LoFP / this detection may also be triggered by legitimate applications and numerous service accounts, which often end with a $ sign. to manage this, it's advised to check the service account's activities and, if they are valid, modify the filter macro to exclude them.

Techniques

• T1059
• T1059.003

Sample rules

Detect Use of cmd exe to Launch Script Interpreters

• source: splunk
• technicques:
  • T1059
  • T1059.003

Description

The following analytic detects the execution of cscript.exe or wscript.exe processes initiated by cmd.exe. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and parent processes within the Endpoint data model. This activity is significant as it may indicate script-based attacks or administrative actions that could be leveraged for malicious purposes. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute scripts, potentially leading to code execution, privilege escalation, or persistence within the environment.

Detection logic

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.parent_process_name="cmd.exe" (Processes.process_name=cscript.exe OR Processes.process_name =wscript.exe) by Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.user Processes.dest 
| `drop_dm_object_name("Processes")` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
|`security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `detect_use_of_cmd_exe_to_launch_script_interpreters_filter`