sigma-rules/rules/windows/lateral_movement_service_control_spawned_script_int.toml

[metadata]
creation_date = "2020/02/18"
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2022/02/14"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
description = """
Identifies Service Control (sc.exe) spawning from script interpreter processes to create, modify, or start services.
This could be indicative of adversary lateral movement but will be noisy if commonly done by admins.
"""
from = "now-9m"
index = ["logs-endpoint.events.*", "logs-system.*", "winlogbeat-*"]
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Service Control Spawned via Script Interpreter"
risk_score = 21
rule_id = "e8571d5f-bea1-46c2-9f56-998de2d3ed95"
severity = "low"
tags = ["Elastic", "Host", "Windows", "Threat Detection", "Lateral Movement"]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
/* This rule is not compatible with Sysmon due to user.id issues */

process where event.type == "start" and
  (process.name : "sc.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "sc.exe") and
  process.parent.name : ("cmd.exe", "wscript.exe", "rundll32.exe", "regsvr32.exe",
                         "wmic.exe", "mshta.exe","powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe") and
  process.args:("config", "create", "start", "delete", "stop", "pause") and
  /* exclude SYSTEM SID - look for service creations by non-SYSTEM user */
  not user.id : "S-1-5-18"
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1021"
name = "Remote Services"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/"


[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0008"
name = "Lateral Movement"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0008/"