splunk_escuAnomaly

Windows MpCmdRun RemoveDefinitions Execution

This detection identifies the execution of MpCmdRun.exe with the "-RemoveDefinitions" argument, which is used to remove definitions from the Windows Malware Protection Engine. This behavior can be significant as it might indicate potential malware activity or attempts to bypass security measures.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1562.001

Detection Query

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
  from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
  (Processes.process_name ="MpCmdRun.exe" OR Processes.original_file_name = MpCmdRun.exe)
  Processes.process = "*-RemoveDefinitions *"
  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_mpcmdrun_removedefinitions_execution_filter`

Author

Teoderick Contreras, Splunk

Created

2026-04-15

Data Sources

Sysmon EventID 1Windows Event Log Security 4688CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2

References

https://cert.gov.ua/article/6284730

Tags

BlankGrabber Stealer

Raw Content

name: Windows MpCmdRun RemoveDefinitions Execution
id: b2442e49-bd3f-4685-a2dc-2bdc292563bf
version: 2
date: '2026-04-15'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: |
    This detection identifies the execution of MpCmdRun.exe with the "-RemoveDefinitions" argument, which is used to remove definitions from the Windows Malware Protection Engine.
    This behavior can be significant as it might indicate potential malware activity or attempts to bypass security measures.
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.process_name ="MpCmdRun.exe" OR Processes.original_file_name = MpCmdRun.exe)
      Processes.process = "*-RemoveDefinitions *"
      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_mpcmdrun_removedefinitions_execution_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: |
    Administrators may execute this command for testing or auditing.
references:
    - https://cert.gov.ua/article/6284730
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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: An instance of [$process_name$] attempting to remove definitions from the Windows Malware Protection Engine via the Command [$process$] on [$dest$] by user [$user$].
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 20
    threat_objects:
        - field: parent_process_name
          type: parent_process_name
        - field: process_name
          type: process_name
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - BlankGrabber Stealer
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1562.001
    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/T1562.001/mpcmdrun_remove/mpcmdrun_remove.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog