IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates
will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the
current release documentation.
Unusual Print Spooler Child Process
editUnusual Print Spooler Child Process
editDetects unusual Print Spooler service (spoolsv.exe) child processes. This may indicate an attempt to exploit privilege escalation vulnerabilities related to the Printing Service on Windows.
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
References:
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Privilege Escalation
Version: 8 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.14.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.4.0
Rule authors: Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Potential false positives
editInstall or update of a legitimate printing driver. Verify the printer driver file metadata such as manufacturer and signature information.
Investigation guide
editRule query
editprocess where event.type == "start" and process.parent.name :
"spoolsv.exe" and (?process.Ext.token.integrity_level_name : "System"
or ?winlog.event_data.IntegrityLevel : "System") and /* exclusions
for FP control below */ not process.name : ("splwow64.exe",
"PDFCreator.exe", "acrodist.exe", "spoolsv.exe", "msiexec.exe",
"route.exe", "WerFault.exe") and not process.command_line :
"*\\WINDOWS\\system32\\spool\\DRIVERS*" and not (process.name :
"net.exe" and process.command_line : ("*stop*", "*start*")) and not
(process.name : ("cmd.exe", "powershell.exe") and process.command_line
: ("*.spl*", "*\\program files*", "*route add*")) and not
(process.name : "netsh.exe" and process.command_line : ("*add
portopening*", "*rule name*")) and not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe"
and process.command_line : "*PrintConfig.dll*")
Threat mapping
editFramework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Privilege Escalation
- ID: TA0004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/
-
Technique:
- Name: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
- ID: T1068
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1068/
Rule version history
edit- Version 8 (8.4.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 6 (8.3.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 5 (8.2.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type == "start" and process.parent.name : "spoolsv.exe" and (process.Ext.token.integrity_level_name : "System" or winlog.event_data.IntegrityLevel : "System") and /* exclusions for FP control below */ not process.name : ("splwow64.exe", "PDFCreator.exe", "acrodist.exe", "spoolsv.exe", "msiexec.exe", "route.exe", "WerFault.exe") and not process.command_line : "*\\WINDOWS\\system32\\spool\\DRIVERS*" and not (process.name : "net.exe" and process.command_line : ("*stop*", "*start*")) and not (process.name : ("cmd.exe", "powershell.exe") and process.command_line : ("*.spl*", "*\\program files*", "*route add*")) and not (process.name : "netsh.exe" and process.command_line : ("*add portopening*", "*rule name*")) and not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and process.command_line : "*PrintConfig.dll*")
-
- Version 3 (8.1.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type == "start" and process.parent.name : "spoolsv.exe" and user.id : "S-1-5-18" and /* exclusions for FP control below */ not process.name : ("splwow64.exe", "PDFCreator.exe", "acrodist.exe", "spoolsv.exe", "msiexec.exe", "route.exe", "WerFault.exe") and not process.command_line : "*\\WINDOWS\\system32\\spool\\DRIVERS*" and not (process.name : "net.exe" and process.command_line : ("*stop*", "*start*")) and not (process.name : ("cmd.exe", "powershell.exe") and process.command_line : ("*.spl*", "*\\program files*", "*route add*")) and not (process.name : "netsh.exe" and process.command_line : ("*add portopening*", "*rule name*")) and not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and process.command_line : "*PrintConfig.dll*")
-