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sigmahighHunting

Bypass UAC via WSReset.exe

Detects use of WSReset.exe to bypass User Account Control (UAC). Adversaries use this technique to execute privileged processes.

MITRE ATT&CK

privilege-escalationdefense-evasion

Detection Query

selection:
  ParentImage|endswith: \wsreset.exe
filter:
  - Image|endswith: \conhost.exe
  - OriginalFileName: CONHOST.EXE
condition: selection and not filter

Author

E.M. Anhaus (originally from Atomic Blue Detections, Tony Lambert), oscd.community, Florian Roth

Created

2019-10-24

Data Sources

windowsProcess Creation Events

Platforms

windows

Tags

attack.privilege-escalationattack.defense-evasionattack.t1548.002
Raw Content
title: Bypass UAC via WSReset.exe
id: d797268e-28a9-49a7-b9a8-2f5039011c5c
related:
    - id: bdc8918e-a1d5-49d1-9db7-ea0fd91aa2ae
      type: obsolete
status: test
description: Detects use of WSReset.exe to bypass User Account Control (UAC). Adversaries use this technique to execute privileged processes.
references:
    - https://eqllib.readthedocs.io/en/latest/analytics/532b5ed4-7930-11e9-8f5c-d46d6d62a49e.html
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Wsreset/
    - https://www.activecyber.us/activelabs/windows-uac-bypass
    - https://twitter.com/ReaQta/status/1222548288731217921
author: E.M. Anhaus (originally from Atomic Blue Detections, Tony Lambert), oscd.community, Florian Roth
date: 2019-10-24
modified: 2022-05-13
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.defense-evasion
    - attack.t1548.002
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\wsreset.exe'
    filter:
        - Image|endswith: '\conhost.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'CONHOST.EXE'
    condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
    - Unknown sub processes of Wsreset.exe
level: high