IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.

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Potential Command and Control via Internet Explorer

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Potential Command and Control via Internet Explorer

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Identifies instances of Internet Explorer (iexplore.exe) being started via the Component Object Model (COM) making unusual network connections. Adversaries could abuse Internet Explorer via COM to avoid suspicious processes making network connections and bypass host-based firewall restrictions.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 43

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Command and Control

Version: 1

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Rule query

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sequence by host.id, process.entity_id with maxspan = 1s [process
where event.type:"start" and process.parent.name:"iexplore.exe" and
process.parent.args:"-Embedding"] /* IE started via COM in normal
conditions makes few connections, mainly to Microsoft and OCSP related
domains, add FPs here */ [network where network.protocol : "dns" and
process.name:"iexplore.exe" and not wildcard(dns.question.name,
"*.microsoft.com",
"*.digicert.com", "*.msocsp.com",
"*.windowsupdate.com",
"*.bing.com", "*.identrust.com")
]

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Command and Control
- ID: TA0011
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/
Technique:
- Name: Application Layer Protocol
- ID: T1071
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/

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