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Analytics Story: Living Off The Land

Updated Date: 2026-05-13 ID: 6f7982e2-900b-11ec-a54a-acde48001122 Author: Lou Stella, Splunk Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

Leverage analytics that allow you to identify the presence of an adversary leveraging native applications within your environment.

Why it matters

Living Off The Land refers to an adversary methodology of using native applications already installed on the target operating system to achieve their objective. Native utilities provide the adversary with reduced chances of detection by antivirus software or EDR tools. This allows the adversary to blend in with native process behavior.

Living Off The Land Detection

1| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime sum(All_Risk.calculated_risk_score) as risk_score, count(All_Risk.calculated_risk_score) as risk_event_count, values(All_Risk.annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic_id) as annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic_id, dc(All_Risk.annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic_id) as mitre_tactic_id_count, values(All_Risk.annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_technique_id) as annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_technique_id, dc(All_Risk.annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_technique_id) as mitre_technique_id_count, values(All_Risk.tag) as tag, values(source) as source, dc(source) as source_count FROM datamodel=Risk.All_Risk
2  WHERE All_Risk.analyticstories="Living Off The Land" All_Risk.risk_object_type="system"
3  BY All_Risk.risk_object All_Risk.risk_object_type All_Risk.annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic
4| `drop_dm_object_name(All_Risk)`
5| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
6| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
7| where source_count >= 5
8| `living_off_the_land_detection_filter`

Detections

Name ▲▼ Technique ▲▼ Type ▲▼
Windows Odbcconf Load DLL Odbcconf TTP
Rundll32 Control RunDLL Hunt Rundll32 Hunting
Scheduled Task Initiation on Remote Endpoint Scheduled Task TTP
Windows InstallUtil URL in Command Line InstallUtil TTP
Schedule Task with Rundll32 Command Trigger Scheduled Task/Job TTP
Suspicious MSBuild Rename Rename Legitimate Utilities, MSBuild Hunting
Detect Regsvcs Spawning a Process Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
Ntdsutil Export NTDS NTDS TTP
Svchost LOLBAS Execution Process Spawn Scheduled Task TTP
Windows DLL Search Order Hijacking Hunt with Sysmon DLL Hunting
Rundll32 DNSQuery Rundll32 TTP
Suspicious MSBuild Spawn MSBuild TTP
Detect Regsvr32 Application Control Bypass Regsvr32 TTP
Suspicious mshta child process Mshta TTP
Detect MSHTA Url in Command Line Mshta TTP
Remote WMI Command Attempt Windows Management Instrumentation TTP
Schtasks scheduling job on remote system Scheduled Task TTP
Schedule Task with HTTP Command Arguments Scheduled Task/Job TTP
Windows LOLBAS Executed As Renamed File Rename Legitimate Utilities, Rundll32 TTP
Scheduled Task Deleted Or Created via CMD Scheduled Task Anomaly
Suspicious mshta spawn Mshta TTP
Windows System Binary Proxy Execution Compiled HTML File Decompile Compiled HTML File TTP
Windows Known Abused DLL Loaded Suspiciously DLL TTP
Windows COM Hijacking InprocServer32 Modification Component Object Model Hijacking TTP
BITS Job Persistence BITS Jobs TTP
Detect Regsvcs with No Command Line Arguments Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
Esentutl SAM Copy Security Account Manager Hunting
Control Loading from World Writable Directory Control Panel TTP
Suspicious Regsvr32 Register Suspicious Path Regsvr32 TTP
Windows Known Abused DLL Created DLL Anomaly
Windows Binary Proxy Execution Mavinject DLL Injection Mavinject TTP
Windows System Script Proxy Execution Syncappvpublishingserver System Script Proxy Execution, System Binary Proxy Execution TTP
Rundll32 Create Remote Thread To A Process Process Injection TTP
Mmc LOLBAS Execution Process Spawn Distributed Component Object Model, MMC TTP
Reg exe Manipulating Windows Services Registry Keys Services Registry Permissions Weakness TTP
Windows UAC Bypass Suspicious Escalation Behavior Bypass User Account Control TTP
Detect Rundll32 Inline HTA Execution Mshta TTP
Mshta spawning Rundll32 OR Regsvr32 Process Mshta TTP
Detect Regasm Spawning a Process Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
Suspicious Scheduled Task from Public Directory Scheduled Task Anomaly
Detect HTML Help URL in Command Line Compiled HTML File TTP
Eventvwr UAC Bypass Bypass User Account Control TTP
Windows Indirect Command Execution Via pcalua Indirect Command Execution TTP
Detect HTML Help Using InfoTech Storage Handlers Compiled HTML File TTP
Suspicious microsoft workflow compiler rename Rename Legitimate Utilities, Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution Hunting
Suspicious IcedID Rundll32 Cmdline Rundll32 TTP
CMD Carry Out String Command Parameter Windows Command Shell Hunting
Suspicious msbuild path Rename Legitimate Utilities, MSBuild TTP
Windows Crowdstrike RTR Script Execution PowerShell Anomaly
LOLBAS With Network Traffic Ingress Tool Transfer, System Binary Proxy Execution, Exfiltration Over Web Service TTP
Detect Regasm with Network Connection Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
Detect mshta inline hta execution Mshta TTP
Windows DLL Search Order Hijacking with iscsicpl DLL TTP
MacOS LOLbin Unix Shell TTP
Disable Schedule Task Disable or Modify Tools Anomaly
Windows InstallUtil Uninstall Option InstallUtil TTP
Curl Execution with Percent Encoded URL Obfuscated Files or Information, Ingress Tool Transfer Anomaly
Regsvr32 Silent and Install Param Dll Loading Regsvr32 Anomaly
Windows Scheduled Task Created in a Group Policy Object Scheduled Task, Group Policy Modification TTP
Creation of Shadow Copy with wmic and powershell NTDS TTP
Rundll32 Shimcache Flush Modify Registry TTP
Suspicious microsoft workflow compiler usage Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution TTP
Windows Diskshadow Proxy Execution System Binary Proxy Execution TTP
Windows LOLBAS Executed Outside Expected Path Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location, Rundll32 Anomaly
MacOS plutil Plist File Modification TTP
Windows Identify Protocol Handlers Command and Scripting Interpreter Hunting
Windows MOF Event Triggered Execution via WMI Windows Management Instrumentation Event Subscription TTP
Dump LSASS via comsvcs DLL LSASS Memory TTP
Detect Regasm with no Command Line Arguments Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
BITSAdmin Download File Ingress Tool Transfer, BITS Jobs TTP
Windows InstallUtil Remote Network Connection InstallUtil Anomaly
Detect mshta renamed Mshta Hunting
Services LOLBAS Execution Process Spawn Windows Service TTP
Windows InstallUtil in Non Standard Path Rename Legitimate Utilities, InstallUtil TTP
RunDLL Loading DLL By Ordinal Rundll32 TTP
Windows Application Whitelisting Bypass Attempt via Rundll32 Rundll32 TTP
Scheduled Task Creation on Remote Endpoint using At At TTP
Rundll32 CreateRemoteThread In Browser Process Injection TTP
Windows Indirect Command Execution Via forfiles Indirect Command Execution TTP
Windows Odbcconf Hunting Odbcconf Hunting
Rundll32 Process Creating Exe Dll Files Rundll32 TTP
Windows UAC Bypass Suspicious Child Process Bypass User Account Control TTP
Certutil exe certificate extraction Steal or Forge Authentication Certificates TTP
Suspicious Rundll32 dllregisterserver Rundll32 TTP
Regsvr32 with Known Silent Switch Cmdline Regsvr32 Anomaly
Detect HTML Help Spawn Child Process Compiled HTML File TTP
Windows MSC EvilTwin Directory Path Manipulation Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location, Exploitation for Client Execution, System Binary Proxy Execution TTP
WSReset UAC Bypass Bypass User Account Control TTP
Windows Rundll32 with Non-Standard File Extension Rundll32 Anomaly
Detect Regsvcs with Network Connection Regsvcs/Regasm TTP
Rundll32 Control RunDLL World Writable Directory Rundll32 TTP
Windows SSH Proxy Command PowerShell, Ingress Tool Transfer, Protocol Tunneling Anomaly
Windows Odbcconf Load Response File Odbcconf TTP
Detect HTML Help Renamed Compiled HTML File Hunting
CertUtil With Decode Argument Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information TTP
Windows File Download Via CertUtil Ingress Tool Transfer TTP

Data Sources

Name ▲▼ Platform ▲▼ Sourcetype ▲▼ Source ▲▼
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2 Other crowdstrike:events:sensor crowdstrike
Sysmon EventID 1 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Windows Event Log Security 4688 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Security
Cisco Network Visibility Module Flow Data Network icon Network cisco:nvm:flowdata not_applicable
Windows Event Log Security 4698 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Security
Sysmon EventID 7 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Sysmon EventID 22 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Sysmon EventID 11 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Sysmon EventID 8 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Sysmon EventID 13 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Sysmon EventID 3 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Osquery Results Other osquery:results osquery
Sysmon for Linux EventID 1 Linux icon Linux sysmon:linux Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational
Windows Event Log Security 5145 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Security
Sysmon EventID 12 Windows icon Windows XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational

References

Source: GitHub | Version: 3