Update v8.19.6

M365 Threat Intelligence Signal

Identifies a Microsoft 365 audit log generated for Threat Intelligence signals by Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Signals generated may relate to services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and others.

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Multi-Base64 Decoding Attempt from Suspicious Location

This rule detects the execution of multiple base64 decoding commands to decode data. multi-decoded data is suspicious, and may be used by attackers to obfuscate malicious payloads or commands.

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Connection to Common Large Language Model Endpoints

Identifies DNS queries to known Large Language Model domains by unsigned binaries or common Windows scripting utilities. Malwares may leverage the capabilities of LLM to perform actions in the affected system in a dynamic way.

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Network Activity to a Suspicious Top Level Domain

Identifies DNS queries to commonly abused Top Level Domains by common LOLBINs or executable running from world writable directories or unsigned binaries. This behavior matches on common malware C2 abusing less formal domain names.

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Potential REMCOS Trojan Execution

Identifies known execution traces of the REMCOS Remote Access Trojan. Remcos RAT is used by attackers to perform actions on infected machines remotely.

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NetSupport Manager Execution from an Unusual Path

Identifies execution of the NetSupport remote access software from non-default paths. Adversaries may abuse NetSupport Manager to control a target victim machine.

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Browser Process Spawned from an Unusual Parent

Identifies instances where an unusual process spawns a chrome browser child process. This behavior could be related to malware stealing browser information.

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Potential Kerberos Relay Attack against a Computer Account

Detects potential relay attacks by identifying coercion attempts followed by authentication events using a target server’s computer account, originating from a different host. This may indicate that an attacker has captured and relayed the server’s computer account hash to execute code on behalf of the compromised system.

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Potential NTLM Relay Attack against a Computer Account

Detects potential relay attacks by identifying coercion attempts followed by authentication events using a target server’s computer account, originating from a different host. This may indicate that an attacker has captured and relayed the server’s computer account hash to execute code on behalf of the compromised system.

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Proxy Execution via Console Window Host

Identifies abuse of the Console Window Host (conhost.exe) to execute commands via proxy. This behavior is used as a defense evasion technique to blend-in malicious activity with legitimate Windows software.

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Proxy Execution via Windows OpenSSH

Identifies attempts to execute commands via proxy using the Windows OpenSSH client. This may indicate an attempt to bypass application control via trusted windows binaries.

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System File Onwership Change

Adversaries may modify file or directory ownership to evade access control lists (ACLs) and access protected files.

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Suspicious Microsoft HTML Application Child Process

Identifies Mshta.exe spawning a suspicious child process. This may indicate adversarial activity, as Mshta is often leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious scripts and evade detection.

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Potential Remote Install via MsiExec

Identifies attempts to install a file from a remote server using MsiExec. Adversaries may abuse Windows Installers for initial access and delivery of malware.

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Active Directory Discovery using AdExplorer

This rule detects the use of ADExplorer utility. Active Directory Explorer (AD Explorer) is an advanced Active Directory (AD) viewer and editor. AD Explorer also includes the ability to save snapshots of an AD database for off-line viewing and comparisons. Adversaries may abuse this utility to perform domain reconnaissance.

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System Public IP Discovery via DNS Query

Identifies DNS queries to known public IP address lookup web services. Malwares tend to perform this action to assess potential targets.

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Suspicious Execution with NodeJS

Identifies suspicious execution patterns using NodeJS interpeter like process path and arguments.

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Suspicious Execution from a WebDav Share

Identifies attempt to execute Windows scripts from a remote WebDav Share. Adversaries may abuse this method to evade dropping malicious files to victim file system.

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Windows Script Execution from Archive

Identifies attempts to execute Jscript/Vbscript files from an archive file. The use of archives is a common delivery method of malicious scripts.

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Potential Fake CAPTCHA Phishing Attack

Identifies potential fake CAPTCHA phishing attack based on PowerShell or Cmd argument values. Adversaries employ this technique via compromised websites with browser injects, posing either as fake CAPTCHAs to access the site or as a page loading error requiring a fix to display the page. The victim is instructed to copy and past a malicious command to the Windows Run dialog box.

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Potential Execution via FileFix Phishing Attack

Identifies the execution of Windows commands or downloaded files via the browser’s dialog box. Adversaries may use phishing to instruct the victim to copy and paste malicious commands for execution via crafted phsihing web pages.

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Potential System Tampering via File Modification

Identifies attempts to delete or modify critical files used during the boot process to prevent the system from booting. This may indicate a destructive attack behavior.

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First Time Seen AWS Secret Value Accessed in Secrets Manager

An adversary with access to a compromised AWS service such as an EC2 instance, Lambda function, or other service may attempt to leverage the compromised service to access secrets in AWS Secrets Manager. This rule looks for the first time a specific user identity has programmatically retrieved a secret value from Secrets Manager using the GetSecretValue or BatchGetSecretValue actions. This rule assumes that AWS services such as Lambda functions and EC2 instances are setup with IAM role’s assigned that have the necessary permissions to access the secrets in Secrets Manager. An adversary with access to a compromised AWS service would rely on its' attached role to access the secrets in Secrets Manager.

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AWS First Occurrence of STS GetFederationToken Request by User

Identifies the first occurrence of an AWS Security Token Service (STS) GetFederationToken request made by a user. The GetFederationToken API call allows users to request temporary security credentials to access AWS resources. The maximum expiration period for these tokens is 36 hours and they can be used to create a console signin token even for identities that don’t already have one. Adversaries may use this API to obtain temporary credentials for persistence and to bypass IAM API call limitations by gaining console access.

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AWS STS GetCallerIdentity API Called for the First Time

An adversary with access to a set of compromised credentials may attempt to verify that the credentials are valid and determine what account they are using. This rule looks for the first time an identity has called the STS GetCallerIdentity API, which may be an indicator of compromised credentials. A legitimate user would not need to perform this operation as they should know the account they are using.

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First Time AWS CloudFormation Stack Creation

This rule detects the first time a principal calls AWS CloudFormation CreateStack, CreateStackSet or CreateStackInstances API. CloudFormation is used to create a collection of cloud resources called a stack, via a defined template file. An attacker with the appropriate privileges could leverage CloudFormation to create specific resources needed to further exploit the environment. This is a new terms rule that looks for the first instance of this behavior for a role or IAM user within a particular account.

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AWS STS AssumeRole with New MFA Device

Identifies when a user has assumed a role using a new MFA device. Users can assume a role to obtain temporary credentials and access AWS resources using the AssumeRole API of AWS Security Token Service (STS). While a new MFA device is not always indicative of malicious behavior it should be verified as adversaries can use this technique for persistence and privilege escalation.

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Microsoft Entra ID Suspicious Session Reuse to Graph Access

Identifies potential session hijacking or token replay in Microsoft Entra ID. This rule detects cases where a user signs in and subsequently accesses Microsoft Graph from a different IP address using the same session ID. This may indicate a successful OAuth phishing attack, session hijacking, or token replay attack, where an adversary has stolen a session cookie or refresh/access token and is impersonating the user from an alternate host or location.

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Entra ID MFA Disabled for User

Identifies when multi-factor authentication (MFA) is disabled for an Entra ID user account. An adversary may disable MFA for a user account in order to weaken the authentication requirements for the account.

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M365 Portal Login (Atypical Travel)

Detects successful Microsoft 365 portal logins from rare locations. Rare locations are defined as locations that are not commonly associated with the user’s account. This behavior may indicate an adversary attempting to access a Microsoft 365 account from an unusual location or behind a VPN.

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M365 Portal Login (Impossible Travel)

Detects successful Microsoft 365 portal logins from impossible travel locations. Impossible travel locations are defined as two different countries within a short time frame. This behavior may indicate an adversary attempting to access a Microsoft 365 account from a compromised account or a malicious actor attempting to access a Microsoft 365 account from a different location.

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Unusual Network Connection to Suspicious Web Service

This rule monitors for the unusual occurrence of outbound network connections to suspicious webservice domains.

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Outlook Home Page Registry Modification

Identifies modifications in registry keys associated with abuse of the Outlook Home Page functionality for command and control or persistence.

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Port Forwarding Rule Addition

Identifies the creation of a new port forwarding rule. An adversary may abuse this technique to bypass network segmentation restrictions.

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Potential File Transfer via Curl for Windows

Identifies Curl for Windows making an HTTP request. Adversaries could abuse Curl to download files or upload data to a remote URL.

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Potential Computer Account Relay Activity

Identifies potential relay activities against a Computer account by identifying authentication events using the computer account coming from from hosts other than the server that owns the account. Attackers may relay the computer account hash after capturing it using forced authentication.

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Mimikatz Memssp Log File Detected

Identifies the password log file from the default Mimikatz memssp module.

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Suspicious Antimalware Scan Interface DLL

Identifies the creation of the Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) DLL in an unusual location. This may indicate an attempt to bypass AMSI by loading a rogue AMSI module instead of the legit one.

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Modification of AmsiEnable Registry Key

Identifies modifications of the AmsiEnable registry key to 0, which disables the Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI). An adversary can modify this key to disable AMSI protections.

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Code Signing Policy Modification Through Registry

Identifies attempts to disable the code signing policy through the registry. Code signing provides authenticity on a program, and grants the user with the ability to check whether the program has been tampered with. By allowing the execution of unsigned or self-signed code, threat actors can craft and execute malicious code.

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Suspicious Communication App Child Process

Identifies suspicious child processes of communications apps, which can indicate a potential masquerading as the communication app or the exploitation of a vulnerability on the application causing it to execute code.

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Network-Level Authentication (NLA) Disabled

Identifies the attempt to disable Network-Level Authentication (NLA) via registry modification. Network Level Authentication (NLA) is a feature on Windows that provides an extra layer of security for Remote Desktop (RDP) connections, as it requires users to authenticate before allowing a full RDP session. Attackers can disable NLA to enable persistence methods that require access to the Windows sign-in screen without authenticating, such as Accessibility Features persistence methods, like Sticky Keys.

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PowerShell Script Block Logging Disabled

Identifies attempts to disable PowerShell Script Block Logging via registry modification. Attackers may disable this logging to conceal their activities in the host and evade detection.

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DNS-over-HTTPS Enabled via Registry

Identifies when a user enables DNS-over-HTTPS. This can be used to hide internet activity or the process of exfiltrating data. With this enabled, an organization will lose visibility into data such as query type, response, and originating IP, which are used to determine bad actors.

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Microsoft Build Engine Using an Alternate Name

An instance of MSBuild, the Microsoft Build Engine, was started after being renamed. This is uncommon behavior and may indicate an attempt to run unnoticed or undetected.

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Potential DLL Side-Loading via Trusted Microsoft Programs

Identifies an instance of a Windows trusted program that is known to be vulnerable to DLL Search Order Hijacking starting after being renamed or from a non-standard path. This is uncommon behavior and may indicate an attempt to evade defenses via side loading a malicious DLL within the memory space of one of those processes.

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Potential DLL Side-Loading via Microsoft Antimalware Service Executable

Identifies a Windows trusted program that is known to be vulnerable to DLL Search Order Hijacking starting after being renamed or from a non-standard path. This is uncommon behavior and may indicate an attempt to evade defenses via side-loading a malicious DLL within the memory space of one of those processes.

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Executable File Creation with Multiple Extensions

Masquerading can allow an adversary to evade defenses and better blend in with the environment. One way it occurs is when the name or location of a file is manipulated as a means of tricking a user into executing what they think is a benign file type but is actually executable code.

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Encoded Executable Stored in the Registry

Identifies registry write modifications to hide an encoded portable executable. This could be indicative of adversary defense evasion by avoiding the storing of malicious content directly on disk.

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InstallUtil Process Making Network Connections

Identifies InstallUtil.exe making outbound network connections. This may indicate adversarial activity as InstallUtil is often leveraged by adversaries to execute code and evade detection.

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Execution via Windows Command Debugging Utility

An adversary can use the Windows command line debugging utility cdb.exe to execute commands or shellcode. This rule looks for those instances and where the cdb.exe binary is outside of the normal WindowsKit installation paths.

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Disabling Lsa Protection via Registry Modification

LSA protecton is provided to prevent nonprotected processes from reading memory and injecting code. This feature provides added security for the credentials that LSA stores and manages. Adversaries may modify the RunAsPPL registry and wait or initiate a system restart to enable Lsass credentials access.

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Potential Masquerading as Business App Installer

Identifies executables with names resembling legitimate business applications but lacking signatures from the original developer. Attackers may trick users into downloading malicious executables that masquerade as legitimate applications via malicious ads, forum posts, and tutorials, effectively gaining initial access.

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Potential Masquerading as Communication Apps

Identifies suspicious instances of communications apps, both unsigned and renamed ones, that can indicate an attempt to conceal malicious activity, bypass security features such as allowlists, or trick users into executing malware.

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Renamed Automation Script Interpreter

Identifies renamed Automation Script Interpreter process. Malware written as an AutoIt/AutoHotKey script tends to rename the main executable to avoid detection.

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Program Files Directory Masquerading

Identifies execution from a directory masquerading as the Windows Program Files directories. These paths are trusted and usually host trusted third party programs. An adversary may leverage masquerading, along with low privileges to bypass detections allowlisting those folders.

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Microsoft Windows Defender Tampering

Identifies when one or more features on Microsoft Defender are disabled. Adversaries may disable or tamper with Microsoft Defender features to evade detection and conceal malicious behavior.

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Network Connection via Signed Binary

Binaries signed with trusted digital certificates can execute on Windows systems protected by digital signature validation. Adversaries may use these binaries to live off the land and execute malicious files that could bypass application allowlists and signature validation.

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MS Office Macro Security Registry Modifications

Microsoft Office Products offer options for users and developers to control the security settings for running and using Macros. Adversaries may abuse these security settings to modify the default behavior of the Office Application to trust future macros and/or disable security warnings, which could increase their chances of establishing persistence.

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Mshta Making Network Connections

Identifies Mshta.exe making outbound network connections. This may indicate adversarial activity, as Mshta is often leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious scripts and evade detection.

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MsiExec Service Child Process With Network Connection

Identifies the execution of an MsiExec service child process followed by network or dns lookup activity. Adversaries may abuse Windows Installers for initial access and delivery of malware.

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Network Connection via MsXsl

Identifies msxsl.exe making a network connection. This may indicate adversarial activity as msxsl.exe is often leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious scripts and evade detection.

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Unusual Network Activity from a Windows System Binary

Identifies network activity from unexpected system applications. This may indicate adversarial activity as these applications are often leveraged by adversaries to execute code and evade detection.

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Potential NetNTLMv1 Downgrade Attack

Identifies registry modification to force the system to fall back to NTLMv1 for authentication. This modification is possible with local administrator privileges and is commonly referred to as a NetNTLMv1 downgrade attack.

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Local Account TokenFilter Policy Disabled

Identifies registry modification to the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy policy. If this value exists (which doesn’t by default) and is set to 1, then remote connections from all local members of Administrators are granted full high-integrity tokens during negotiation.

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Suspicious Microsoft Diagnostics Wizard Execution

Identifies potential abuse of the Microsoft Diagnostics Troubleshooting Wizard (MSDT) to proxy malicious command or binary execution via malicious process arguments.

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DNS Global Query Block List Modified or Disabled

Identifies changes to the DNS Global Query Block List (GQBL), a security feature that prevents the resolution of certain DNS names often exploited in attacks like WPAD spoofing. Attackers with certain privileges, such as DNSAdmins, can modify or disable the GQBL, allowing exploitation of hosts running WPAD with default settings for privilege escalation and lateral movement.

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Unusual Child Processes of RunDLL32

Identifies child processes of unusual instances of RunDLL32 where the command line parameters were suspicious. Misuse of RunDLL32 could indicate malicious activity.

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Scheduled Tasks AT Command Enabled

Identifies attempts to enable the Windows scheduled tasks AT command via the registry. Attackers may use this method to move laterally or persist locally. The AT command has been deprecated since Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, but still exists for backwards compatibility.

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Script Execution via Microsoft HTML Application

Identifies the execution of scripts via HTML applications using Windows utilities rundll32.exe or mshta.exe. Adversaries may bypass process and/or signature-based defenses by proxying execution of malicious content with signed binaries.

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Potential Secure File Deletion via SDelete Utility

Detects file name patterns generated by the use of Sysinternals SDelete utility to securely delete a file via multiple file overwrite and rename operations.

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SIP Provider Modification

Identifies modifications to the registered Subject Interface Package (SIP) providers. SIP providers are used by the Windows cryptographic system to validate file signatures on the system. This may be an attempt to bypass signature validation checks or inject code into critical processes.

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SolarWinds Process Disabling Services via Registry

Identifies a SolarWinds binary modifying the start type of a service to be disabled. An adversary may abuse this technique to manipulate relevant security services.

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Renamed Utility Executed with Short Program Name

Identifies the execution of a process with a single character process name, differing from the original file name. This is often done by adversaries while staging, executing temporary utilities, or trying to bypass security detections based on the process name.

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Unusual Executable File Creation by a System Critical Process

Identifies an unexpected executable file being created or modified by a Windows system critical process, which may indicate activity related to remote code execution or other forms of exploitation.

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Unsigned DLL Side-Loading from a Suspicious Folder

Identifies a Windows trusted program running from locations often abused by adversaries to masquerade as a trusted program and loading a recently dropped DLL. This behavior may indicate an attempt to evade defenses via side-loading a malicious DLL within the memory space of a signed processes.

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Unusual Network Connection via DllHost

Identifies unusual instances of dllhost.exe making outbound network connections. This may indicate adversarial Command and Control activity.

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Unusual Network Connection via RunDLL32

Identifies unusual instances of rundll32.exe making outbound network connections. This may indicate adversarial Command and Control activity.

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Unusual Process Network Connection

Identifies network activity from unexpected system applications. This may indicate adversarial activity as these applications are often leveraged by adversaries to execute code and evade detection.

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Potential Evasion via Filter Manager

The Filter Manager Control Program (fltMC.exe) binary may be abused by adversaries to unload a filter driver and evade defenses.

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WDAC Policy File by an Unusual Process

Identifies the creation of a Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policy file by an unusual process. Adversaries may use a secially crafted WDAC policy to restrict the execution of security products.

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Signed Proxy Execution via MS Work Folders

Identifies the use of Windows Work Folders to execute a potentially masqueraded control.exe file in the current working directory. Misuse of Windows Work Folders could indicate malicious activity.

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Execution via Windows Subsystem for Linux

Detects attempts to execute a program on the host from the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Adversaries may enable and use WSL for Linux to avoid detection.

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Host Files System Changes via Windows Subsystem for Linux

Detects files creation and modification on the host system from the the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Adversaries may enable and use WSL for Linux to avoid detection.

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Attempt to Install Kali Linux via WSL

Detects attempts to install or use Kali Linux via Windows Subsystem for Linux. Adversaries may enable and use WSL for Linux to avoid detection.

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Windows Subsystem for Linux Distribution Installed

Detects changes to the registry that indicates the install of a new Windows Subsystem for Linux distribution by name. Adversaries may enable and use WSL for Linux to avoid detection.

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Execution of COM object via Xwizard

Windows Component Object Model (COM) is an inter-process communication (IPC) component of the native Windows application programming interface (API) that enables interaction between software objects or executable code. Xwizard can be used to run a COM object created in registry to evade defensive counter measures.

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Command Prompt Network Connection

Identifies cmd.exe making a network connection. Adversaries could abuse cmd.exe to download or execute malware from a remote URL.

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Network Connection via Compiled HTML File

Compiled HTML files (.chm) are commonly distributed as part of the Microsoft HTML Help system. Adversaries may conceal malicious code in a CHM file and deliver it to a victim for execution. CHM content is loaded by the HTML Help executable program (hh.exe).

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Command and Scripting Interpreter via Windows Scripts

Identifies PowerShell.exe or Cmd.exe execution spawning from Windows Script Host processes Wscript.exe.

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PsExec Network Connection

Identifies use of the SysInternals tool PsExec.exe making a network connection. This could be an indication of lateral movement.

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Execution via local SxS Shared Module

Identifies the creation, change, or deletion of a DLL module within a Windows SxS local folder. Adversaries may abuse shared modules to execute malicious payloads by instructing the Windows module loader to load DLLs from arbitrary local paths.

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Suspicious Process Execution via Renamed PsExec Executable

Identifies suspicious psexec activity which is executing from the psexec service that has been renamed, possibly to evade detection.

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Microsoft Management Console File from Unusual Path

Identifies attempts to open a Microsoft Management Console File from untrusted paths. Adversaries may use MSC files for initial access and execution.

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Suspicious Windows Command Shell Arguments

Identifies the execution of the Windows Command Shell process (cmd.exe) with suspicious argument values. This behavior is often observed during malware installation.

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Suspicious Windows Powershell Arguments

Identifies the execution of PowerShell with suspicious argument values. This behavior is often observed during malware installation leveraging PowerShell.

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Third-party Backup Files Deleted via Unexpected Process

Identifies the deletion of backup files, saved using third-party software, by a process outside of the backup suite. Adversaries may delete Backup files to ensure that recovery from a ransomware attack is less likely.

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Suspicious Execution from INET Cache

Identifies the execution of a process with arguments pointing to the INetCache Folder. Adversaries may deliver malicious content via WININET during initial access.

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Remote Desktop File Opened from Suspicious Path

Identifies attempts to open a remote desktop file from suspicious paths. Adversaries may abuse RDP files for initial access.

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Microsoft Exchange Server UM Spawning Suspicious Processes

Identifies suspicious processes being spawned by the Microsoft Exchange Server Unified Messaging (UM) service. This activity has been observed exploiting CVE-2021-26857.

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NullSessionPipe Registry Modification

Identifies NullSessionPipe registry modifications that specify which pipes can be accessed anonymously. This could be indicative of adversary lateral movement preparation by making the added pipe available to everyone.

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Incoming Execution via WinRM Remote Shell

Identifies remote execution via Windows Remote Management (WinRM) remote shell on a target host. This could be an indication of lateral movement.

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Incoming Execution via PowerShell Remoting

Identifies remote execution via Windows PowerShell remoting. Windows PowerShell remoting allows a user to run any Windows PowerShell command on one or more remote computers. This could be an indication of lateral movement.

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RDP Enabled via Registry

Identifies registry write modifications to enable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access. This could be indicative of adversary lateral movement preparation.

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Remote Scheduled Task Creation

Identifies remote scheduled task creations on a target host. This could be indicative of adversary lateral movement.

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Adobe Hijack Persistence

Detects writing executable files that will be automatically launched by Adobe on launch.

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Installation of Custom Shim Databases

Identifies the installation of custom Application Compatibility Shim databases. This Windows functionality has been abused by attackers to stealthily gain persistence and arbitrary code execution in legitimate Windows processes.

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Registry Persistence via AppCert DLL

Detects attempts to maintain persistence by creating registry keys using AppCert DLLs. AppCert DLLs are loaded by every process using the common API functions to create processes.

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Registry Persistence via AppInit DLL

AppInit DLLs are dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that are loaded into every process that creates a user interface (loads user32.dll) on Microsoft Windows operating systems. The AppInit DLL mechanism is used to load custom code into user-mode processes, allowing for the customization of the user interface and the behavior of Windows-based applications. Attackers who add those DLLs to the registry locations can execute code with elevated privileges, similar to process injection, and provide a solid and constant persistence on the machine.

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Creation of a Hidden Local User Account

Identifies the creation of a hidden local user account by appending the dollar sign to the account name. This is sometimes done by attackers to increase access to a system and avoid appearing in the results of accounts listing using the net users command.

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Image File Execution Options Injection

The Debugger and SilentProcessExit registry keys can allow an adversary to intercept the execution of files, causing a different process to be executed. This functionality can be abused by an adversary to establish persistence.

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Suspicious Startup Shell Folder Modification

Identifies suspicious startup shell folder modifications to change the default Startup directory in order to bypass detections monitoring file creation in the Windows Startup folder.

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Persistence via Microsoft Office AddIns

Detects attempts to establish persistence on an endpoint by abusing Microsoft Office add-ins.

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Persistence via Microsoft Outlook VBA

Detects attempts to establish persistence on an endpoint by installing a rogue Microsoft Outlook VBA Template.

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Office Test Registry Persistence

Identifies the modification of the Microsoft Office "Office Test" Registry key, a registry location that can be used to specify a DLL which will be executed every time an MS Office application is started. Attackers can abuse this to gain persistence on a compromised host.

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Netsh Helper DLL

Identifies the addition of a Netsh Helper DLL, netsh.exe supports the addition of these DLLs to extend its functionality. Attackers may abuse this mechanism to execute malicious payloads every time the utility is executed, which can be done by administrators or a scheduled task.

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Persistence via PowerShell profile

Identifies the creation or modification of a PowerShell profile. PowerShell profile is a script that is executed when PowerShell starts to customize the user environment, which can be abused by attackers to persist in a environment where PowerShell is common.

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Suspicious Execution via Scheduled Task

Identifies execution of a suspicious program via scheduled tasks by looking at process lineage and command line usage.

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Suspicious ImagePath Service Creation

Identifies the creation of a suspicious ImagePath value. This could be an indication of an adversary attempting to stealthily persist or escalate privileges through abnormal service creation.

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Potential Persistence via Time Provider Modification

Identifies modification of the Time Provider. Adversaries may establish persistence by registering and enabling a malicious DLL as a time provider. Windows uses the time provider architecture to obtain accurate time stamps from other network devices or clients in the network. Time providers are implemented in the form of a DLL file which resides in the System32 folder. The service W32Time initiates during the startup of Windows and loads w32time.dll.

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Persistence via Hidden Run Key Detected

Identifies a persistence mechanism that utilizes the NtSetValueKey native API to create a hidden (null terminated) registry key. An adversary may use this method to hide from system utilities such as the Registry Editor (regedit).

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Installation of Security Support Provider

Identifies registry modifications related to the Windows Security Support Provider (SSP) configuration. Adversaries may abuse this to establish persistence in an environment.

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Werfault ReflectDebugger Persistence

Identifies the registration of a Werfault Debugger. Attackers may abuse this mechanism to execute malicious payloads every time the utility is executed with the "-pr" parameter.

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Disabling User Account Control via Registry Modification

User Account Control (UAC) can help mitigate the impact of malware on Windows hosts. With UAC, apps and tasks always run in the security context of a non-administrator account, unless an administrator specifically authorizes administrator-level access to the system. This rule identifies registry value changes to bypass User Access Control (UAC) protection.

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Potential privilege escalation via CVE-2022-38028

Identifies a privilege escalation attempt via exploiting CVE-2022-38028 to hijack the print spooler service execution.

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Suspicious DLL Loaded for Persistence or Privilege Escalation

Identifies the loading of a non Microsoft signed DLL that is missing on a default Windows install (phantom DLL) or one that can be loaded from a different location by a native Windows process. This may be abused to persist or elevate privileges via privileged file write vulnerabilities.

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Suspicious Print Spooler Point and Print DLL

Detects attempts to exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2020-1030) related to the print spooler service. Exploitation involves chaining multiple primitives to load an arbitrary DLL into the print spooler process running as SYSTEM.

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Potential Privilege Escalation via Service ImagePath Modification

Identifies registry modifications to default services that could enable privilege escalation to SYSTEM. Attackers with privileges from groups like Server Operators may change the ImagePath of services to executables under their control or to execute commands.

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Privilege Escalation via Windir Environment Variable

Identifies a privilege escalation attempt via a rogue Windows directory (Windir) environment variable. This is a known primitive that is often combined with other vulnerabilities to elevate privileges.

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UAC Bypass via DiskCleanup Scheduled Task Hijack

Identifies User Account Control (UAC) bypass via hijacking DiskCleanup Scheduled Task. Attackers bypass UAC to stealthily execute code with elevated permissions.

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UAC Bypass Attempt via Privileged IFileOperation COM Interface

Identifies attempts to bypass User Account Control (UAC) via DLL side-loading. Attackers may attempt to bypass UAC to stealthily execute code with elevated permissions.

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Bypass UAC via Event Viewer

Identifies User Account Control (UAC) bypass via eventvwr.exe. Attackers bypass UAC to stealthily execute code with elevated permissions.

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320

Potential Exploitation of an Unquoted Service Path Vulnerability

Adversaries may leverage unquoted service path vulnerabilities to escalate privileges. By placing an executable in a higher-level directory within the path of an unquoted service executable, Windows will natively launch this executable from its defined path variable instead of the benign one in a deeper directory, thus leading to code execution.

update

209

Unusual Print Spooler Child Process

Detects unusual Print Spooler service (spoolsv.exe) child processes. This may indicate an attempt to exploit privilege escalation vulnerabilities related to the Printing Service on Windows.

update

214