Windows Command and Scripting Interpreter Path Traversal Exec

name: Windows Command and Scripting Interpreter Path Traversal Exec
id: 58fcdeb1-728d-415d-b0d7-3ab18a275ec2
version: 11
date: '2026-04-15'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects path traversal command-line execution, often used in malicious documents to execute code via msdt.exe for defense evasion. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) data, focusing on specific patterns in process paths. This activity is significant as it can indicate an attempt to bypass security controls and execute unauthorized code. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to code execution, privilege escalation, or persistence within the environment, potentially allowing attackers to deploy malware or leverage other living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins).
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 NOT Processes.os="Linux" Processes.process="*\/..\/..\/..\/*" OR Processes.process="*\\..\\..\\..\\*" OR Processes.process="*\/\/..\/\/..\/\/..\/\/*" 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_command_and_scripting_interpreter_path_traversal_exec_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: Not known at this moment.
references:
    - https://app.any.run/tasks/713f05d2-fe78-4b9d-a744-f7c133e3fafb/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | 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"
rba:
    message: A process $parent_process_name$ has spawned a child $process_name$ with path traversal commandline $process$ on $dest$
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool Vulnerability CVE-2022-30190
        - Compromised Windows Host
        - Windows Defense Evasion Tactics
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1059
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1059/path_traversal/sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog