NTDS or SAM Database File Copied

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

Identifies a copy operation of the Active Directory Domain Database (ntds.dit) or Security Account Manager (SAM) files. Those files contain sensitive information including hashed domain and/or local credentials.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

• winlogbeat-*
• logs-endpoint.events.*
• logs-windows.*
• endgame-*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (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: 33

References:

• https://thedfirreport.com/2020/11/23/pysa-mespinoza-ransomware/
• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1003.002/T1003.002.md#atomic-test-3---esentutlexe-sam-copy
• https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/detect-credential-access

Tags:

• Elastic
• Host
• Windows
• Threat Detection
• Credential Access
• Elastic Endgame

Version: 103

Rule authors:

• Elastic
• Austin Songer

Rule license: Elastic License v2

process where event.type == "start" and
  (
    (process.pe.original_file_name in ("Cmd.Exe", "PowerShell.EXE", "XCOPY.EXE") and
       process.args : ("copy", "xcopy", "Copy-Item", "move", "cp", "mv")
    ) or
    (process.pe.original_file_name : "esentutl.exe" and process.args : ("*/y*", "*/vss*", "*/d*"))
  ) and
  process.args : ("*\\ntds.dit", "*\\config\\SAM", "\\*\\GLOBALROOT\\Device\\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy*\\*", "*/system32/config/SAM*")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

• Tactic:

  • Name: Credential Access
  • ID: TA0006
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0006/

• Technique:

  • Name: OS Credential Dumping
  • ID: T1003
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/

• Sub-technique:

  • Name: Security Account Manager
  • ID: T1003.002
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/002/