Potential Persistence via Time Provider Modification

Identifies modification of the Time Provider. Adversaries may establish persistence by registering and enabling a malicious DLL as a time provider. Windows uses the time provider architecture to obtain accurate time stamps from other network devices or clients in the network. Time providers are implemented in the form of a DLL file which resides in the System32 folder. The service W32Time initiates during the startup of Windows and loads w32time.dll.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

logs-endpoint.events.*

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://pentestlab.blog/2019/10/22/persistence-time-providers/

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Persistence

Version: 101

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

registry where event.type:"change" and
  registry.path:"HKLM\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\W32Time\\TimeProviders\\*" and
  registry.data.strings:"*.dll"

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
- ID: T1547
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Time Providers
- ID: T1547.003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/003/

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