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ImageLoad via Windows Update Auto Update Clientedit
Identifies abuse of the Windows Update Auto Update Client (wuauclt.exe) to load an arbitrary DLL. This behavior is used as a defense evasion technique to blend-in malicious activity with legitimate Windows software.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- logs-endpoint.events.*
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-windows.*
- endgame-*
Severity: medium
Risk score: 47
Runs every: 5 minutes
Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time
)
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Defense Evasion
- Elastic Endgame
Version: 102 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.6.0
Rule authors: Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Investigation guideedit
Rule queryedit
process where event.type == "start" and (process.pe.original_file_name == "wuauclt.exe" or process.name : "wuauclt.exe") and /* necessary windows update client args to load a dll */ process.args : "/RunHandlerComServer" and process.args : "/UpdateDeploymentProvider" and /* common paths writeable by a standard user where the target DLL can be placed */ process.args : ("C:\\Users\\*.dll", "C:\\ProgramData\\*.dll", "C:\\Windows\\Temp\\*.dll", "C:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*.dll")
Threat mappingedit
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: System Binary Proxy Execution
- ID: T1218
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/
Rule version historyedit
- Version 102 (8.6.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 101 (8.5.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and (process.pe.original_file_name == "wuauclt.exe" or process.name : "wuauclt.exe") and /* necessary windows update client args to load a dll */ process.args : "/RunHandlerComServer" and process.args : "/UpdateDeploymentProvider" and /* common paths writeable by a standard user where the target DLL can be placed */ process.args : ("C:\\Users\\*.dll", "C:\\ProgramData\\*.dll", "C:\\Windows\\Temp\\*.dll", "C:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*.dll")
-
- Version 9 (8.4.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 7 (8.3.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 5 (8.2.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 3 (7.12.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 2 (7.11.2 release)
-
- Formatting only