splunk_escuTTP

Windows KrbRelayUp Service Creation

The following analytic detects the creation of a service with the default name "KrbSCM" associated with the KrbRelayUp tool. It leverages Windows System Event Logs, specifically EventCode 7045, to identify this activity. This behavior is significant as KrbRelayUp is a known tool used for privilege escalation attacks. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow an attacker to escalate privileges, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1543.003

Detection Query

`wineventlog_system` EventCode=7045 ServiceName IN ("KrbSCM")
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
    BY dest EventCode ImagePath
       ServiceName StartType ServiceType
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `windows_krbrelayup_service_creation_filter`

Author

Michael Haag, Splunk

Created

2026-03-10

Data Sources

Windows Event Log System 7045

References

https://github.com/Dec0ne/KrbRelayUp

Tags

Local Privilege Escalation With KrbRelayUpCompromised Windows Host

Raw Content

name: Windows KrbRelayUp Service Creation
id: e40ef542-8241-4419-9af4-6324582ea60a
version: 9
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the creation of a service with the default name "KrbSCM" associated with the KrbRelayUp tool. It leverages Windows System Event Logs, specifically EventCode 7045, to identify this activity. This behavior is significant as KrbRelayUp is a known tool used for privilege escalation attacks. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow an attacker to escalate privileges, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log System 7045
search: |-
    `wineventlog_system` EventCode=7045 ServiceName IN ("KrbSCM")
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest EventCode ImagePath
           ServiceName StartType ServiceType
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `windows_krbrelayup_service_creation_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting Windows System Event Logs with 7045 EventCode enabled. The Windows TA is also required.
known_false_positives: False positives should be limited as this is specific to KrbRelayUp based attack. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://github.com/Dec0ne/KrbRelayUp
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 ("$dest$") starthoursago=168  | 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: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: A service was created on $dest$, related to KrbRelayUp.
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Local Privilege Escalation With KrbRelayUp
        - Compromised Windows Host
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1543.003
    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/T1543.003/windows_krbrelayup_service_creation/windows-xml.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:System
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog