Detection: Set Default PowerShell Execution Policy To Unrestricted or Bypass

Description

The following analytic detects changes to the PowerShell ExecutionPolicy in the registry to "Unrestricted" or "Bypass." It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on registry modifications under the path Software\Microsoft\Powershell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell. This activity is significant because setting the ExecutionPolicy to these values can allow the execution of potentially malicious scripts without restriction. If confirmed malicious, this could enable an attacker to execute arbitrary code, leading to further compromise of the system and potential escalation of privileges.

Search

 1
 2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) AS firstTime max(_time) AS lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes BY _time span=1h Processes.user Processes.process_id Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_path Processes.dest Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.process_guid 
 3| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
 4| join process_guid [ 
 5| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry WHERE (Registry.registry_path=*Software\\Microsoft\\Powershell\\1\\ShellIds\\Microsoft.PowerShell* Registry.registry_value_name=ExecutionPolicy (Registry.registry_value_data=Unrestricted OR Registry.registry_value_data=Bypass)) BY _time span=1h Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.process_guid 
 6| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`] 
 7| fields firstTime lastTime dest user parent_process_name parent_process process_name process_path process registry_key_name registry_path registry_value_name registry_value_data process_guid 
 8| where isnotnull(registry_value_data) 
 9| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
10| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
11| `set_default_powershell_execution_policy_to_unrestricted_or_bypass_filter`

Data Source

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

Administrators may attempt to change the default execution policy on a system for a variety of reasons. However, setting the policy to "unrestricted" or "bypass" as this search is designed to identify, would be unusual. Hits should be reviewed and investigated as appropriate.

Associated Analytic Story

• Credential Dumping

• DarkGate Malware

• Data Destruction

• HAFNIUM Group

• Hermetic Wiper

• Malicious PowerShell

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

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: 10