SolarWinds Process Disabling Services via Registry

Identifies a SolarWinds binary modifying the start type of a service to be disabled. An adversary may abuse this technique to manipulate relevant security services.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.registry-*
logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
endgame-*
logs-m365_defender.event-*
logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

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.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/12/evasive-attacker-leverages-solarwinds-supply-chain-compromises-with-sunburst-backdoor.html

Tags:

Domain: Endpoint
OS: Windows
Use Case: Threat Detection
Tactic: Defense Evasion
Tactic: Initial Access
Data Source: Elastic Endgame
Data Source: Elastic Defend
Data Source: Sysmon
Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Data Source: SentinelOne

Version: 311

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and registry.value : "Start" and
  process.name : (
      "SolarWinds.BusinessLayerHost*.exe",
      "ConfigurationWizard*.exe",
      "NetflowDatabaseMaintenance*.exe",
      "NetFlowService*.exe",
      "SolarWinds.Administration*.exe",
      "SolarWinds.Collector.Service*.exe",
      "SolarwindsDiagnostics*.exe"
  ) and
  registry.path : (
    "HKLM\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\*\\Start",
    "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\*\\Start",
    "MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\*\\Start"
  ) and
  registry.data.strings : ("4", "0x00000004")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Modify Registry
- ID: T1112
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/
Technique:
- Name: Impair Defenses
- ID: T1562
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Disable or Modify Tools
- ID: T1562.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/001/
Tactic:
- Name: Initial Access
- ID: TA0001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/
Technique:
- Name: Supply Chain Compromise
- ID: T1195
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1195/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Compromise Software Supply Chain
- ID: T1195.002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1195/002/

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