ID | Technique | Tactic |
---|---|---|
T1059 | Command and Scripting Interpreter | Execution |
T1059.003 | Windows Command Shell | Execution |
Detection: Detect Use of cmd exe to Launch Script Interpreters
Description
The following analytic detects the execution of cscript.exe or wscript.exe processes initiated by cmd.exe. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and parent processes within the Endpoint data model. This activity is significant as it may indicate script-based attacks or administrative actions that could be leveraged for malicious purposes. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute scripts, potentially leading to code execution, privilege escalation, or persistence within the environment.
Search
1
2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.parent_process_name="cmd.exe" (Processes.process_name=cscript.exe OR Processes.process_name =wscript.exe) by Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.user Processes.dest
3| `drop_dm_object_name("Processes")`
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
5|`security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
6| `detect_use_of_cmd_exe_to_launch_script_interpreters_filter`
Data Source
Name | Platform | Sourcetype | Source | Supported App |
---|---|---|---|---|
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2 | N/A | 'crowdstrike:events:sensor' |
'crowdstrike' |
N/A |
Macros Used
Name | Value |
---|---|
security_content_ctime | convert timeformat="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" ctime($field$) |
detect_use_of_cmd_exe_to_launch_script_interpreters_filter | search * |
detect_use_of_cmd_exe_to_launch_script_interpreters_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 Notable | Yes |
Rule Title | %name% |
Rule Description | %description% |
Notable Event Fields | user, dest |
Creates Risk Event | True |
Implementation
The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes
node of the Endpoint
data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
Known False Positives
This detection may also be triggered by legitimate applications and numerous service accounts, which often end with a $ sign. To manage this, it's advised to check the service account's activities and, if they are valid, modify the filter macro to exclude them.
Associated Analytic Story
Risk Based Analytics (RBA)
Risk Message | Risk Score | Impact | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|
cmd.exe launching script interpreters $process_name$ on $dest$ | 35 | 70 | 50 |
References
Detection Testing
Test Type | Status | Dataset | Source | Sourcetype |
---|---|---|---|---|
Validation | ✅ Passing | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Unit | ✅ Passing | Dataset | XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational |
xmlwineventlog |
Integration | ✅ Passing | Dataset | XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/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: 6