Windows Default Cobalt Strike PowerShell Beacon

 Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows Default Cobalt Strike PowerShell Beacon
id:25b6329b-d6b7-4ccd-9ac2-6ca1dfd2b0c1
version:2
date:None
author:Raven Tait, Splunk
status:production
type:TTP
Description:Detects default function and variable names known to be used by the Cobalt Strike PowerShell beacon. This beacon is used to gain command and control on a victim.
Data_source:
  • -Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search:`powershell`
EventID="4104"
ScriptBlockText IN (
"*func_get_proc_address*",
"*$var_unsafe_native_methods*",
"*$var_gpa.Invoke*",
"*func_get_delegate_type*",
"*$var_type_builder*"
)
| fillnull
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime
max(_time) as lastTime

by Computer EventID ScriptBlockText dest signature signature_id
user_id vendor_product Guid Opcode Name
Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId

| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_default_cobalt_strike_powershell_beacon_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 are very unlikely as this detection targets default Cobalt Strike PowerShell beacon functions and variables. Modifications to the beacon's script may bypass detection but do not create false positives.
References:
drilldown_searches:
 earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$'
 latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
 name:'View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"'
 search:'%original_detection_search% | search user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
 name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"'
 search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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:'7d'
 latest_offset:'0'
analytic_story:['Cobalt Strike']

asset_type:Endpoint

mitre_attack_id:['T1059.001', 'T1204.002']

product:['Splunk Enterprise', 'Splunk Enterprise Security', 'Splunk Cloud']

category:endpoint

security_domain:endpoint

tags:

tests:
 name:'True Positive Test'
 attack_data:
  data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1059.001/snapattack/snapattack.log
  source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
  sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
 test_type:'unit'
manual_test:None

Related Analytic Stories


Cobalt Strike