| ID | Technique | Tactic |
|---|---|---|
| T1531 | Account Access Removal | Impact |
| T1059.001 | PowerShell | Execution |
| T1059 | Command and Scripting Interpreter | Execution |
Detection: Windows Powershell Logoff User via Quser
Description
The following analytic detects the process of logging off a user through the use of the quser and logoff commands. By monitoring for these commands, the analytic identifies actions where a user session is forcibly terminated, which could be part of an administrative task or a potentially unauthorized access attempt. This detection helps identify potential misuse or malicious activity where a user’s access is revoked without proper authorization, providing insight into potential security incidents involving account management or session manipulation.
Search
1`powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText = "*quser*logoff*"
2| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by EventCode ScriptBlockText UserID Computer
3| rename Computer as dest, UserID as user
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
5| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
6| `windows_powershell_logoff_user_via_quser_filter`
Data Source
| Name | Platform | Sourcetype | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powershell Script Block Logging 4104 |  Windows |
'xmlwineventlog' |
'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational' |
Macros Used
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| powershell | (source=WinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational OR source="XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational") |
| windows_powershell_logoff_user_via_quser_filter | search * |
windows_powershell_logoff_user_via_quser_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.
Annotations
MITRE ATT&CK
Kill Chain Phases
NIST
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Actions on Objectives
Installation
DE.AE
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Akira
LAPSUS$
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FIN10
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menuPass
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Dragonfly
FIN5
FIN6
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Ke3chang
OilRig
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Whitefly
Windigo
Winter Vivern
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 |
This configuration file applies to all detections of type anomaly. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting.
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.
Associated Analytic Story
Risk Based Analytics (RBA)
Risk Message:
Powershell process having commandline [$ScriptBlockText$] used to logoff user on [$dest$].
| Risk Object | Risk Object Type | Risk Score | Threat Objects |
|---|---|---|---|
| dest | system | 49 | No Threat Objects |
References
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: 1