EXPLORE DETECTIONS
Windows System Reboot CommandLine
The following analytic identifies the execution of the Windows command line to reboot a host machine using "shutdown.exe" with specific parameters. 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 is often associated with advanced persistent threats (APTs) and remote access trojans (RATs) like dcrat, which may use system reboots to disrupt operations, aid in system destruction, or inhibit recovery. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to system downtime, data loss, or hindered incident response efforts.
Windows System Remote Discovery With Query
The following analytic detects the execution of `query.exe` with command-line arguments aimed at discovering data on remote devices. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as adversaries may use `query.exe` to gain situational awareness and perform Active Directory discovery on compromised endpoints. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to identify various details about a system, aiding in further lateral movement and privilege escalation within the network.
Windows System Script Proxy Execution Syncappvpublishingserver
The following analytic detects the execution of Syncappvpublishingserver.vbs via wscript.exe or cscript.exe, which may indicate an attempt to download remote files or perform privilege escalation. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it can signify malicious use of a native Windows script for unauthorized actions. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to unauthorized file downloads or elevated privileges, posing a significant security risk.
Windows System Shutdown CommandLine
The following analytic identifies the execution of the Windows shutdown command via the command line interface. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. This activity is significant because attackers may use the shutdown command to erase tracks, cause disruption, or ensure changes take effect after installing backdoors. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to system downtime, denial of service, or evasion of security tools, impacting the overall security posture of the network.
Windows System Time Discovery W32tm Delay
The following analytic identifies the use of the w32tm.exe utility with the /stripchart function, which is indicative of DCRat malware delaying its payload execution. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on specific command-line arguments used by w32tm.exe. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to evade detection by delaying malicious actions such as C2 communication and beaconing. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to maintain persistence and execute further malicious activities undetected.
Windows System User Discovery Via Quser
The following analytic detects the execution of the Windows OS tool quser.exe, commonly used to gather information about user sessions on a Remote Desktop Session Host server. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process execution logs. Monitoring this activity is crucial as quser.exe is often abused by post-exploitation tools like winpeas, used in ransomware attacks to enumerate user sessions. If confirmed malicious, attackers could leverage this information to further compromise the system, maintain persistence, or escalate privileges.
Windows System User Privilege Discovery
The following analytic detects the execution of `whoami.exe` with the `/priv` parameter, which displays the privileges assigned to the current user account. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to enumerate user privileges, a common step in the reconnaissance phase of an attack. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to privilege escalation or further exploitation within the environment.
Windows TeamCity Payload Execution from Temp Directory
Detects the bundled TeamCity java executing a payload out of the temp directory. This activity can be associated with a malicious plugin installed by metasploit for remote code execution.
Windows TeamCity Plugin Installed
Detects the creation of a plugin zip file under the TeamCity data structure. This indicates a new plugin has been installed and can potentially indicate attempts to gain code execution on the TeamCity server if the plugin installation was unexpected.
Windows Terminating Lsass Process
The following analytic detects a suspicious process attempting to terminate the Lsass.exe process. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 10 logs to identify processes granted PROCESS_TERMINATE access to Lsass.exe. This activity is significant because Lsass.exe is a critical process responsible for enforcing security policies and handling user credentials. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an attempt to perform credential dumping, privilege escalation, or evasion of security policies, potentially leading to unauthorized access and persistence within the environment.
Windows Theme File Creation in Unusual Location
Detects theme files being created in unusual locations. These files, used to customize desktop appearances, have been used for remote code execution and NTLM coercion attacks.
Windows Time Based Evasion
The following analytic detects potentially malicious processes that initiate a ping delay using an invalid IP address. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on command-line executions involving "ping 0 -n". Malware like NJRAT was observed using this technique to introduce time delays for evasion tactics, such as delaying self-deletion. If confirmed malicious, this activity could indicate an active infection attempting to evade detection, potentially leading to further compromise and persistence within the environment.
Windows Time Based Evasion via Choice Exec
The following analytic detects the use of choice.exe in batch files as a delay tactic, a technique observed in SnakeKeylogger malware. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it indicates potential time-based evasion techniques used by malware to avoid detection. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute code stealthily, delete malicious files, and persist on compromised hosts, making it crucial for SOC analysts to investigate promptly.
Windows TinyCC Shellcode Execution
Detects abuse of Tiny-C-Compiler (TinyCC) for shellcode execution, where tcc.exe is renamed to masquerade as svchost.exe and used to compile and execute C source files containing shellcode. This technique was observed in the Lotus Blossom Chrysalis backdoor campaign, where attackers renamed tcc.exe to svchost.exe and executed conf.c containing Metasploit block_api shellcode with the flags -nostdlib -run. TinyCC is a legitimate C compiler, but its ability to compile and execute code on-the-fly makes it attractive to attackers seeking to evade detection. The combination of a renamed compiler binary executing from non-standard locations with suspicious flags is a strong indicator of malicious activity.
Windows TOR Client Execution
The following analytic detects the execution of the TOR Browser and related TOR components on Windows endpoints by monitoring process creation activity. Adversaries and insider threats leverage TOR to anonymize command-and-control traffic, facilitate data exfiltration, and evade network monitoring and policy enforcement. While TOR can be used for legitimate research and privacy purposes, its presence on enterprise endpoints is often unusual and should be investigated to determine intent, scope, and any associated malicious behavior.
Windows UAC Bypass Suspicious Child Process
The following analytic detects when an executable known for User Account Control (UAC) bypass exploitation spawns a child process in a user-controlled location or a command shell executable (e.g., cmd.exe, powershell.exe). This detection leverages Sysmon EventID 1 data, focusing on high or system integrity level processes with specific parent-child process relationships. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attacker has successfully used a UAC bypass exploit to escalate privileges. If confirmed malicious, this could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the entire system.
Windows UAC Bypass Suspicious Escalation Behavior
The following analytic detects when a process spawns an executable known for User Account Control (UAC) bypass exploitation and subsequently monitors for any child processes with a higher integrity level than the original process. This detection leverages Sysmon EventID 1 data, focusing on process integrity levels and known UAC bypass executables. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attacker has successfully used a UAC bypass exploit to escalate privileges. If confirmed malicious, the attacker could gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to further system compromise and persistent access.
Windows Uncommon Remote Thread Creation In Browser Process
The following analytic identifies the creation of a remote thread by a process such as wermgr.exe or rundll32.exe into a browser process such as firefox.exe, chrome.exe, and others. These processes do not typically create remote threads, in browser processes. It leverages Sysmon EventID 8 to detect this behavior by monitoring SourceImage and TargetImage fields. This activity is significant because it is commonly associated with malware like Qakbot and IcedID, which injects malicious code into legitimate processes to steal information. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, and exfiltrate sensitive data from the compromised host.
Windows Universal Data Link File Creation
Detects the creation of Universal Data Link (UDL) files. This could indicate a phishing technique that exploits UDL files, which are typically used in Windows for database connections. Attackers might leverage UDL files to bypass email filters and capture user credentials by tricking victims into testing a connection to a malicious server.
Windows Unsecured Outlook Credentials Access In Registry
The following analytic detects unauthorized access to Outlook credentials stored in the Windows registry. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically EventCode 4663, to identify access attempts to registry paths associated with Outlook profiles. This activity is significant as it may indicate attempts to steal sensitive email credentials, which could lead to unauthorized access to email accounts. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to exfiltrate sensitive information, impersonate users, or execute further unauthorized actions within Outlook, posing a significant security risk.
Windows Unsigned DLL Side-Loading
The following analytic detects the creation of potentially malicious unsigned DLLs in the c:\windows\system32 or c:\windows\syswow64 folders. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 7 logs to identify unsigned DLLs with unavailable signatures loaded in these critical directories. This activity is significant as it may indicate a DLL hijacking attempt, a technique used by attackers to gain unauthorized access and execute malicious code. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to privilege escalation, allowing the attacker to gain elevated privileges and further compromise the target system.
Windows Unsigned DLL Side-Loading In Same Process Path
This detection identifies unsigned DLLs loaded through DLL side-loading with same file path with the process loaded the DLL, a technique observed in DarkGate malware. This detection monitors DLL loading, verifies signatures, and flags unsigned DLLs. Suspicious file paths and known executable associations are checked. Detecting such suspicious DLLs is crucial in preventing privilege escalation attacks and other potential security breaches. Regular security assessments, thorough monitoring, and implementing security best practices are essential in safeguarding systems from such threats.
Windows Unsigned MS DLL Side-Loading
The following analytic identifies potential DLL side-loading instances involving unsigned DLLs mimicking Microsoft signatures. It detects this activity by analyzing Sysmon logs for Event Code 7, where both the `Image` and `ImageLoaded` paths do not match system directories like `system32`, `syswow64`, and `programfiles`. This behavior is significant as adversaries often exploit DLL side-loading to execute malicious code via legitimate processes. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to privilege escalation, persistence, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Windows Unusual Count Of Disabled Users Failed Auth Using Kerberos
The following analytic identifies a source endpoint failing to authenticate with multiple disabled domain users using the Kerberos protocol. It leverages EventCode 4768, which is generated when the Key Distribution Center issues a Kerberos Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT) and detects failure code `0x12` (credentials revoked). This behavior is significant as it may indicate a Password Spraying attack targeting disabled accounts, potentially leading to initial access or privilege escalation. If confirmed malicious, attackers could gain unauthorized access or elevate privileges within the Active Directory environment.