Name:Services Escalate Exe id:c448488c-b7ec-11eb-8253-acde48001122 version:5 date:2024-11-28 author:Michael Haag, Splunk status:production type:TTP Description:The following analytic identifies the execution of a randomly named binary via `services.exe`, indicative of privilege escalation using Cobalt Strike's `svc-exe`. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process lineage and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it often follows initial access, allowing adversaries to escalate privileges and establish persistence. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code, maintain long-term access, and potentially move laterally within the network, posing a severe threat to the organization's security. 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.parent_process_name=services.exe Processes.process_path=*admin$* by Processes.process_path Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `services_escalate_exe_filter`
how_to_implement:The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process. known_false_positives:False positives should be limited as `services.exe` should never spawn a process from `ADMIN$`. Filter as needed. References: -https://thedfirreport.com/2021/03/29/sodinokibi-aka-revil-ransomware/ -https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1548/ -https://hstechdocs.helpsystems.com/manuals/cobaltstrike/current/userguide/index.htm#cshid=1085 drilldown_searches: name:'View the detection results for - "$dest$" and "$user$"' search:'%original_detection_search% | search dest = "$dest$" user = "$user$"' earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$' latest_offset:'$info_max_time$' name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$" and "$user$"' search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$", "$user$") 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:'$info_max_time$' tags: analytic_story: - 'Graceful Wipe Out Attack' - 'Cobalt Strike' - 'CISA AA23-347A' - 'Compromised Windows Host' - 'BlackByte Ransomware' asset_type:Endpoint confidence:95 impact:80 message:A service process $parent_process_name$ with process path $process_path$ in host $dest$ mitre_attack_id: - 'T1548' observable: name:'dest' type:'Hostname' - role: - 'Victim' name:'user' type:'User' - role: - 'Victim' product: - 'Splunk Enterprise' - 'Splunk Enterprise Security' - 'Splunk Cloud' required_fields: - '_time' - 'Processes.dest' - 'Processes.user' - 'Processes.parent_process' - 'Processes.process_name' - 'Processes.process' - 'Processes.process_id' - 'Processes.parent_process_id' risk_score:76 security_domain:endpoint
