Unusual Windows Path Activity

 1[metadata]
 2creation_date = "2020/03/25"
 3integration = ["endpoint", "windows"]
 4maturity = "production"
 5updated_date = "2023/07/27"
 6min_stack_comments = "New fields added: required_fields, related_integrations, setup"
 7min_stack_version = "8.3.0"
 8
 9[rule]
10anomaly_threshold = 50
11author = ["Elastic"]
12description = """
13Identifies processes started from atypical folders in the file system, which might indicate malware execution or
14persistence mechanisms. In corporate Windows environments, software installation is centrally managed and it is unusual
15for programs to be executed from user or temporary directories. Processes executed from these locations can denote that
16a user downloaded software directly from the Internet or a malicious script or macro executed malware.
17"""
18false_positives = [
19    """
20    A new and unusual program or artifact download in the course of software upgrades, debugging, or troubleshooting
21    could trigger this alert. Users downloading and running programs from unusual locations, such as temporary
22    directories, browser caches, or profile paths could trigger this alert.
23    """,
24]
25from = "now-45m"
26interval = "15m"
27license = "Elastic License v2"
28machine_learning_job_id = ["v3_windows_anomalous_path_activity"]
29name = "Unusual Windows Path Activity"
30references = ["https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/prebuilt-ml-jobs.html"]
31risk_score = 21
32rule_id = "445a342e-03fb-42d0-8656-0367eb2dead5"
33severity = "low"
34tags = ["Domain: Endpoint", "OS: Windows", "Use Case: Threat Detection", "Rule Type: ML", "Rule Type: Machine Learning", "Tactic: Persistence", "Tactic: Execution"]
35type = "machine_learning"
36
37[[rule.threat]]
38framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
39[[rule.threat.technique]]
40id = "T1543"
41name = "Create or Modify System Process"
42reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/"
43
44
45    [[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
46    id = "T1543.003"
47    name = "Windows Service"
48    reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/003/"
49
50
51[rule.threat.tactic]
52id = "TA0003"
53name = "Persistence"
54reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/"
55[[rule.threat]]
56framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
57[[rule.threat.technique]]
58id = "T1204"
59name = "User Execution"
60reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/"
61
62
63    [[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
64    id = "T1204.002"
65    name = "Malicious File"
66    reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/002/"
67
68
69[rule.threat.tactic]
70id = "TA0002"
71name = "Execution"
72reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"