Windows Service Installed via an Unusual Client

edit

Windows Service Installed via an Unusual Client

edit

Identifies the creation of a Windows service by an unusual client process. Services may be created with administrator privileges but are executed under SYSTEM privileges, so an adversary may also use a service to escalate privileges from administrator to SYSTEM.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-system.*
  • logs-windows.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

  • Domain: Endpoint
  • OS: Windows
  • Use Case: Threat Detection
  • Tactic: Privilege Escalation

Version: 105

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

edit

Rule query

edit
event.action:"service-installed" and
  (winlog.event_data.ClientProcessId:"0" or winlog.event_data.ParentProcessId:"0")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM