Execution of File Written or Modified by PDF Readeredit

Identifies a suspicious file that was written by a PDF reader application and subsequently executed. These processes are often launched via exploitation of PDF applications.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

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

Severity: high

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 60 minutes

Searches indices from: now-120m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Execution

Version: 4 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.10.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.14.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule queryedit

sequence with maxspan=2h [file where event.type != "deletion" and
file.extension : "exe" and (process.name : "AcroRd32.exe" or
process.name : "rdrcef.exe" or process.name :
"FoxitPhantomPDF.exe" or process.name : "FoxitReader.exe") and
not (file.name : "FoxitPhantomPDF.exe" or file.name :
"FoxitPhantomPDFUpdater.exe" or file.name :
"FoxitReader.exe" or file.name : "FoxitReaderUpdater.exe" or
file.name : "AcroRd32.exe" or file.name : "rdrcef.exe") ]
by host.id, file.path [process where event.type in ("start",
"process_started")] by host.id, process.executable

Threat mappingedit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version historyedit

Version 4 (7.14.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.11.0 release)
  • Formatting only