Windows Service Installed via an Unusual Client

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

Identifies the creation of a Windows service by an unusual client process. Services may be created with administrator privileges but are executed under SYSTEM privileges, so an adversary may also use a service to escalate privileges from administrator to SYSTEM.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

• winlogbeat-*
• logs-system.*
• logs-windows.*

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: 100

References:

• https://www.x86matthew.com/view_post?id=create_svc_rpc
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4697
• https://github.com/atc-project/atomic-threat-coverage/blob/master/Atomic_Threat_Coverage/Logging_Policies/LP_0100_windows_audit_security_system_extension.md

Tags:

• Elastic
• Host
• Windows
• Threat Detection
• Privilege Escalation

Version: 102

Rule authors:

• Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

event.action:"service-installed"  and (winlog.event_data.ClientProcessId:"0" or winlog.event_data.ParentProcessId:"0")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

• Tactic:

  • Name: Privilege Escalation
  • ID: TA0004
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/

• Technique:

  • Name: Create or Modify System Process
  • ID: T1543
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/

• Sub-technique:

  • Name: Windows Service
  • ID: T1543.003
  • Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/003/