Detections
Explore public detection logic contributed by the community across SIEM and rule languages.
41 detections
Filters
Last updated
All Time
Detection languages
14
9
7
3
3
Contributors
9
6
6
6
4
Categories
32
30
22
7
4
Platforms
41
2
1
Products / Services
24
15
11
9
7
MITRE Techniques
18,114
15,633
12,576
8,388
6,215
CVEs
1
1
IDS Classtypes
2
IDS Protocols
2
Detects common late-stage ransomware indicators including the deletion of Volume Shadow Copies or the clearing of Windows Event Logs using vssadmin.exe or wevtutil.exe. These are reliable signals of imminent impact.
Detects attempts to tamper with autologger trace sessions by modifying specific registry values. This technique is often used by attackers to disable or impair logging, particularly for Windows Event Log and Windows Defender related logs, to evade detection.
Detects the execution of multiple commands commonly used by Dire Wolf ransomware to delete backups, shadow copies, and event logs, thereby inhibiting system recovery. The rule triggers when more than one of these anti-recovery commands are executed on the same host within a 10-minute window, distinguishing malicious patterns from isolated, legitimate administrative actions.
The following analytic detects the usage of wevtutil.exe with parameters for clearing event logs such as Application, Security, Setup, Trace, or System. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. This activity is significant because clearing event logs can be an attempt to cover tracks after malicious actions, hindering forensic investigations. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to erase evidence of their activities, making it difficult to trace their actions and understand the full scope of the compromise.
Detects attempts to remove traces of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) activity by clearing specific event logs, deleting registry keys, or removing cache files. This rule identifies command-line actions using 'wevtutil' to clear RDP operational logs, 'reg delete' for RDP client registry keys, and 'del' or 'remove-item' for RDP bitmap cache files. It also directly monitors registry events for RDP client key deletions and file events for RDP cache file deletions.
KQL Query from file: Detecting Abuse of Wevtutil.exe in LOLBAS Attacks
Instead of running several queries separately, you can also use a comprehensive query that checks for multiple signs of ransomware activity to identify affected devices. The following consolidated query:
Looks for both relatively concrete and subtle signs of ransomware activity
Weighs the presence of these signs
Identifies devices with a higher chance of being targets of ransomware
When run, this consolidated query returns a list of devices that have exhibited multiple signs of attack. The count of each type of ransomware activity is also shown.
Looks for both relatively concrete and subtle signs of ransomware activity
Weighs the presence of these signs
Identifies devices with a higher chance of being targets of ransomware
When run, this consolidated query returns a list of devices that have exhibited multiple signs of attack. The count of each type of ransomware activity is also shown.
This query was originally published in the threat analytics report, Motivated miners.
Doublepulsar is a backdoor developed by the National Security Agency (NSA). First disclosed in 2017, it is now used by many malicious actors. Software patches are available.
The following query detects activity broadly associated with campaigns that use DoublePulsar to exploit web servers.
See Detect DoublePulsar execution for a query that detects possible DoublePulsar execution events.
References:
https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Trojan:Win32/DoublePulsar&threatId=-2147239036
https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/cybercrime/doublepulsar-malware-spreading-rapidly-in-the-wild-following-shadow-brokers-dump/
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4013389/title
Doublepulsar is a backdoor developed by the National Security Agency (NSA). First disclosed in 2017, it is now used by many malicious actors. Software patches are available.
The following query detects activity broadly associated with campaigns that use DoublePulsar to exploit web servers.
See Detect DoublePulsar execution for a query that detects possible DoublePulsar execution events.
References:
https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Trojan:Win32/DoublePulsar&threatId=-2147239036
https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/cybercrime/doublepulsar-malware-spreading-rapidly-in-the-wild-following-shadow-brokers-dump/
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4013389/title
This query checks for attempts to clear at least 10 log entries from event logs using wevtutil.
This query was originally published in the threat analytics report, Ransomware continues to hit healthcare, critical services. There is also a related blog.
Robbinhood is ransomware that has been involved in several high-profile incidents, including a 2019 attack on the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Robbinhood operators often employ a distinctive defense evasion technique, where they load a vulnerable driver on to a target and exploit it, in order to turn off security software -- essentially using the driver as malware.
The following query detects a late stage of this technique, when the operator is issuing commands to turn off the driver.
For a query that detects an earlier stage of this technique, see Detect loading of vulnerable drivers by Robbinhood ransomware campaign.
References:
https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2020/04/28/ransomware-groups-continue-to-target-healthcare-critical-services-heres-how-to-reduce-risk/
https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Ransom:Win32/Robinhood.A&ThreatID=2147735370
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/us/baltimore-ransomware.html
Robbinhood is ransomware that has been involved in several high-profile incidents, including a 2019 attack on the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Robbinhood operators often employ a distinctive defense evasion technique, where they load a vulnerable driver on to a target and exploit it, in order to turn off security software -- essentially using the driver as malware.
The following query detects a late stage of this technique, when the operator is issuing commands to turn off the driver.
For a query that detects an earlier stage of this technique, see Detect loading of vulnerable drivers by Robbinhood ransomware campaign.
References:
https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2020/04/28/ransomware-groups-continue-to-target-healthcare-critical-services-heres-how-to-reduce-risk/
https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=Ransom:Win32/Robinhood.A&ThreatID=2147735370
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/us/baltimore-ransomware.html
Find distinct evasion and execution activities.
Associated with the Robbinhood ransomware campaign.
Associated with the Robbinhood ransomware campaign.
The query checks for suspicious Tomcat process launches associated with likely exploitation of Confluence - CVE-2022-26134
Read more here:.
https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-06-02-1130377146.html
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-26134
Tags: #exploit #CVE-2022-26134
Read more here:.
https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-06-02-1130377146.html
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-26134
Tags: #exploit #CVE-2022-26134
Detects potentially suspicious child processes launched via the ScreenConnect client service. This rule specifically looks for common Windows utilities being executed from a temporary ScreenConnect directory, which can indicate post-exploitation activity by an adversary using the remote access tool.
Detects attempts to clear Windows Event Logs using 'wevtutil' command-line utility or PowerShell cmdlets like 'Remove-EventLog' and 'Clear-EventLog'. This activity is often performed by adversaries to remove forensic evidence of their actions on a compromised system.
This rule detects various system enumeration commands commonly used by adversaries for reconnaissance, as identified in a CISA "Living off the Land" report. The rule looks for the execution of utilities like `wevtutil`, `ldifde.exe`, `reg query`, `systeminfo`, `tasklist`, `whoami`, and `wmic` with specific arguments that indicate system information discovery. While these commands can be benign, their frequent or combined execution on a single host within a 15-minute window (more than 5 distinct command lines) can be indicative of malicious activity.
The following analytic detects the usage of wevtutil.exe with the "clear-log" parameter in order to clear the contents of logs. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. This activity is significant because clearing event logs can be an attempt to cover tracks after malicious actions, hindering forensic investigations. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to erase evidence of their activities, making it difficult to trace their actions and understand the full scope of the compromise.
This analytic detects EventLog reconnaissance activity using utilities such as `wevtutil.exe`, `wmic.exe`, PowerShell cmdlets like `Get-WinEvent`, or WMI queries targeting `Win32_NTLogEvent`. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. These tools are often used by adversaries to extract usernames, IP addresses, session data, and event information for credential access or situational awareness during lateral movement. While these utilities are legitimate, execution with specific arguments or targeting sensitive logs like `Security`, `PowerShell`, or specific EventIDs (e.g., 4624, 4778) can indicate malicious intent. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to extract sensitive info and potentially have leveraged access or move laterally.
The analytic detects the execution of "wevtutil.exe" with parameters to disable event logs. This activity is significant because disabling event logs is a common tactic used by ransomware to evade detection and hinder forensic investigations. If confirmed malicious, this action could allow attackers to operate undetected, making it difficult to trace their activities and respond effectively to the incident.
Detects the clearing or configuration tampering of EventLog using utilities such as "wevtutil", "powershell" and "wmic". This technique is used by threat actors and ransomware strains to evade defenses by removing forensic evidence.
Detects command line activity that attempts to clear or disable Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) trace logs. This behavior is indicative of logging evasion, where an attacker tries to remove or prevent the collection of forensic evidence.
Page 2 of 2