Detection: Attacker Tools On Endpoint

Description

The following analytic detects the execution of tools commonly exploited by cybercriminals, such as those used for unauthorized access, network scanning, privilege escalation, password dumping or data exfiltration. It leverages process activity data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on known attacker tool names. This activity is significant because it serves as an early warning system for potential security incidents, enabling prompt response. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or further network compromise, posing a severe threat to the organization's security infrastructure.

Search

 1
 2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
 3  count min(_time) as firstTime
 4        max(_time) as lastTime
 5        values(Processes.process) as process
 6        values(Processes.parent_process) as parent_process
 7FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes WHERE [
 8    
 9| inputlookup attacker_tools
10    
11| rename attacker_tool_names AS Processes.process_name
12    
13| fields Processes.process_name
14]
15AND
16Processes.dest!=unknown
17Processes.user!=unknown
18
19by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
20   Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec
21   Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id
22   Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
23   Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
24   Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
25   Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
26   Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
27
28
29| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
30
31| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
32
33| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
34
35| lookup attacker_tools attacker_tool_names AS process_name OUTPUT description
36
37| search description !=false
38
39| `attacker_tools_on_endpoint_filter`

Data Source

Name	Platform	Sourcetype	Source
Cisco Network Visibility Module Flow Data	Network	'cisco:nvm:flowdata'	'not_applicable'
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2	Other	'crowdstrike:events:sensor'	'crowdstrike'
Sysmon EventID 1	Windows	'XmlWinEventLog'	'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational'
Windows Event Log Security 4688	Windows	'XmlWinEventLog'	'XmlWinEventLog:Security'

Macros Used

Annotations

Default Configuration

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

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

Some administrator activity can be potentially triggered, please add those users to the filter macro.

Associated Analytic Story

• CISA AA22-264A

• Cisco Network Visibility Module Analytics

• Compromised Windows Host

• PHP-CGI RCE Attack on Japanese Organizations

• SamSam Ransomware

• Scattered Spider

• Unusual Processes

• XMRig

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

An attacker tool $process_name$, listed in attacker_tools.csv is executed on host $dest$ by User $user$. $process_name$ is known for [$description$].

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: 17