Installation of Custom Shim Databases

 1[metadata]
 2creation_date = "2020/09/02"
 3integration = ["endpoint", "windows", "m365_defender", "sentinel_one_cloud_funnel"]
 4maturity = "production"
 5updated_date = "2024/10/15"
 6min_stack_version = "8.14.0"
 7min_stack_comments = "Breaking change at 8.14.0 for the Windows Integration."
 8
 9[rule]
10author = ["Elastic"]
11description = """
12Identifies the installation of custom Application Compatibility Shim databases. This Windows functionality has been
13abused by attackers to stealthily gain persistence and arbitrary code execution in legitimate Windows processes.
14"""
15from = "now-9m"
16index = ["logs-endpoint.events.registry-*", "winlogbeat-*", "logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*", "logs-m365_defender.event-*", "logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*", "endgame-*"]
17language = "eql"
18license = "Elastic License v2"
19name = "Installation of Custom Shim Databases"
20risk_score = 47
21rule_id = "c5ce48a6-7f57-4ee8-9313-3d0024caee10"
22severity = "medium"
23tags = [
24    "Domain: Endpoint",
25    "OS: Windows",
26    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
27    "Tactic: Persistence",
28    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
29    "Data Source: Sysmon",
30    "Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint",
31    "Data Source: SentinelOne",
32    "Data Source: Elastic Endgame",
33]
34timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
35type = "eql"
36
37query = '''
38registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and
39    registry.path : (
40        "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\AppCompatFlags\\Custom\\*.sdb",
41        "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\AppCompatFlags\\Custom\\*.sdb",
42        "MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\AppCompatFlags\\Custom\\*.sdb"
43    ) and
44    not process.executable : 
45                       ("?:\\Program Files (x86)\\DesktopCentral_Agent\\swrepository\\1\\swuploads\\SAP-SLC\\SAPSetupSLC02_14-80001954\\Setup\\NwSapSetup.exe", 
46                        "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\Sources\\SetupPlatform.exe", 
47                         "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\SAP\\SAPsetup\\setup\\NwSapSetup.exe", 
48                         "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\SAP\\SapSetup\\OnRebootSvc\\NWSAPSetupOnRebootInstSvc.exe", 
49                         "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Kaspersky Lab\\Kaspersky Security for Windows Server\\kavfs.exe")
50'''
51
52
53[[rule.threat]]
54framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
55[[rule.threat.technique]]
56id = "T1546"
57name = "Event Triggered Execution"
58reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1546/"
59[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
60id = "T1546.011"
61name = "Application Shimming"
62reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1546/011/"
63
64
65
66[rule.threat.tactic]
67id = "TA0003"
68name = "Persistence"
69reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/"