behavior/rules/windows/defense_evasion_parent_process_pid_spoofing.toml

[rule]
description = """
Identifies parent process spoofing used to thwart detection. Adversaries may spoof the parent process identifier (PPID)
of a new process to evade process-monitoring defenses or to elevate privileges.
"""
id = "816ba7e7-519a-4f85-be2a-bacd6ccde57f"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Parent Process PID Spoofing"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = [
    "https://blog.didierstevens.com/2017/03/20/",
    "https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/elastic-security-labs-steps-through-the-r77-rootkit",
]
version = "1.0.47"

query = '''
sequence with maxspan=5m
 [process where event.action == "start" and
  process.parent.executable != null and
  /* FP - AppInfo */
  not (process.executable : "*\\windows\\system32\\svchost.exe" and
       user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.command_line : "* -k netsvcs*") and

  /* FP - Windows Errors Reporting */
  not (process.executable : "*\\windows\\system32\\svchost.exe" and
       user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.command_line : "*WerSvcGroup*") and

   /* FP - Secondary Logon */
  not (process.executable : "*\\windows\\system32\\svchost.exe" and
       user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.command_line : "*seclogon*") and

   /* FP - Application Brokers */
  not (process.executable : ("*\\Windows\\System32\\RuntimeBroker.exe",
                             "*\\Windows\\ImmersiveControlPanel\\SystemSettings.exe")) and

   /* FP - Third Party Programs except MS Office */
  not (process.executable : ("*\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe", "*\\Program Files\\*.exe") and
       process.code_signature.trusted == true and
       not process.name in~ ("winword.exe",
                           "excel.exe",
                           "outlook.exe",
                           "powerpnt.exe",
                           "eqnedt32.exe",
                           "fltldr.exe",
                           "mspub.exe",
                           "msaccess.exe")) and 

  not (process.pe.original_file_name in~ ("devenv.exe", "PowerToys.exe") and process.code_signature.trusted == true and 
       process.code_signature.subject_name like "Microsoft*") and 

   /* FP Issue #488 - WerFaultSecure ProtectedCrash  */
  not (
       process.executable : ("*\\Windows\\System32\\WerFaultSecure.exe", "*\\WINDOWS\\SysWOW64\\WerFaultSecure.exe") and
       user.id == "S-1-5-18" and process.parent.command_line != null and
       ((process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe" and process.parent.command_line : "*WerSvcGroup*") or
         process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\dxgiadaptercache.exe")
       ) and

   /* FP Issue #488 - File Picker UI Host is real parent of Authentication Broker AuthHost.exe */
  not (process.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\PickerHost.Exe" and process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe") and

   /* FP Issue #488 - Roblox Game Client */
  not (process.pe.original_file_name : "RobloxApp.exe" and
        process.code_signature.subject_name == "Roblox Corporation" and
        (process.code_signature.trusted == true or process.code_signature.status == "errorTimeStamp")) and

   /* FP OpenWith handles unknown file handlers via GUI popup */
  not (process.executable : ("*\\WINDOWS\\system32\\OpenWith.exe", "*\\WINDOWS\\syswow64\\OpenWith.exe") and process.args: "-Embedding" and
       process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe" and process.parent.args : "DcomLaunch") and

  not (process.pe.original_file_name in~ ("notification_helper.exe", "cpptools.exe") and process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Corporation" and
       process.code_signature.trusted == true) and

  not (process.pe.original_file_name : "pmlauncher.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name in ("BeyondTrust Software, Inc", "BeyondTrust Software Inc") and
       process.code_signature.trusted == true) and

  not (process.executable : "*\\Windows\\SystemApps\\Microsoft*.exe" and
       process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\system32\\svchost.exe" and process.parent.args : "DcomLaunch") and

  not (process.pe.original_file_name == "MBSetup.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name in ("Malwarebytes Inc.", "Malwarebytes Inc") and
       process.code_signature.trusted == true) and

  not (process.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\backgroundTaskHost.exe" and process.Ext.token.integrity_level_name == "low" and process.parent.name : "svchost.exe") and

  not (process.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\SystemSettingsBroker.exe" and process.parent.args : "DcomLaunch" and
       process.parent.executable :  "*\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe") and

  not (process.pe.original_file_name == "tailscale-ipn.exe" and
        process.code_signature.subject_name == "Tailscale Inc." and
        (process.code_signature.trusted == true or process.code_signature.status == "errorChaining")) and

  not process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\*.exe" and

  not (process.name : "cpptools.exe" and process.parent.executable : "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft VS Code\\Code.exe") and

  not (process.code_signature.trusted == true and process.code_signature.subject_name == "Michael Maltsev") and 

  not (process.executable : "?:\\WINDOWS\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\*\\RegAsm.exe" and 
       process.args : "?:\\ProgramData\\PlatformInstall\\GideCode\\rtcresofz_Mecrrcpl.dll" and 
       process.parent.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe") and
       
  not (process.executable : "C:\\Windows\\System32\\sihost.exe" and process.parent.executable : "C:\\Windows\\System32\\sihost.exe")
  ] by process.entity_id
 [process where event.action == "start" and process.parent.Ext.real.pid > 0 and 
  /* FP Issue #488 - Auth Host Broker for WindowsApps */
  not process.executable :  "*\\Windows\\system32\\AuthHost.exe" and
  not (process.parent.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\sihost.exe" and
        process.pe.original_file_name in~ ("chrome.exe", "msedge.exe") and process.args_count >= 2 and
        process.code_signature.subject_name : ("Google LLC", "Microsoft Corporation")) and
  not (process.executable : "*\\Windows\\System32\\fsutil.exe" and process.args : "file" and
       process.parent.executable : "*\\Users\\*\\.vscode\\extensions\\ms-vscode.cpptools-*\\bin\\cpptools.exe") and

  /* noisy with variable patterns for the parent and real parent process */
  not (process.executable : "*\\WINDOWS\\system32\\WerFaultSecure.exe" and process.Ext.token.integrity_level_name == "system") and

  /* AM_Delta_Patch Windows Update */
  not (process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\MpSigStub.exe", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\MpSigStub.exe") and
       process.parent.name in~ ("wuauclt.exe", "wuaucltcore.exe")) and

  not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\WerFault.exe", "?:\\Windows\\system32\\WerFault.exe") and

  not process.hash.sha256 : 
                ("02cfaec8d3f905a7a940dc307fb1c0558eed6a80e663526f73efeb79c1808b87", 
                 "bd7ed99c8a05b3852cc4e44a34e4ba4f7ad4d4074ee60ad6a21a706897eeb714", 
                 "c5b9688aed57d6b6285a210d40c9a4bf43c3672a758d448cd99f40fdc6681415", 
                 "dee8aba745a6cca1b2404f5054dd91d4159d824c3f079fe742c6a25961d7a9f0", 
                 "0a04684ef46dcac1859a195e8c7d4bfdb2dddb7da1d4491e8b7bf794036eba3a", 
                 "217fa613c4e129f20d1b20fd2ce5c7a7efbdf88e1e6121077057d0b14fe15450", 
                 "038d7b257b98421ad371189cf51d67f32ddad2de687c443a59ea74e4027bbf04", 
                 "590f3cc02628dcdb43d3ee00ecf1a86e0bfcefd26cb0ffcb809a67194b22fda6", 
                 "ff7627eaa90ce994207d1d1d1b39ac8852b11f03a6adb86d915f4696401beca0",
                 "a0b1f604c335315b5ba5a598436bf6c8b05ce77742e2f1b102a8c7d11918408d",
                 "f074a65751beb589b99ecffa2d4cefdd9c87c3641487d2baed4c9f85e75ffbc6",
                 "5ea04862fe5e201e47e5aac29c19a1550612f82a048b402cd85435efd9d39d2a",
                 "79f7c942f9b15b857abcb838123991ad756ea3bb846045ed3378e484428f74a3",
                 "97effc20423d404cf3877cdb4af9be840a720962246408b2d7396362a9e5d613",
                 "a4af59c1f044ff1290e47e74484163243591f56b7053c8b8d3e4ae320cecbac3",
                 "941bc9193d9143d71e2c93803b0cbff511ec549f0c4f0093744cab6bedd4140a",
                 "3f9075c30f63d67693f2f876212f702ddfe51834c73289718baf6e8fb2036039") and

  not (process.args : "$execWrapper" and process.name : "powershell.exe" and process.parent.name : "cmd.exe") and

  not (process.executable : "?:\\Program Files\\Malwarebytes\\Anti-Malware\\Malwarebytes.exe" and
       process.code_signature.subject_name == "Malwarebytes Inc." and process.code_signature.trusted == true) and

  not process.executable : ("\\Device\\HarddiskVolume?\\Windows\\System32\\*.exe", "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume?\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.exe")
  ] by process.parent.Ext.real.entity_id
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[optional_actions]]
action = "rollback"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1134"
name = "Access Token Manipulation"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1134.004"
name = "Parent PID Spoofing"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/004/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"