title: Suspicious Child Process Created as System
id: 590a5f4c-6c8c-4f10-8307-89afe9453a9d
status: test
description: Detection of child processes spawned with SYSTEM privileges by parents with LOCAL SERVICE or NETWORK SERVICE accounts
author: Teymur Kheirkhabarov, Roberto Rodriguez (@Cyb3rWard0g), Open Threat Research (OTR)
references:
  - https://speakerdeck.com/heirhabarov/hunting-for-privilege-escalation-in-windows-environment
  - https://foxglovesecurity.com/2016/09/26/rotten-potato-privilege-escalation-from-service-accounts-to-system/
  - https://github.com/antonioCoco/RogueWinRM
  - https://twitter.com/Cyb3rWard0g/status/1453123054243024897
date: 2019/10/26
modified: 2021/11/27
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
  definition: ParentUser field needs sysmon >= 13.30
detection:
  selection:
    ParentUser:
      - 'NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE'
      - 'NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE'
      - 'AUTORITE NT\'       # French language settings
    User:
      - 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM'
      - 'AUTORITE NT\Sys'       # French language settings
    IntegrityLevel: 'System'
  rundllexception:
    Image|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: 'DavSetCookie'
  condition: selection and not rundllexception
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
tags:
  - attack.privilege_escalation
  - attack.t1134.002
