title: Suspicious Elevated System Shell
id: 178e615d-e666-498b-9630-9ed363038101
status: experimental
description: Detects when a shell program such as the windows Command Prompt or PowerShell is launched with system privileges.
references:
    - https://github.com/Wh04m1001/SysmonEoP
author: frack113, Tim Shelton (update fp)
date: 2022/12/05
modified: 2023/01/03
tags:
    - attack.privilege_escalation
    - attack.defense_evasion
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: process_creation
detection:
    selection_shell:
        - Image|endswith:
            - '\powershell.exe'
            - '\pwsh.exe'
            - '\cmd.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
            - 'PowerShell.EXE'
            - 'pwsh.dll'
            - 'Cmd.Exe'
    selection_user:
        User|contains: # covers many language settings
            - 'AUTHORI'
            - 'AUTORI'
        LogonId: '0x3e7'
    filter_compattelrunner:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\CompatTelRunner.exe'
        ParentCommandLine|contains: '-m:appraiser.dll -f:DoScheduledTelemetryRun'
        OriginalFileName: 'PowerShell.EXE'
        CommandLine|contains: '-ExecutionPolicy Restricted -Command Write-Host'
    filter_erl:
        # Example:
        #   C:\Program Files\erl-23.2\erts-11.1.4\bin\erl.exe" -service_event ErlSrv_RabbitMQ -nohup -sname rabbit@localhost -s rabbit boot -boot start_sasl +W w +MBas ageffcbf +MHas ageffcbf +MBlmbcs 512 +MHlmbcs 512 +MMmcs 30 +P 1048576 +t 5000000 +stbt db +zdbbl 128000 +sbwt none +sbwtdcpu none +sbwtdio none -kernel inet_dist_listen_min 25672 -kernel inet_dist_listen_max 25672 -lager crash_log false -lager handlers []
        ParentImage|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\erl-'
        ParentImage|endswith: '\bin\erl.exe'
    filter_vmware:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\CompatTelRunner.exe'
        CommandLine|contains: 'get-vmswitch '
    filter_asgard:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\asgard2-agent\bin\generic.exe'
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - ' -taskid '
            - ' -name asgard2-agent '
    filter_manageengine:
        # Example:
        #   ParentImage: C:/ManageEngine/ADManager Plus/pgsql/bin/postgres.exe" --forkarch 5380
        #   CommandLine: C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c "IF EXIST archive.bat (archive.bat pg_wal\000000010000008E000000EA 000000010000008E000000EA)
        ParentImage: 'C:\ManageEngine\ADManager Plus\pgsql\bin\postgres.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    filter_landesk:
        # Example:
        #   ParentImage: C:\Program Files (x86)\LANDesk\LDCLient\sdistbat.exe
        #   CommandLine: cmd.exe /c C:\Program Files "(x86)\LANDesk\LDCLient\\sdclient_temp.bat > C:\Program" Files (x86)\LANDesk\LDCLient\data\sd_2491.tmp
        ParentImage: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\LANDesk\LDClient\sdistbat.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    filter_varonis:
        # Example:
        #   ParentImage: C:\Program Files (x86)\Varonis\DatAdvantage\GridCollector\VrnsRealTimeAlertsSvc.exe" /appid 000000ad-cb03-500b-9459-c46d000000ad
        #   CommandLine: C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c C:\Program Files "(x86)\Varonis\DatAdvantage\GridCollector\handle_scopes.cmd C:\Collector" Working Share\VaronisWorkDirectoryCollector
        ParentImage: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Varonis\DatAdvantage\GridCollector\VrnsRealTimeAlertsSvc.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high