Persistence via WMI Event Subscription

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An adversary can use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to install event filters, providers, consumers, and bindings that execute code when a defined event occurs. Adversaries may use the capabilities of WMI to subscribe to an event and execute arbitrary code when that event occurs, providing persistence on a system.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

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

Version: 101 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.5.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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Rule query

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process where event.type == "start" and (process.name : "wmic.exe"
or process.pe.original_file_name == "wmic.exe") and process.args :
"create" and process.args : ("ActiveScriptEventConsumer",
"CommandLineEventConsumer")

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 101 (8.5.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
    (process.name : "wmic.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name ==
    "wmic.exe") and process.args : "create" and process.args :
    ("ActiveScriptEventConsumer", "CommandLineEventConsumer")
Version 7 (8.4.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 5 (8.2.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.16.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.11.2 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
    (process.name : "wmic.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name ==
    "wmic.exe") and process.args : "create" and process.args :
    ("ActiveScriptEventConsumer", "CommandLineEventConsumer")