Suspicious File Downloaded From Direct IP Via Certutil.EXE

Detects the execution of certutil with certain flags that allow the utility to download files from direct IPs.

Sigma rule (View on GitHub)

 1title: Suspicious File Downloaded From Direct IP Via Certutil.EXE
 2id: 13e6fe51-d478-4c7e-b0f2-6da9b400a829
 3related:
 4    - id: 19b08b1c-861d-4e75-a1ef-ea0c1baf202b # Direct IP download
 5      type: similar
 6    - id: 42a5f1e7-9603-4f6d-97ae-3f37d130d794 # File sharing download
 7      type: similar
 8status: test
 9description: Detects the execution of certutil with certain flags that allow the utility to download files from direct IPs.
10references:
11    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/certutil
12    - https://forensicitguy.github.io/agenttesla-vba-certutil-download/
13    - https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2021/04/13/compromised-exchange-server-hosting-cryptojacker-targeting-other-exchange-servers/
14    - https://twitter.com/egre55/status/1087685529016193025
15    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Certutil/
16    - https://twitter.com/_JohnHammond/status/1708910264261980634
17author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
18date: 2023-02-15
19tags:
20    - attack.defense-evasion
21    - attack.t1027
22logsource:
23    category: process_creation
24    product: windows
25detection:
26    selection_img:
27        - Image|endswith: '\certutil.exe'
28        - OriginalFileName: 'CertUtil.exe'
29    selection_flags:
30        CommandLine|contains:
31            - 'urlcache '
32            - 'verifyctl '
33    selection_http:
34        CommandLine|contains:
35            - '://1'
36            - '://2'
37            - '://3'
38            - '://4'
39            - '://5'
40            - '://6'
41            - '://7'
42            - '://8'
43            - '://9'
44    # filter_local_ips:
45    #     # Note: Uncomment this filter if you want to exclude local IPs
46    #     CommandLine|contains:
47    #         - '://10.' # 10.0.0.0/8
48    #         - '://192.168.' # 192.168.0.0/16
49    #         - '://172.16.' # 172.16.0.0/12
50    #         - '://172.17.'
51    #         - '://172.18.'
52    #         - '://172.19.'
53    #         - '://172.20.'
54    #         - '://172.21.'
55    #         - '://172.22.'
56    #         - '://172.23.'
57    #         - '://172.24.'
58    #         - '://172.25.'
59    #         - '://172.26.'
60    #         - '://172.27.'
61    #         - '://172.28.'
62    #         - '://172.29.'
63    #         - '://172.30.'
64    #         - '://172.31.'
65    #         - '://127.' # 127.0.0.0/8
66    #         - '://169.254.' # 169.254.0.0/16
67    filter_main_seven_zip:
68        CommandLine|contains: '://7-' # For https://7-zip.org/
69    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*
70falsepositives:
71    - Unknown
72level: high

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