Potential Modification of Accessibility Binariesedit

Windows contains accessibility features that may be launched with a key combination before a user has logged in. An adversary can modify the way these programs are launched to get a command prompt or backdoor without logging in to the system.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-6m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Persistence

Version: 6 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.2

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Rule queryedit

process where event.type in ("start", "process_started", "info") and
process.parent.name : ("Utilman.exe", "winlogon.exe") and user.name ==
"SYSTEM" and process.args : (
"C:\\Windows\\System32\\osk.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\System32\\Magnify.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\System32\\Narrator.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\System32\\Sethc.exe", "utilman.exe",
"ATBroker.exe", "DisplaySwitch.exe", "sethc.exe" ) and
not process.pe.original_file_name in ( "osk.exe",
"sethc.exe", "utilman2.exe", "DisplaySwitch.exe",
"ATBroker.exe", "ScreenMagnifier.exe", "SR.exe",
"Narrator.exe", "magnify.exe", "MAGNIFY.EXE" ) /*
uncomment once in winlogbeat to avoid bypass with rogue process with
matching pe original file name */ /* and
process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Windows" and
process.code_signature.status == "trusted" */

Threat mappingedit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version historyedit

Version 6 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 5 (7.11.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
    process.parent.name:winlogon.exe and not process.name:(atbroker.exe or
    displayswitch.exe or magnify.exe or narrator.exe or osk.exe or
    sethc.exe or utilman.exe)
Version 4 (7.10.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.code:1 and process.parent.name:winlogon.exe and
    process.name:(atbroker.exe or displayswitch.exe or magnify.exe or
    narrator.exe or osk.exe or sethc.exe or utilman.exe)
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.code:1 and process.parent.name:winlogon.exe and
    (process.name:atbroker.exe or process.name:displayswitch.exe or
    process.name:magnify.exe or process.name:narrator.exe or
    process.name:osk.exe or process.name:sethc.exe or
    process.name:utilman.exe)