Name:Windows Debugger Tool Execution id:e14d94a3-07fb-4b47-8406-f5e37180d422 version:2 date:2024-10-17 author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk status:production type:Hunting Description:This analysis detects the use of debugger tools within a production environment. While these tools are legitimate for file analysis and debugging, they are abused by malware like PlugX and DarkGate for malicious DLL side-loading. The hunting query aids Security Operations Centers (SOCs) in identifying potentially suspicious tool executions, particularly for non-technical users in the production network. Data_source:
search:| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name = "x32dbg.exe" OR Processes.process_name = "x64dbg.exe" OR Processes.process_name = "windbg.exe" by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.original_file_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_debugger_tool_execution_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:administrator or IT professional may execute this application for verifying files or debugging application. References: -https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security/enter-the-gates-an-analysis-of-the-darkgate-autoit-loader.html -https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/23/b/investigating-the-plugx-trojan-disguised-as-a-legitimate-windows.html drilldown_searches:
: tags: analytic_story: - 'DarkGate Malware' - 'PlugX' asset_type:Endpoint confidence:30 impact:30 message:a debugger $process_name$ is executed in $dest$ mitre_attack_id: - 'T1036' observable: name:'dest' type:'Endpoint' - role: - 'Victim' name:'user' type:'User' - role: - 'Victim' product: - 'Splunk Enterprise' - 'Splunk Enterprise Security' - 'Splunk Cloud' required_fields: - '_time' - 'Processes.parent_process_name' - 'Processes.parent_process' - 'Processes.process_name' - 'Processes.process_id' - 'Processes.process' - 'Processes.dest' - 'Processes.user' - 'Processes.process_id' - 'Processes.parent_process_id' risk_score:9 security_domain:endpoint
