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Description

The following analytic detects attempts to reset the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) administrator password on a Domain Controller. It leverages event code 4794 from the Windows Security Event Log, specifically looking for events where the DSRM password reset is attempted. This activity is significant because the DSRM account can be used similarly to a local administrator account, providing potential persistence for an attacker. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to maintain administrative access to the Domain Controller, posing a severe risk to the domain's security.

  • Type: TTP
  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
  • Datamodel: Change
  • Last Updated: 2024-05-12
  • Author: Dean Luxton
  • ID: d1ab841c-36a6-46cf-b50f-b2b04b31182a

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1098 Account Manipulation Persistence, Privilege Escalation
Kill Chain Phase
  • Installation
  • Exploitation
NIST
  • DE.CM
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE 


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| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` min(_time) as _time from datamodel=Change where All_Changes.result_id="4794" AND All_Changes.result="An attempt was made to set the Directory Services Restore Mode administrator password" by All_Changes.action, All_Changes.dest, All_Changes.src, All_Changes.user 
| `drop_dm_object_name(All_Changes)` 
| `windows_ad_dsrm_password_reset_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: windows_ad_dsrm_password_reset_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
  • All_Changes.result_id
  • All_Changes.result
  • All_Changes.action
  • All_Changes.dest
  • All_Changes.src
  • All_Changes.user

How To Implement

To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting eventcode 4794 and have the Advanced Security Audit policy Audit User Account Management within Account Management enabled.

Known False Positives

Resetting the DSRM password for legitamate reasons, i.e. forgot the password. Disaster recovery. Deploying AD backdoor deliberately.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
100.0 100 100 DSRM Account Password was reset on $dest$ by $user$

: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