Privileges Elevation via Parent Process PID Spoofing
Identifies parent process spoofing used to create an elevated child process. Adversaries may spoof the parent process identifier (PPID) of a new process to evade process-monitoring defenses or to elevate privileges.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- logs-endpoint.events.*
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://gist.github.com/xpn/a057a26ec81e736518ee50848b9c2cd6
- https://blog.didierstevens.com/2017/03/20/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/processthreadsapi/nf-processthreadsapi-updateprocthreadattribute
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1134.002/T1134.002.md
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Privilege Escalation
Version: 2
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
/* This rule is compatible with Elastic Endpoint only */
process where event.action == "start" and
/* process creation via seclogon */
process.parent.Ext.real.pid > 0 and
/* PrivEsc to SYSTEM */
user.id : "S-1-5-18" and
/* Common FPs - evasion via hollowing is possible, should be covered by code injection */
not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\Wermgr.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Wermgr.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install\\securityhealthsetup.exe") and
not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\AtBroker.exe" and
not (process.code_signature.subject_name in
("philandro Software GmbH", "Freedom Scientific Inc.", "TeamViewer Germany GmbH", "Projector.is, Inc.",
"TeamViewer GmbH", "Cisco WebEx LLC", "Dell Inc") and process.code_signature.trusted == true)
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
Tactic:
- Name: Privilege Escalation
- ID: TA0004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/
Technique:
- Name: Access Token Manipulation
- ID: T1134
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Create Process with Token
- ID: T1134.002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/002/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Parent PID Spoofing
- ID: T1134.004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/004/