EXPLORE DETECTIONS
Windows New EventLog ChannelAccess Registry Value Set
The following analytic detects suspicious modifications to the EventLog security descriptor registry value for defense evasion. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry data model, focusing on changes to the "CustomSD" value within the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog\<Channel>\CustomSD" path. This activity is significant as changes to the access permissions of the event log could blind security products and help attackers evade defenses. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to block users and security products from viewing, ingesting and interacting event logs.
Windows New InProcServer32 Added
The following analytic detects the addition of new InProcServer32 registry keys on Windows endpoints. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel to identify changes in registry paths associated with InProcServer32. This activity is significant because malware often uses this mechanism to achieve persistence or execute malicious code by registering a new InProcServer32 key pointing to a harmful DLL. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to persist in the environment or execute arbitrary code, posing a significant threat to system integrity and security.
Windows New Service Security Descriptor Set Via Sc.EXE
The following analytic detects changes in a service security descriptor. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, specifically searching for any process execution involving the "sc.exe" binary with the "sdset" flag targeting any service. This behavior can be legitimate, such as when a user or administrator is configuring a service's security settings. Investigate appropariate services to determine if the behavior is malicious. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to escalate their privileges, blind defenses and more.
Windows Ngrok Reverse Proxy Usage
The following analytic detects the execution of ngrok.exe on a Windows operating system. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. This activity is significant because while ngrok is a legitimate tool for creating secure tunnels, it is increasingly used by adversaries to bypass network defenses and establish reverse proxies. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to exfiltrate data, maintain persistence, or facilitate further attacks by tunneling traffic through the compromised system.
Windows NirSoft AdvancedRun
The following analytic detects the execution of AdvancedRun.exe, a tool with capabilities similar to remote administration programs like PsExec. It identifies the process by its name or original file name and flags common command-line arguments. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process and command-line telemetry. Monitoring this activity is crucial as AdvancedRun can be used for remote code execution and configuration-based automation. If malicious, this could allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands, escalate privileges, or maintain persistence within the environment.
Windows NirSoft Tool Bundle File Created
The following analytic detects the creation of files associated with the NirSoft tool bundles on Windows endpoints. NirSoft is a well-known provider of free, portable utilities that can be used for various system and network tasks. However, threat actors often leverage these tools for malicious purposes, such as credential harvesting, network reconnaissance, and data exfiltration. The detection focuses on the creation of specific NirSoft tool bundle files, which may indicate that an attacker is preparing to use these utilities on a compromised system. Security teams should investigate any instances of these files being created, especially if they are found in unexpected locations or on systems that should not be using such tools.
Windows NirSoft Utilities
The following analytic identifies the execution of commonly used NirSoft utilities on Windows systems. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process execution details such as process name, parent process, and command-line arguments. This activity is significant for a SOC because NirSoft utilities, while legitimate, can be used by adversaries for malicious purposes like credential theft or system reconnaissance. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or further system compromise. Note that this search does not use a where clause to filter out known benign paths, as NirSoft utilities can be executed from various locations. This might hinder performance in environments with high data volumes. Apply additional filtering as necessary to enhance this.
Windows Njrat Fileless Storage via Registry
The following analytic detects suspicious registry modifications indicative of NjRat's fileless storage technique. It leverages the Endpoint.Registry data model to identify specific registry paths and values commonly used by NjRat for keylogging and executing DLL plugins. This activity is significant as it helps evade traditional file-based detection systems, making it crucial for SOC analysts to monitor. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to persist on the host, execute arbitrary code, and capture sensitive keystrokes, leading to potential data breaches and further system compromise.
Windows Non Discord App Access Discord LevelDB
The following analytic detects non-Discord applications accessing the Discord LevelDB database. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically event code 4663, to identify file access attempts to the LevelDB directory by processes other than Discord. This activity is significant as it may indicate attempts to steal Discord credentials or access sensitive user data. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized access to user profiles, messages, and other critical information, potentially compromising the security and privacy of the affected users.
Windows Non-System Account Targeting Lsass
The following analytic identifies non-SYSTEM accounts requesting access to lsass.exe. This detection leverages Sysmon EventCode 10 logs to monitor access attempts to the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (lsass.exe) by non-SYSTEM users. This activity is significant as it may indicate credential dumping attempts or unauthorized access to sensitive credentials. If confirmed malicious, an attacker could potentially extract credentials from memory, leading to privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Immediate investigation is required to determine the legitimacy of the access request and to mitigate any potential threats.
Windows Non-System Process Querying Definition Update
Detects DNS queries to definitionupdates.microsoft.com or the go.microsoft.com fwlink redirect used for WD update downloads, when the querying process is not a Windows system component. BlueHammer utilizes these definition updates as part of its exploit chain.
Windows NorthStar C2 Agent Execution
Detects the initial agent or persistent agent processes for Northstar C2 being run. NorthStarC2 is an open-source command and control framework developed for penetration testing and red teaming purposes by Engin Demirbilek. NorthStar C2 Framework consists of two applications, a server-side GUI web application for managing sessions and a client-side stager to communicate with C2 server.
Windows Obfuscated Files or Information via RAR SFX
The following analytic detects the creation of RAR Self-Extracting (SFX) files by monitoring the generation of file related to rar sfx .tmp file creation during sfx installation. This method leverages a heuristic to identify RAR SFX archives based on specific markers that indicate a combination of executable code and compressed RAR data. By tracking such activity, the analytic helps pinpoint potentially unauthorized or suspicious file creation events, which are often associated with malware packaging or data exfiltration. Legitimate usage may include custom installers or compressed file delivery.
Windows Odbcconf Hunting
The following analytic identifies the execution of Odbcconf.exe within the environment. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process creation events where the process name is Odbcconf.exe. This activity is significant because Odbcconf.exe can be used by attackers to execute arbitrary commands or load malicious DLLs, potentially leading to code execution or persistence. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to maintain access to the system, execute further malicious activities, or escalate privileges, posing a significant threat to the environment.
Windows Odbcconf Load DLL
The following analytic detects the execution of odbcconf.exe with the regsvr action to load a DLL. This is identified by monitoring command-line arguments in process creation logs from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to execute arbitrary code via DLL loading, a common technique used in various attack vectors. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to execute code with the privileges of the odbcconf.exe process, potentially leading to system compromise or further lateral movement.
Windows Odbcconf Load Response File
The following analytic detects the execution of odbcconf.exe with a response file, which may contain commands to load a DLL (REGSVR) or other instructions. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to execute arbitrary code or load malicious DLLs, potentially leading to unauthorized actions. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to gain code execution, escalate privileges, or establish persistence within the environment.
Windows Office Product Dropped Cab or Inf File
The following analytic detects Office products writing .cab or .inf files, indicative of CVE-2021-40444 exploitation. It leverages the Endpoint.Processes and Endpoint.Filesystem data models to identify Office applications creating these file types. This activity is significant as it may signal an attempt to load malicious ActiveX controls and download remote payloads, a known attack vector. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to remote code execution, allowing attackers to gain control over the affected system and potentially compromise sensitive data.
Windows Office Product Dropped Uncommon File
The following analytic detects Microsoft Office applications dropping or creating executables or scripts on a Windows OS. It leverages process creation and file system events from the Endpoint data model to identify Office applications like Word or Excel generating files with extensions such as ".exe", ".dll", or ".ps1". This behavior is significant as it is often associated with spear-phishing attacks where malicious files are dropped to compromise the host. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to code execution, privilege escalation, or persistent access, posing a severe threat to the environment.
Windows Office Product Loaded MSHTML Module
The following analytic detects the loading of the mshtml.dll module into an Office product, which is indicative of CVE-2021-40444 exploitation. It leverages Sysmon EventID 7 to monitor image loads by specific Office processes. This activity is significant because it can indicate an attempt to exploit a vulnerability in the MSHTML component via a malicious document. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or further network penetration.
Windows Office Product Loading Taskschd DLL
The following analytic detects an Office document creating a scheduled task, either through a macro VBA API or by loading `taskschd.dll`. This detection leverages Sysmon EventCode 7 to identify when Office applications load the `taskschd.dll` file. This activity is significant as it is a common technique used by malicious macro malware to establish persistence or initiate beaconing. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to maintain persistence, execute arbitrary commands, or schedule future malicious activities, posing a significant threat to the environment.
Windows Office Product Loading VBE7 DLL
The following analytic identifies office documents executing macro code. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 7 to detect when processes like WINWORD.EXE or EXCEL.EXE load specific DLLs associated with macros (e.g., VBE7.DLL). This activity is significant because macros are a common attack vector for delivering malicious payloads, such as malware. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or further compromise of the system. Disabling macros by default is recommended to mitigate this risk.
Windows Office Product Spawned Child Process For Download
The following analytic identifies Office applications spawning child processes to download content via HTTP/HTTPS. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process creation events where Office applications like Word or Excel initiate network connections, excluding common browsers. This activity is significant as it often indicates the use of malicious documents to execute living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) for payload delivery. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or further malware deployment, posing a severe threat to the organization's security.
Windows Office Product Spawned Control
The following analytic identifies instances where `control.exe` is spawned by a Microsoft Office product. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process and parent process relationships. This activity is significant because it can indicate exploitation attempts related to CVE-2021-40444, where `control.exe` is used to execute malicious .cpl or .inf files. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.
Windows Office Product Spawned MSDT
The following analytic detects a Microsoft Office product spawning the Windows msdt.exe process. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process creation events where Office applications are the parent process. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to exploit protocol handlers to bypass security controls, even if macros are disabled. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.