Techniques
Sample rules
Windows ESX Admins Group Creation via PowerShell
- source: splunk
- technicques:
- T1136.002
- T1136.001
Description
This analytic detects attempts to create an “ESX Admins” group using PowerShell commands. This activity may indicate an attempt to exploit the VMware ESXi Active Directory Integration Authentication Bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-37085). Attackers can use this method to gain unauthorized access to ESXi hosts by recreating the ‘ESX Admins’ group after its deletion from Active Directory.
Detection logic
`powershell` EventCode=4104 (ScriptBlockText="*New-ADGroup*" OR ScriptBlockText="*New-LocalGroup*") ScriptBlockText="*ESX Admins*"
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by EventCode ScriptBlockText Computer UserID
| rename Computer as dest
| rename UserID as user
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_esx_admins_group_creation_via_powershell_filter`
Windows ESX Admins Group Creation via Net
- source: splunk
- technicques:
- T1136.002
- T1136.001
Description
This analytic detects attempts to create an “ESX Admins” group using the Windows net.exe or net1.exe commands. This activity may indicate an attempt to exploit the VMware ESXi Active Directory Integration Authentication Bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-37085). Attackers can use this method to gain unauthorized access to ESXi hosts by recreating the “ESX Admins” group after its deletion from Active Directory.
Detection logic
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where `process_net` AND (Processes.process="*group \"ESX Admins\"*" OR Processes.process="*group ESX Admins*") AND Processes.process="*/add*" by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.original_file_name
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_esx_admins_group_creation_via_net_filter`