Suspicious PDF Reader Child Process

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Identifies suspicious child processes of PDF reader applications. These child processes are often launched via exploitation of PDF applications or social engineering.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

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

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

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
  • Execution

Version: 7 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.7.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.13.0

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 : ("AcroRd32.exe",
"Acrobat.exe", "FoxitPhantomPDF.exe",
"FoxitReader.exe") and process.name : ("arp.exe", "dsquery.exe",
"dsget.exe", "gpresult.exe", "hostname.exe", "ipconfig.exe",
"nbtstat.exe", "net.exe", "net1.exe", "netsh.exe",
"netstat.exe", "nltest.exe", "ping.exe", "qprocess.exe",
"quser.exe", "qwinsta.exe", "reg.exe", "sc.exe", "systeminfo.exe",
"tasklist.exe", "tracert.exe", "whoami.exe",
"bginfo.exe", "cdb.exe", "cmstp.exe", "csi.exe", "dnx.exe", "fsi.exe",
"ieexec.exe", "iexpress.exe", "installutil.exe",
"Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe", "msbuild.exe", "mshta.exe",
"msxsl.exe", "odbcconf.exe", "rcsi.exe", "regsvr32.exe",
"xwizard.exe", "atbroker.exe", "forfiles.exe",
"schtasks.exe", "regasm.exe", "regsvcs.exe", "cmd.exe", "cscript.exe",
"powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "wmic.exe", "wscript.exe",
"bitsadmin.exe", "certutil.exe", "ftp.exe")

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 7 (7.13.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
    process.parent.name:(AcroRd32.exe or Acrobat.exe or
    FoxitPhantomPDF.exe or FoxitReader.exe) and process.name:(arp.exe or
    dsquery.exe or dsget.exe or gpresult.exe or hostname.exe or
    ipconfig.exe or nbtstat.exe or net.exe or net1.exe or netsh.exe or
    netstat.exe or nltest.exe or ping.exe or qprocess.exe or quser.exe or
    qwinsta.exe or reg.exe or sc.exe or systeminfo.exe or tasklist.exe or
    tracert.exe or whoami.exe or bginfo.exe or cdb.exe or cmstp.exe or
    csi.exe or dnx.exe or fsi.exe or ieexec.exe or iexpress.exe or
    installutil.exe or Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe or msbuild.exe or
    mshta.exe or msxsl.exe or odbcconf.exe or rcsi.exe or regsvr32.exe or
    xwizard.exe or atbroker.exe or forfiles.exe or schtasks.exe or
    regasm.exe or regsvcs.exe or cmd.exe or cscript.exe or powershell.exe
    or pwsh.exe or wmic.exe or wscript.exe or bitsadmin.exe or
    certutil.exe or ftp.exe)
Version 6 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 5 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.parent.name:(AcroRd32.exe or Acrobat.exe or
    FoxitPhantomPDF.exe or FoxitReader.exe) and process.name:(arp.exe or
    dsquery.exe or dsget.exe or gpresult.exe or hostname.exe or
    ipconfig.exe or nbtstat.exe or net.exe or net1.exe or netsh.exe or
    netstat.exe or nltest.exe or ping.exe or qprocess.exe or quser.exe or
    qwinsta.exe or reg.exe or sc.exe or systeminfo.exe or tasklist.exe or
    tracert.exe or whoami.exe or bginfo.exe or cdb.exe or cmstp.exe or
    csi.exe or dnx.exe or fsi.exe or ieexec.exe or iexpress.exe or
    installutil.exe or Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe or msbuild.exe or
    mshta.exe or msxsl.exe or odbcconf.exe or rcsi.exe or regsvr32.exe or
    xwizard.exe or atbroker.exe or forfiles.exe or schtasks.exe or
    regasm.exe or regsvcs.exe or cmd.exe or cscript.exe or powershell.exe
    or pwsh.exe or wmic.exe or wscript.exe or bitsadmin.exe or
    certutil.exe or ftp.exe)