ID | Technique | Tactic |
---|---|---|
T1087.002 | Domain Account | Discovery |
T1087 | Account Discovery | Discovery |
Detection: Windows Linked Policies In ADSI Discovery
Description
The following analytic detects the use of the [Adsisearcher]
type accelerator in PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104) to query Active Directory for domain organizational units. This detection leverages PowerShell operational logs to identify script blocks containing [adsisearcher]
, objectcategory=organizationalunit
, and findAll()
. This activity is significant as it indicates potential reconnaissance efforts by adversaries to gain situational awareness of the domain structure. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to further exploitation, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network.
Search
1`powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText = "*[adsisearcher]*" ScriptBlockText = "*objectcategory=organizationalunit*" ScriptBlockText = "*findAll()*"
2| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by EventCode ScriptBlockText Computer user_id
3| rename Computer as dest, user_id as user
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
5| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
6| `windows_linked_policies_in_adsi_discovery_filter`
Data Source
Name | Platform | Sourcetype | Source | Supported App |
---|---|---|---|---|
Powershell Script Block Logging 4104 | Windows | 'xmlwineventlog' |
'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational' |
N/A |
Macros Used
Name | Value |
---|---|
powershell | (source=WinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational OR source="XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational") |
windows_linked_policies_in_adsi_discovery_filter | search * |
windows_linked_policies_in_adsi_discovery_filter
is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.
Annotations
Default Configuration
This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:
Setting | Value |
---|---|
Disabled | true |
Cron Schedule | 0 * * * * |
Earliest Time | -70m@m |
Latest Time | -10m@m |
Schedule Window | auto |
Creates Risk Event | True |
Implementation
The following Hunting analytic requires PowerShell operational logs to be imported. Modify the powershell macro as needed to match the sourcetype or add index. This analytic is specific to 4104, or PowerShell Script Block Logging.
Known False Positives
Administrators or power users may use this command for troubleshooting.
Associated Analytic Story
Risk Based Analytics (RBA)
Risk Message | Risk Score | Impact | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|
Windows PowerShell [Adsisearcher] was used user enumeration on $user$ | 25 | 50 | 50 |
References
-
https://www.welivesecurity.com/2022/04/12/industroyer2-industroyer-reloaded/
-
https://medium.com/@pentesttas/discover-hidden-gpo-s-on-active-directory-using-ps-adsi-a284b6814c81
Detection Testing
Test Type | Status | Dataset | Source | Sourcetype |
---|---|---|---|---|
Validation | ✅ Passing | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Unit | ✅ Passing | Dataset | XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational |
xmlwineventlog |
Integration | ✅ Passing | Dataset | XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational |
xmlwineventlog |
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: GitHub | Version: 2