although unlikely, some legitimate applications may use a moved copy of mshta.exe, but never renamed, triggering a false positive.

Techniques

T1218.005

Sample rules

Detect mshta renamed

source: splunk
technicques:
- T1218.005

Description

The following analytic identifies instances where mshta.exe has been renamed and executed. It leverages Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) data, specifically focusing on the original file name field to detect discrepancies. This activity is significant because renaming mshta.exe is a common tactic used by attackers to evade detection and execute malicious scripts. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.

Detection logic


| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name!=mshta.exe AND Processes.original_file_name=MSHTA.EXE by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id Processes.original_file_name 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `detect_mshta_renamed_filter`