote Process Instantiation via WMI
id: d25d2c3d-d9d8-40ec-8fdf-e86fe155a3da
version: 19
creation_date: '2020-04-29'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the execution of wmic.exe with parameters to spawn a process on a remote system. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on command-line executions and process telemetry mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. This activity is significant as WMI can be abused for lateral movement and remote code execution, often used by adversaries and Red Teams. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on remote systems, facilitating further compromise and lateral spread within the network.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
    - Windows Event Log Security 4688
    - CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
      WHERE `process_wmic` (Processes.process="*/node:*"
        AND
        Processes.process="*process*"
        AND
        Processes.process="*call*"
        AND
        Processes.process="*create*")
      BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
         Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
         Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
         Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
         Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
         Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
         Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
    | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `remote_process_instantiation_via_wmi_filter`
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: The wmic.exe utility is a benign Windows application. It may be used legitimately by Administrators with these parameters for remote system administration, but it's relatively uncommon.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1047/
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/cimwin32prov/create-method-in-class-win32-process
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$" and "$user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$" user = "$user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$" and "$user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$", "$user$") | 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: A wmic.exe process $process$ contain process spawn commandline $process$ in host $dest$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: A wmic.exe process $process$ contain process spawn commandline $process$ in host $dest$
analytic_story:
    - CISA AA23-347A
    - China-Nexus Threat Activity
    - Ransomware
    - Suspicious WMI Use
    - Salt Typhoon
    - Active Directory Lateral Movement
    - Void Manticore
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1047
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/T1047/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit