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Description

The following analytic detects unauthorized access to Outlook credentials stored in the Windows registry. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically EventCode 4663, to identify access attempts to registry paths associated with Outlook profiles. This activity is significant as it may indicate attempts to steal sensitive email credentials, which could lead to unauthorized access to email accounts. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to exfiltrate sensitive information, impersonate users, or execute further unauthorized actions within Outlook, posing a significant security risk.

  • Type: Anomaly

  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud

  • Last Updated: 2024-05-22
  • Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
  • ID: 36334123-077d-47a2-b70c-6c7b3cc85049

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Kill Chain Phase
  • Exploitation
NIST
  • DE.AE
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE 


1
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`wineventlog_security` EventCode=4663 object_file_path IN ("*\\Profiles\\Outlook\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*", "*\\Windows Messaging Subsystem\\Profiles\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*") AND process_name != *\\outlook.exe 
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by object_file_name object_file_path process_name process_path  process_id EventCode dest 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `windows_unsecured_outlook_credentials_access_in_registry_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: windows_unsecured_outlook_credentials_access_in_registry_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Required fields

List of fields required to use this analytic.

  • _time
  • object_file_name
  • object_file_path
  • process_name
  • process_path
  • process_id
  • EventCode
  • dest

How To Implement

To successfully implement this search, you must ingest Windows Security Event logs and track event code 4663. For 4663, enable "Audit Object Access" in Group Policy. Then check the two boxes listed for both "Success" and "Failure."

Known False Positives

third party software may access this outlook registry.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
49.0 70 70 A suspicious process $process_name$ accessing outlook credentials registry on $dest$

:information_source: The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.

Reference

Test Dataset

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

source | version: 2