Detections
Explore public detection logic contributed by the community across SIEM and rule languages.
131 detections
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This detection identifies potentially suspicious usage of sqlcmd.exe, focusing on command patterns that may indicate data exfiltration, reconnaissance, or malicious database operations. The detection looks for both short-form (-X) and long-form (--flag) suspicious parameter combinations, which have been observed in APT campaigns targeting high-value organizations. For example, threat actors like CL-STA-0048 have been known to abuse sqlcmd.exe for data theft and exfiltration from compromised MSSQL servers. The detection monitors for suspicious authentication attempts, output redirection, and potentially malicious query patterns that could indicate unauthorized database access or data theft.
Detects the execution of batch or command scripts initiated by SQL Server (sqlservr.exe) or in contexts involving command-line utility misuse often associated with SQL Server exploitation, such as xp_cmdshell or certutil, particularly when involving paths like AppData or ServiceProfiles.
Detects instances where the Internet Information Services (IIS) worker process (w3wp.exe) initiates a child process of sqlcmd.exe. This behavior is highly suspicious and often indicates a post-exploitation activity where an attacker, having established a webshell or similar foothold on a web server, is using harvested credentials to query backend SQL databases directly.
Detects instances where the SQL Server process (sqlservr.exe) initiates command-line utilities such as cmd.exe or powershell.exe, and further identifies suspicious command-line arguments often associated with post-exploitation activity like discovery, credential gathering, or file manipulation.
This rule detects a potential brute force attack against the Microsoft SQL Server 'sa' administrative account. It identifies a high volume of failed authentication events (Event ID 18456) for the 'sa' account within a 10-minute window, followed by a successful authentication event (Event ID 18453 or 18454) from the same source IP address. The rule specifically filters for successful logins originating from non-private (internet-facing) IP addresses, suggesting an attempt from an external threat actor.
Detects the execution of taskkill.exe to terminate known security software processes, when the command is initiated from sqlservr.exe or via a command shell child process of sqlservr.exe. This activity is a common post-exploitation step after abusing xp_cmdshell to neutralize defenses before deploying further payloads.
Detects the execution of 'sqlcmd.exe' when spawned by web application pools (w3wp.exe) or general command shell (cmd.exe) processes that do not appear to be related to authorized database administration or IIS appcmd activity.
Detects the use of certutil.exe to decode files located within directories associated with the MSSQL service account (e.g., AppData, ServiceProfiles). This behavior is characteristic of an attack chain where an adversary uses SQL Server's xp_cmdshell to stage and decode a malicious payload from a base64-encoded file.
Detects the execution of the DEL command via cmd.exe spawned by sqlservr.exe, specifically targeting batch scripts, executables, or text files located within AppData or ServiceProfiles paths. This behavior is indicative of post-exploitation activity where an attacker removes staging artifacts used during lateral movement or persistence phases to hide their tracks after using xp_cmdshell.
This rule detects instances where the SQL Server process (sqlservr.exe) spawns cmd.exe or powershell.exe as child processes. This behavior is strongly associated with the abuse of the 'xp_cmdshell' stored procedure, which allows SQL Server to execute operating system commands. This is a common post-exploitation technique used by attackers to execute commands or scripts following successful unauthorized access or brute-force attacks on MSSQL instances.
Detects unauthorized attempts to access sensitive Veeam Backup and Replication credentials by querying the backend SQL database or directly accessing DPAPI Master Key files. This activity is indicative of an attacker attempting to decrypt backup credentials stored by the Veeam service.
Detects a suspected automated exploitation sequence where a web storefront file (e.g., .phtml, .js, .php) is modified to inject malicious script code (skimmer), followed by an unauthorized SQL DELETE operation on sensitive database tables containing payment, customer, or order information, originating from the same host within a 6-hour window.
Detects instances where the Internet Information Services (IIS) worker process (w3wp.exe) initiates a child process of sqlcmd.exe. This behavior is highly suspicious and often indicates a post-exploitation activity where an attacker, having established a webshell or similar foothold on a web server, is using harvested credentials to query backend SQL databases directly.
Detects high-risk destructive database operations (DROP, TRUNCATE, or UPDATE) on sensitive tables executed within six hours of a large outbound data transfer from the same host, a pattern indicative of anti-forensic database wiping following data exfiltration.
Detects the execution of destructive SQL commands (e.g., DROP, TRUNCATE, mass DELETE) via common command-line database clients. These patterns are often observed when threat actors attempt to destroy forensic evidence or interrupt database availability immediately following unauthorized data exfiltration.
Detects the compilation of a Managed Object Format (MOF) file using mofcomp.exe from the temporary directory of the MSSQL service account. This behavior is indicative of an attacker leveraging the xp_cmdshell procedure in MSSQL to deploy a malicious MOF file, which registers a WMI permanent event subscription to establish persistence or facilitate secondary payload execution.
Detects a successful authentication to Microsoft SQL Server using the 'sa' account from a non-local address. This rule is designed to alert on potentially unauthorized access following a brute-force attack, as identified by the correlation of high-volume authentication failures (Event ID 18456) followed by a successful login (Event ID 18453/18454).
Detects when a single process terminates two or more critical security, database, or backup related processes within a short window. This behavior is often associated with adversary attempts to disable security controls or disrupt database operations, commonly observed during the impact phase of an attack or preparatory to data destruction/encryption.
Detects when three or more critical security, database, or service processes are terminated on a Windows host within a short timeframe. This behavior is often indicative of an adversary attempting to disable security monitoring (e.g., Windows Defender/MsMpEng.exe) or perform disruptive activity against critical infrastructure (e.g., SQL Server processes).
Detects anomalous database activity involving the creation of 'ZQ'-prefixed staging tables followed by a high-volume drop operation across multiple tables within a short timeframe. This behavior is indicative of data staging for potential exfiltration followed by an attempt to delete evidence or clear tracks.
Detects the presence of natural-language self-narration in code comments within Python or SQL scripts. This pattern is indicative of LLM-driven agentic execution, where automated agents narrate their own malicious actions, such as enumeration, data exfiltration, or database manipulation, as observed in the JADEPUFFER campaign.
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