Potential CobaltStrike Service Installations - Registry

Hunt Hypothesis

Detects known malicious service installs that appear in cases in which a Cobalt Strike beacon elevates privileges or lateral movement.

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Potential CobaltStrike Service Installations - Registry
id: 61a7697c-cb79-42a8-a2ff-5f0cdfae0130
status: test
description: |
    Detects known malicious service installs that appear in cases in which a Cobalt Strike beacon elevates privileges or lateral movement.
references:
    - https://www.sans.org/webcasts/tech-tuesday-workshop-cobalt-strike-detection-log-analysis-119395
author: Wojciech Lesicki
date: 2021-06-29
modified: 2024-03-25
tags:
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.execution
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.lateral-movement
    - attack.t1021.002
    - attack.t1543.003
    - attack.t1569.002
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_key:
        - TargetObject|contains: '\System\CurrentControlSet\Services'
        - TargetObject|contains|all:
              - '\System\ControlSet'
              - '\Services'
    selection_details:
        - Details|contains|all:
              - 'ADMIN$'
              - '.exe'
        - Details|contains|all:
              - '%COMSPEC%'
              - 'start'
              - 'powershell'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where (RegistryKey contains "\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services" or (RegistryKey contains "\\System\\ControlSet" and RegistryKey contains "\\Services")) and ((RegistryValueData contains "ADMIN$" and RegistryValueData contains ".exe") or (RegistryValueData contains "%COMSPEC%" and RegistryValueData contains "start" and RegistryValueData contains "powershell"))

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where (RegistryKey contains "\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services" or (RegistryKey contains "\\System\\ControlSet" and RegistryKey contains "\\Services")) and ((RegistryValueData contains "ADMIN$" and RegistryValueData contains ".exe") or (RegistryValueData contains "%COMSPEC%" and RegistryValueData contains "start" and RegistryValueData contains "powershell"))

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Unlikely

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Tactic: Persistence
• Tactic: Execution
• Tactic: Privilege Escalation
• Tactic: Lateral Movement
• Technique: T1021.002 — T1021.002
• Technique: T1543.003 — T1543.003
• Technique: T1569.002 — T1569.002

References

• https://www.sans.org/webcasts/tech-tuesday-workshop-cobalt-strike-detection-log-analysis-119395
• SigmaHQ Rule