Windows PowerShell Export Certificate

 Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows PowerShell Export Certificate
id:5e38ded4-c964-41f4-8cb6-4a1a53c6929f
version:12
date:None
author:Michael Haag, Splunk
status:production
type:Anomaly
Description:The following analytic detects the use of the PowerShell Cmdlet `export-certificate` by leveraging Script Block Logging. This activity is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to exfiltrate certificates from the local Certificate Store on a Windows endpoint. Monitoring this behavior is crucial because stolen certificates can be used to impersonate users, decrypt sensitive data, or facilitate further attacks. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access to encrypted communications and sensitive information, posing a severe security risk.
Data_source:
  • -Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search:`powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText IN ("*export-certificate*")

| rename Computer as dest

| fillnull

| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
BY dest signature signature_id
user_id vendor_product EventID
Guid Opcode Name
Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
ScriptBlockText

| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`

| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`

| `windows_powershell_export_certificate_filter`


how_to_implement:To successfully implement this analytic, you will need to enable PowerShell Script Block Logging on some or all endpoints. Additional setup here https://help.splunk.com/en/security-offerings/splunk-user-behavior-analytics/get-data-in/5.4.1/add-other-data-to-splunk-uba/configure-powershell-logging-to-see-powershell-anomalies-in-splunk-uba.
known_false_positives:It is possible administrators or scripts may run these commands, filtering may be required.
References:
  -https://dev.to/iamthecarisma/managing-windows-pfx-certificates-through-powershell-3pj
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/pki/export-certificate?view=windowsserver2022-ps
drilldown_searches:
 name:'View the detection results for - "$dest$"'
 search:'%original_detection_search% | search dest = "$dest$"'
 earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$'
 latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
 name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"'
 search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | 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:['Windows Certificate Services']

asset_type:Endpoint

mitre_attack_id:['T1552.004', 'T1649']

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/T1649/atomic_red_team/4104_export_certificate.log
  source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
  sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
 test_type:'unit'
manual_test:None

Related Analytic Stories


Windows Certificate Services