System Shells via Servicesedit

Windows services typically run as SYSTEM and can be used as a privilege escalation opportunity. Malware or penetration testers may run a shell as a service to gain SYSTEM permissions.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

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

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

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Windows

Version: 4 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.9.1

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Rule queryedit

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
powershell.exe)

Threat mappingedit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version historyedit

Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
    powershell.exe)
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.parent.name:"services.exe" and process.name:("cmd.exe" or
    "powershell.exe")