ScreenConnect Server Spawning Suspicious Processes

 1[metadata]
 2creation_date = "2024/03/26"
 3integration = ["endpoint", "windows", "system", "m365_defender", "sentinel_one_cloud_funnel"]
 4maturity = "production"
 5updated_date = "2024/10/10"
 6min_stack_version = "8.13.0"
 7min_stack_comments = "Breaking change at 8.13.0 for SentinelOne Integration."
 8
 9[rule]
10author = ["Elastic"]
11description = """
12Identifies suspicious processes being spawned by the ScreenConnect server process (ScreenConnect.Service.exe). This
13activity may indicate exploitation activity or access to an existing web shell backdoor.
14"""
15from = "now-9m"
16index = [
17    "logs-endpoint.events.process-*",
18    "winlogbeat-*",
19    "logs-windows.forwarded*",
20    "logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*",
21    "endgame-*",
22    "logs-system.security*",
23    "logs-m365_defender.event-*",
24    "logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*",
25]
26language = "eql"
27license = "Elastic License v2"
28name = "ScreenConnect Server Spawning Suspicious Processes"
29references = ["https://blackpointcyber.com/resources/blog/breaking-through-the-screen/"]
30risk_score = 73
31rule_id = "3d00feab-e203-4acc-a463-c3e15b7e9a73"
32severity = "high"
33tags = [
34    "Domain: Endpoint",
35    "OS: Windows",
36    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
37    "Tactic: Initial Access",
38    "Tactic: Execution",
39    "Data Source: Elastic Endgame",
40    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
41    "Data Source: Sysmon",
42    "Data Source: System",
43    "Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint",
44    "Data Source: SentinelOne",
45]
46timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
47type = "eql"
48
49query = '''
50process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
51  process.parent.name : "ScreenConnect.Service.exe" and
52  (process.name : ("cmd.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe", "csc.exe") or
53  ?process.pe.original_file_name in ("cmd.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.dll", "powershell_ise.exe"))
54'''
55
56
57[[rule.threat]]
58framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
59[[rule.threat.technique]]
60id = "T1190"
61name = "Exploit Public-Facing Application"
62reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/"
63
64
65[rule.threat.tactic]
66id = "TA0001"
67name = "Initial Access"
68reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"
69[[rule.threat]]
70framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
71[[rule.threat.technique]]
72id = "T1059"
73name = "Command and Scripting Interpreter"
74reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/"
75[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
76id = "T1059.001"
77name = "PowerShell"
78reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001/"
79
80[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
81id = "T1059.003"
82name = "Windows Command Shell"
83reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/003/"
84
85
86
87[rule.threat.tactic]
88id = "TA0002"
89name = "Execution"
90reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"