Privileges Elevation via Parent Process PID Spoofing

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Privileges Elevation via Parent Process PID Spoofing

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Identifies parent process spoofing used to create an elevated child process. Adversaries may spoof the parent process identifier (PPID) of a new process to evade process-monitoring defenses or to elevate privileges.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • logs-endpoint.events.*

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: 4

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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/* This rule is compatible with Elastic Endpoint only */

process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.action == "start" and

 /* process creation via seclogon */
 process.parent.Ext.real.pid > 0 and

 /* PrivEsc to SYSTEM */
 user.id : "S-1-5-18"  and

 /* Common FPs - evasion via hollowing is possible, should be covered by code injection */
 not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFault.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Wermgr.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Wermgr.exe",
                           "?:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install\\securityhealthsetup.exe") and

 not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\AtBroker.exe" and

 not (process.code_signature.subject_name in
           ("philandro Software GmbH", "Freedom Scientific Inc.", "TeamViewer Germany GmbH", "Projector.is, Inc.",
            "TeamViewer GmbH", "Cisco WebEx LLC", "Dell Inc") and process.code_signature.trusted == true)

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM