Multiple Alerts in Different ATT&CK Tactics on a Single Host

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

This rule uses alert data to determine when multiple alerts in different phases of an attack involving the same host are triggered. Analysts can use this to prioritize triage and response, as these hosts are more likely to be compromised.

Rule type: threshold

Rule indices:

.alerts-security.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 1h

Searches indices from: now-24h (https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/common-options.html#date-math[Date Math format], see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

Use Case: Threat Detection
Rule Type: Higher-Order Rule
Resources: Investigation Guide

Version: 5

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

Triage and analysis

[TBC: QUOTE]
Investigating Multiple Alerts in Different ATT&CK Tactics on a Single Host

The detection rule identifies hosts with alerts across various attack phases, indicating potential compromise. Adversaries exploit system vulnerabilities, moving through different tactics like execution, persistence, and exfiltration. This rule prioritizes hosts with diverse tactic alerts, aiding analysts in focusing on high-risk threats by correlating alert data to detect complex attack patterns.

Possible investigation steps

Review the alert details to identify the specific host involved and the different ATT&CK tactics that triggered the alerts.
Examine the timeline of the alerts to understand the sequence of events and determine if there is a pattern or progression in the tactics used.
Correlate the alert data with other logs and telemetry from the host, such as process creation, network connections, and file modifications, to gather additional context.
Investigate any known vulnerabilities or misconfigurations on the host that could have been exploited by the adversary.
Check for any indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with the alerts, such as suspicious IP addresses, domains, or file hashes, and search for these across the network.
Assess the impact and scope of the potential compromise by determining if other hosts or systems have similar alerts or related activity.

False positive analysis

Alerts from routine administrative tasks may trigger multiple tactics. Review and exclude known benign activities such as scheduled software updates or system maintenance.
Security tools running on the host might generate alerts across different tactics. Identify and exclude alerts from trusted security applications to reduce noise.
Automated scripts or batch processes can mimic adversarial behavior. Analyze and whitelist these processes if they are verified as non-threatening.
Frequent alerts from development or testing environments can be misleading. Consider excluding these environments from the rule or applying a different risk score.
User behavior anomalies, such as accessing multiple systems or applications, might trigger alerts. Implement user behavior baselines to differentiate between normal and suspicious activities.

Response and remediation

Isolate the affected host from the network immediately to prevent further lateral movement by the adversary.
Conduct a thorough forensic analysis of the host to identify the specific vulnerabilities exploited and gather evidence of the attack phases involved.
Remove any identified malicious software or unauthorized access tools from the host, ensuring all persistence mechanisms are eradicated.
Apply security patches and updates to the host to address any exploited vulnerabilities and prevent similar attacks.
Restore the host from a known good backup if necessary, ensuring that the backup is free from compromise.
Monitor the host and network for any signs of re-infection or further suspicious activity, using enhanced logging and alerting based on the identified attack patterns.
Escalate the incident to the appropriate internal or external cybersecurity teams for further investigation and potential legal action if the attack is part of a larger campaign.

Rule query

signal.rule.name:* and kibana.alert.rule.threat.tactic.id:*