Potential Credential Access via LSASS Memory Dump

Identifies suspicious access to LSASS handle from a call trace pointing to DBGHelp.dll or DBGCore.dll, which both export the MiniDumpWriteDump method that can be used to dump LSASS memory content in preparation for credential access.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-windows.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5m

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

https://www.ired.team/offensive-security/credential-access-and-credential-dumping/dump-credentials-from-lsass-process-without-mimikatz

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Credential Access

Version: 7

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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## Setup

If enabling an EQL rule on a non-elastic-agent index (such as beats) for versions <8.2, events will not define `event.ingested` and default fallback for EQL rules was not added until 8.2, so you will need to add a custom pipeline to populate `event.ingested` to @timestamp for this rule to work.

Rule query

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process where event.code == "10" and
  winlog.event_data.TargetImage : "?:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\lsass.exe" and

   /* DLLs exporting MiniDumpWriteDump API to create an lsass mdmp*/
  winlog.event_data.CallTrace : ("*dbghelp*", "*dbgcore*") and

   /* case of lsass crashing */
  not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe", "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

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: LSASS Memory
- ID: T1003.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/001/

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