Incoming DCOM Lateral Movement via MSHTAedit
Identifies the use of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) to execute commands from a remote host, which are launched via the HTA Application COM Object. This behavior may indicate an attacker abusing a DCOM application to move laterally while attempting to evade detection.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-endpoint.events.process-*
- logs-endpoint.events.network-*
- logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
Severity: high
Risk score: 73
Runs every: 5m
Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
Tags:
- Domain: Endpoint
- OS: Windows
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Lateral Movement
- Data Source: Elastic Defend
- Data Source: Sysmon
Version: 107
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Rule queryedit
sequence with maxspan=1m
[process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
process.name : "mshta.exe" and process.args : "-Embedding"
] by host.id, process.entity_id
[network where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and process.name : "mshta.exe" and
network.direction : ("incoming", "ingress") and network.transport == "tcp" and
source.port > 49151 and destination.port > 49151 and source.ip != "127.0.0.1" and source.ip != "::1"
] by host.id, process.entity_id
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Lateral Movement
- ID: TA0008
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0008/
-
Technique:
- Name: Remote Services
- ID: T1021
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Distributed Component Object Model
- ID: T1021.003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/003/
-
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/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Mshta
- ID: T1218.005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/