sigmacriticalHunting

Sticky Key Like Backdoor Execution

Detects the usage and installation of a backdoor that uses an option to register a malicious debugger for built-in tools that are accessible in the login screen

MITRE ATT&CK

T1546.008

privilege-escalationpersistence

Detection Query

selection:
  ParentImage|endswith: \winlogon.exe
  Image|endswith:
    - \cmd.exe
    - \cscript.exe
    - \mshta.exe
    - \powershell.exe
    - \pwsh.exe
    - \regsvr32.exe
    - \rundll32.exe
    - \wscript.exe
    - \wt.exe
  CommandLine|contains:
    - sethc.exe
    - utilman.exe
    - osk.exe
    - Magnify.exe
    - Narrator.exe
    - DisplaySwitch.exe
condition: selection

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), @twjackomo, Jonhnathan Ribeiro, oscd.community

Created

2018-03-15

Data Sources

windowsProcess Creation Events

Platforms

windows

References

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/jonathantrull/detecting-sticky-key-backdoors

Tags

attack.privilege-escalationattack.persistenceattack.t1546.008car.2014-11-003car.2014-11-008

Raw Content

title: Sticky Key Like Backdoor Execution
id: 2fdefcb3-dbda-401e-ae23-f0db027628bc
related:
    - id: baca5663-583c-45f9-b5dc-ea96a22ce542
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects the usage and installation of a backdoor that uses an option to register a malicious debugger for built-in tools that are accessible in the login screen
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/jonathantrull/detecting-sticky-key-backdoors
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), @twjackomo, Jonhnathan Ribeiro, oscd.community
date: 2018-03-15
modified: 2023-03-07
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1546.008
    - car.2014-11-003
    - car.2014-11-008
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\winlogon.exe'
        Image|endswith:
            - '\cmd.exe'
            - '\cscript.exe'
            - '\mshta.exe'
            - '\powershell.exe'
            - '\pwsh.exe'
            - '\regsvr32.exe'
            - '\rundll32.exe'
            - '\wscript.exe'
            - '\wt.exe'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'sethc.exe'
            - 'utilman.exe'
            - 'osk.exe'
            - 'Magnify.exe'
            - 'Narrator.exe'
            - 'DisplaySwitch.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: critical