Detection: PowerShell Enable PowerShell Remoting

Description

The following analytic detects the use of the Enable-PSRemoting cmdlet, which allows PowerShell remoting on a local or remote computer. This detection leverages PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode 4104) to identify when this cmdlet is executed. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it can indicate an attacker enabling remote command execution capabilities on a compromised system. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow an attacker to take control of the system remotely, execute commands, and potentially pivot to other systems within the network, leading to further compromise and lateral movement.

Search

1`powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText="*Enable-PSRemoting*" 
2| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by Computer EventCode ScriptBlockText 
3| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
4| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
5| `powershell_enable_powershell_remoting_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

Annotations

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Implementation

To successfully implement this analytic, you will need to enable PowerShell Script Block Logging on some or all endpoints. Additional setup here https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/UBA/5.0.4.1/GetDataIn/AddPowerShell#Configure_module_logging_for_PowerShell.

Known False Positives

Note that false positives may occur due to the use of the Enable-PSRemoting cmdlet by legitimate users, such as system administrators. It is recommended to apply appropriate filters as needed to minimize the number of false positives.

Associated Analytic Story

• Malicious PowerShell

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

References

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/enable-psremoting?view=powershell-7.3

Detection Testing

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