Windows Privilege Escalation User Process Spawn System Process

name: Windows Privilege Escalation User Process Spawn System Process
id: c9687a28-39ad-43c6-8bcf-eaf061ba0cbe
version: 13
creation_date: '2024-02-14'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Steven Dick
status: production
type: TTP
description: |
    The following analytic detects when a process with low, medium, or high integrity spawns a system integrity process from a user-controlled location.
    This behavior is indicative of privilege escalation attempts where attackers elevate their privileges to SYSTEM level from a user-controlled process or service.
    The detection leverages Sysmon data, specifically Event ID 15, to identify such transitions.
    Monitoring this activity is crucial as it can signify an attacker gaining SYSTEM-level access, potentially leading to full control over the affected system, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and further malicious activities.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1 AND Sysmon EventID 1
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
      count min(_time) as firstTime
    
    from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
    
    Processes.process_integrity_level IN (
        "low",
        "medium",
        "high"
    )
    Processes.process_path IN (
        "*\\\\*",
        "*\\ProgramData\\*",
        "*\\Temp\\*",
        "*\\Users\\*"
    )
    NOT Processes.user IN (
        "*SYSTEM",
        "*LOCAL SERVICE",
        "*NETWORK SERVICE",
        "DWM-*",
        "*$"
    )
    
    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)`
    | eval join_guid = process_guid
    
    | join max=0 dest join_guid [
    
            | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
              count max(_time) as lastTime
    
            from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
    
            Processes.process_integrity_level="system"
            Processes.parent_process_path IN (
                "*\\\\*",
                "*\\ProgramData\\*",
                "*\\Temp\\*",
                "*\\Users\\*"
            )
    
            by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_guid
               Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_path
               Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.process_current_directory
    
            | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
            | rename parent_process_guid as join_guid, process* as system_process*, user as system_user
        ]
    | fields dest user parent_process parent_process_name parent_process_guid
             process process_name process_guid process_integrity_level process_path
             process_current_directory system_process_name system_process system_process_path
             system_process_integrity_level system_process_current_directory system_user
             firstTime lastTime count
    
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `windows_privilege_escalation_user_process_spawn_system_process_filter`
how_to_implement: Target environment must ingest sysmon data, specifically Event ID 15.
known_false_positives: No false positives have been identified at this time.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1068/
    - https://vuls.cert.org/confluence/display/Wiki/2021/06/21/Finding+Privilege+Escalation+Vulnerabilities+in+Windows+using+Process+Monitor
    - https://redcanary.com/blog/getsystem-offsec/
    - https://atomicredteam.io/privilege-escalation/T1134.001/
finding:
    title: The user $user$ launched the process $process_name$ which spawned a system level integrity process.
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: The user $user$ launched the process $process_name$ which spawned a system level integrity process.
threat_objects:
    - field: process_name
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - Windows Privilege Escalation
    - Compromised Windows Host
    - BlackSuit Ransomware
    - GhostRedirector IIS Module and Rungan Backdoor
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1068
    - T1548
    - T1134
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint