LoFP LoFP / certain applications may install root certificates for the purpose of inspecting ssl traffic.

Techniques

Sample rules

Attempt to Install Root Certificate

Description

Adversaries may install a root certificate on a compromised system to avoid warnings when connecting to their command and control servers. Root certificates are used in public key cryptography to identify a root certificate authority (CA). When a root certificate is installed, the system or application will trust certificates in the root’s chain of trust that have been signed by the root certificate.

Detection logic

event.category:process and host.os.type:macos and event.type:(start or process_started) and
  process.name:security and process.args:"add-trusted-cert" and
  not process.parent.executable:("/Library/Bitdefender/AVP/product/bin/BDCoreIssues" or "/Applications/Bitdefender/SecurityNetworkInstallerApp.app/Contents/MacOS/SecurityNetworkInstallerApp"
)

Creation or Modification of Root Certificate

Description

Identifies the creation or modification of a local trusted root certificate in Windows. The install of a malicious root certificate would allow an attacker the ability to masquerade malicious files as valid signed components from any entity (for example, Microsoft). It could also allow an attacker to decrypt SSL traffic.

Detection logic

registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type in ("creation", "change") and
  registry.path :
    (
      "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob"
    ) and
  not process.executable : (
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Lenovo\\Vantage\\Addins\\LenovoHardwareScanAddin\\*\\LdeApi.Server.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Logishrd\\LogiOptionsPlus\\Plugins\\64\\certmgr.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*\\MsMpEng.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Quest\\KACE\\modules\\clientidentifier\\clientidentifier.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\CCM\\CcmExec.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ccmsetup\\cache\\ccmsetup.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Cluster\\clussvc.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ImmersiveControlPanel\\SystemSettings.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Lenovo\\ImController\\PluginHost86\\Lenovo.Modern.ImController.PluginHost.Device.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Lenovo\\ImController\\Service\\Lenovo.Modern.ImController.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Sysmon.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Sysmon64.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\*.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\UUS\\amd64\\MoUsoCoreWorker.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\WinSxS\\*.exe"
  )