Elastic Defend high stable eql

Unusual PowerShell Engine ImageLoad

Identifies the PowerShell engine being invoked by unexpected processes. Instead of executing PowerShell functionality with powershell.exe, some attackers do this to operate more stealthily.

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Detection Logic

sequence by process.entity_id with maxspan=1m
 [process where event.action == "start" and
  not process.Ext.token.integrity_level_name : ("system", "low") and 
  process.code_signature.subject_name : "Microsoft *" and 
  /* Issue #288 */
  process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\*.exe", 
                        "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.exe", 
                        "?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\*.exe") and
  not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbem\\WmiPrvSE.exe",
                            "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\wbem\\WmiPrvSE.exe",
                            "?:\\Windows\\System32\\inetsrv\\*",
                            "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\*",
                            "?:\\windows\\System32\\DriverStore\\*",
                            "?:\\Windows\\system32\\Essentials\\Dashboard.exe", 
                            "?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\*\\RegAsm.exe",
                            "?:\\Windows\\System32\\vmconnect.exe") and
  not (process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\*\\aspnet_compiler.exe" and
       process.parent.executable : "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\*\\MSBuild.exe") and
  not (process.name : "rundll32.exe" and process.command_line : "*zzzzInvokeManagedCustomActionOutOfProc*") and
  not (process.name : "rundll32.exe" and process.args :"AppXDeploymentExtensions.OneCore.dll,ShellRefresh" and
       process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe") and
  not (process.name : "dllhost.exe" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe" and
       /* CrowdStrike.RemoteResponse CLSIDs */
       process.command_line : ("*BD07DDB9-1C61-4DCE-9202-A2BA1757CDB2*", 
                               "*BFCC80BE-AE9A-4E79-8B13-454A10C3A1B1*", 
                               "*AB8902B4-09CA-4BB6-B78D-A8F59079A8D5*",
                               "*338B40F9-9D68-4B53-A793-6B9AA0C5F63B*")) and 
  not (process.name : "SearchFilterHost.exe" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SearchIndexer.exe") and 
  not (process.name : ("RuntimeBroker.exe", "smartscreen.exe") and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe") and 
  not (process.name : "RegAsm.exe" and process.args : "?:\\Program Files\\CloudBackup\\DS-Client\\\\System.Management.Automation.dll") and
  not (process.name : "WerFault.exe" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe" and process.parent.args : "WerSvcGroup") and
  not (process.name : "dllhost.exe" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe" and process.parent.args : "DcomLaunch") and
  not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and process.args : ("?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\*", "?:\\Windows\\assembly\\NativeImages*", "?:\\Windows\\Installer\\MSI*"))]
 [library where dll.name : ("System.Management.Automation.ni.dll", "System.Management.Automation.dll") and not
  process.name :
   (
    "Altaro.SubAgent.exe",
    "AppV_Manage.exe",
    "azureadconnect.exe",
    "CcmExec.exe",
    "configsyncrun.exe",
    "choco.exe",
    "ctxappvservice.exe",
    "DVLS.Console.exe",
    "edgetransport.exe",
    "exsetup.exe",
    "forefrontactivedirectoryconnector.exe",
    "InstallUtil.exe",
    "JenkinsOnDesktop.exe",
    "Microsoft.EnterpriseManagement.ServiceManager.UI.Console.exe",
    "mmc.exe",
    "mscorsvw.exe",
    "msexchangedelivery.exe",
    "msexchangefrontendtransport.exe",
    "msexchangehmworker.exe",
    "msexchangesubmission.exe",
    "msiexec.exe",
    "MsiExec.exe",
    "noderunner.exe",
    "NServiceBus.Host.exe",
    "NServiceBus.Host32.exe",
    "NServiceBus.Hosting.Azure.HostProcess.exe",
    "OuiGui.WPF.exe",
    "powershell.exe",
    "powershell_ise.exe",
    "pwsh.exe",
    "SCCMCliCtrWPF.exe",
    "ScriptEditor.exe",
    "ScriptRunner.exe",
    "sdiagnhost.exe",
    "servermanager.exe",
    "setup100.exe",
    "ServiceHub.VSDetouredHost.exe",
    "SPCAF.Client.exe",
    "SPCAF.SettingsEditor.exe",
    "SQLPS.exe",
    "telemetryservice.exe",
    "UMWorkerProcess.exe",
    "w3wp.exe",
    "wsmprovhost.exe",
    "dsac.exe",
    "RemoteFXvGPUDisablement.exe",
    "RAMgmtUI.exe",
    "taskhostw.exe",
    "ClusterUpdateUI.exe",
    "auditpol.exe",
    "perfmon.exe",
    "gpupdate.exe",
    "conhost.exe",
    "cmd.exe",
    "Dsamain.exe",
    "taskhost.exe",
    "stordiag.exe",
    "SpatialAudioLicenseSrv.exe",
    "wsl.exe",
    "WMIC.exe",
    "findstr.exe",
    "wlrmdr.exe",
    "winrshost.exe", 
    "regini.exe",
    "BdeUISrv.exe") and
   not process.thread.Ext.call_stack_summary :
                    ("ntdll.dll
| kernelbase.dll
| clr.dll
| mscorlib.ni.dll
| clr.dll
| wa_3rd_party_host_64.exe",
                     "ntdll.dll
| wow64.dll
| wow64cpu.dll
| wow64.dll
| ntdll.dll
| kernelbase.dll
| clr.dll
| mscorlib.ni.dll
| clr.dll
| Unbacked
| wa_3rd_party_host_32.exe")]

Field Validations

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