Privileges Elevation via Parent Process PID Spoofingedit
Identifies parent process spoofing used to create an elevated child process. Adversaries may spoof the parent process identifier (PPID) of a new process to evade process-monitoring defenses or to elevate privileges.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- logs-endpoint.events.*
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:
- https://gist.github.com/xpn/a057a26ec81e736518ee50848b9c2cd6
- https://blog.didierstevens.com/2017/03/20/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/processthreadsapi/nf-processthreadsapi-updateprocthreadattribute
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1134.002/T1134.002.md
Tags:
- Domain: Endpoint
- OS: Windows
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Privilege Escalation
- Data Source: Elastic Defend
Version: 5
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Rule queryedit
/* This rule is compatible with Elastic Endpoint only */
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.action == "start" and
/* process creation via seclogon */
process.parent.Ext.real.pid > 0 and
/* PrivEsc to SYSTEM */
user.id : "S-1-5-18" and
/* Common FPs - evasion via hollowing is possible, should be covered by code injection */
not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\Wermgr.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Wermgr.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install\\securityhealthsetup.exe") and
/* Logon Utilities */
not (process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Utilman.exe" and
process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\osk.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\Narrator.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\Magnify.exe")) and
not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\AtBroker.exe" and
not (process.code_signature.subject_name in
("philandro Software GmbH", "Freedom Scientific Inc.", "TeamViewer Germany GmbH", "Projector.is, Inc.",
"TeamViewer GmbH", "Cisco WebEx LLC", "Dell Inc") and process.code_signature.trusted == true) and
/* AM_Delta_Patch Windows Update */
not (process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\MpSigStub.exe", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\MpSigStub.exe") and
process.parent.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\wuauclt.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\wuauclt.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\UUS\\Packages\\Preview\\*\\wuaucltcore.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\UUS\\amd64\\wuauclt.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\UUS\\amd64\\wuaucltcore.exe",
"?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\UUS\\*\\wuaucltcore.exe")) and
not (process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\MpSigStub.exe", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\MpSigStub.exe") and process.parent.executable == null) and
/* Other third party SW */
not process.parent.executable :
("?:\\Program Files (x86)\\HEAT Software\\HEAT Remote\\HEATRemoteServer.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\VisualCron\\VisualCronService.exe",
"?:\\Program Files\\BinaryDefense\\Vision\\Agent\\bds-vision-agent-app.exe",
"?:\\Program Files\\Tablet\\Wacom\\WacomHost.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\LogMeIn\\x64\\LogMeIn.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\EMC Captiva\\Captiva Cloud Runtime\\Emc.Captiva.WebCaptureRunner.exe",
"?:\\Program Files\\Freedom Scientific\\*.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome Remote Desktop\\*\\remoting_host.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\GoToAssist Remote Support Customer\\*\\g2ax_comm_customer.exe")
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Privilege Escalation
- ID: TA0004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/
-
Technique:
- Name: Access Token Manipulation
- ID: T1134
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Create Process with Token
- ID: T1134.002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/002/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Parent PID Spoofing
- ID: T1134.004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/004/