Sc exe Manipulating Windows Services

Try in Splunk Security Cloud

Description

This search looks for arguments to sc.exe indicating the creation or modification of a Windows service.

• Type: TTP
• Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
• Datamodel: Endpoint
• Last Updated: 2020-07-21
• Author: Rico Valdez, Splunk
• ID: f0c693d8-2a89-4ce7-80b4-98fea4c3ea6d

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1543.003	Windows Service	Persistence, Privilege Escalation

T1543

Create or Modify System Process

Persistence, Privilege Escalation

Kill Chain Phase

• Installation
• Exploitation

NIST

• DE.CM

CIS20

• CIS 10

CVE

Search

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` values(Processes.process) as process min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name = sc.exe (Processes.process="* create *" OR Processes.process="* config *") by Processes.process_name Processes.parent_process_name Processes.dest Processes.user 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `sc_exe_manipulating_windows_services_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

• security_content_ctime
• security_content_summariesonly

sc_exe_manipulating_windows_services_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
• Processes.process_name
• Processes.process
• Processes.parent_process_name
• Processes.dest
• Processes.user

How To Implement

To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the Endpoint datamodel in the Processes node.

Known False Positives

Using sc.exe to manipulate Windows services is uncommon. However, there may be legitimate instances of this behavior. It is important to validate and investigate as appropriate.

Associated Analytic Story

• Windows Service Abuse
• DHS Report TA18-074A
• Orangeworm Attack Group
• Windows Persistence Techniques
• Disabling Security Tools
• NOBELIUM Group
• Azorult
• Windows Drivers

RBA

Risk Score	Impact	Confidence	Message
56.0	70	80	A sc process $process_name$ with commandline $process$ to create of configure services in host $dest$

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

• https://www.secureworks.com/blog/drokbk-malware-uses-github-as-dead-drop-resolver

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: 4