System Shells via Services

Windows services typically run as SYSTEM and can be used as a privilege escalation opportunity. Malware or penetration testers may run a shell as a service to gain SYSTEM permissions.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

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

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

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
Persistence

Version: 10 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.16.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
process.parent.name : "services.exe" and process.name : ("cmd.exe",
"powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe") and /* Third
party FP's */ not process.args : "NVDisplay.ContainerLocalSystem"

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Create or Modify System Process
- ID: T1543
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/

Rule version history

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Version 10 (7.16.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
process.parent.name : "services.exe" and process.name : ("cmd.exe",
"powershell.exe") and /* Third party FP's */ not process.args :
"NVDisplay.ContainerLocalSystem"

Version 9 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
powershell.exe)

Version 8 (7.12.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 7 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

Version 6 (7.11.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 5 (7.10.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 4 (7.9.1 release)

Formatting only

Version 3 (7.9.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
powershell.exe)

Version 2 (7.7.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.parent.name:"services.exe" and process.name:("cmd.exe" or
"powershell.exe")

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