XSL Script Execution Via WMIC.EXE

 1title: XSL Script Execution Via WMIC.EXE
 2id: 05c36dd6-79d6-4a9a-97da-3db20298ab2d
 3status: test
 4description: |
 5    Detects the execution of WMIC with the "format" flag to potentially load XSL files.
 6    Adversaries abuse this functionality to execute arbitrary files while potentially bypassing application whitelisting defenses.
 7    Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) files are commonly used to describe the processing and rendering of data within XML files.    
 8references:
 9    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1220/T1220.md
10author: Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
11date: 2019-10-21
12modified: 2024-03-05
13tags:
14    - attack.defense-evasion
15    - attack.t1220
16logsource:
17    category: process_creation
18    product: windows
19detection:
20    selection:
21        Image|endswith: '\wmic.exe'
22        CommandLine|contains|windash: '-format'     # wmic process list -FORMAT /? or wmic process list /FORMAT /?
23    filter_main_known_format:
24        CommandLine|contains:
25            - 'Format:List'
26            - 'Format:htable'
27            - 'Format:hform'
28            - 'Format:table'
29            - 'Format:mof'
30            - 'Format:value'
31            - 'Format:rawxml'
32            - 'Format:xml'
33            - 'Format:csv'
34    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
35falsepositives:
36    - WMIC.exe FP depend on scripts and administrative methods used in the monitored environment.
37    - Static format arguments - https://petri.com/command-line-wmi-part-3
38level: medium