Windows PaperCut NG Spawn Shell

name: Windows PaperCut NG Spawn Shell
id: a602d9a2-aaea-45f8-bf0f-d851168d61ca
version: 13
creation_date: '2022-06-17'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects instances where the PaperCut NG application (pc-app.exe) spawns a Windows shell, such as cmd.exe or PowerShell. This behavior is identified using Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) telemetry, focusing on process creation events where the parent process is pc-app.exe. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attacker attempting to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious commands on the system. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized code execution, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the affected environment.
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 Processes.parent_process_name=pc-app.exe `process_cmd`
        OR
        `process_powershell`
        OR
        Processes.process_name=java.exe
      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)`
    | `windows_papercut_ng_spawn_shell_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: False positives may be present, but most likely not. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2023/05/11/cisa-and-fbi-release-joint-advisory-response-active-exploitation-papercut-vulnerability
    - https://www.papercut.com/kb/Main/PO-1216-and-PO-1219
finding:
    title: The PaperCut NG application has spawned a shell $process_name$ on endpoint $dest$ by $user$.
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: The PaperCut NG application has spawned a shell $process_name$ on endpoint $dest$ by $user$.
threat_objects:
    - field: process_name
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - PaperCut MF NG Vulnerability
    - Compromised Windows Host
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1059
    - T1190
    - T1133
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint