Remote System Discovery with Dsquery

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Remote System Discovery with Dsquery
id:9fb562f4-42f8-4139-8e11-a82edf7ed718
version:3
date:2024-10-17
author:Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status:production
type:Hunting
Description:The following analytic detects the execution of `dsquery.exe` with the `computer` argument, which is used to discover remote systems within a domain. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. Remote system discovery is significant as it indicates potential reconnaissance activities by adversaries or Red Teams to map out network resources and Active Directory structures. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to further exploitation, lateral movement, and unauthorized access to critical systems within the network.
Data_source:
  • -Sysmon EventID 1
  • -Windows Event Log Security 4688
  • -CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
search:| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where (Processes.process_name="dsquery.exe") (Processes.process="*computer*") by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `remote_system_discovery_with_dsquery_filter`


how_to_implement:The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives:Administrators or power users may use this command for troubleshooting.
References:
  -https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1018/
  -https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/cc732952(v=ws.11)
drilldown_searches:
  :
tags:
  analytic_story:
    - 'Active Directory Discovery'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  confidence:50
  impact:30
  message:Remote system discovery enumeration on $dest$ by $user$
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1018'
  observable:
    name:'dest'
    type:'Endpoint'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  required_fields:
    - 'Processes.dest'
    - 'Processes.user'
    - 'Processes.parent_process_name'
    - 'Processes.parent_process'
    - 'Processes.original_file_name'
    - 'Processes.process_name'
    - 'Processes.process'
    - 'Processes.process_id'
    - 'Processes.parent_process_path'
    - 'Processes.process_path'
    - 'Processes.parent_process_id'
  risk_score:15
  security_domain:endpoint

tests:
name:'True Positive Test'
 attack_data:
  data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1018/AD_discovery/windows-sysmon.log
  source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
  sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
manual_test:None

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