Microsoft Office Process Setting Persistence via Startup


Description

Identifies files written to or modified in the startup folder by a Microsoft Office process. Adversaries may use this technique to maintain persistence and avoid spawning suspicious child processes.

Query · eql

file where event.action != "deletion" and
  file.path : ("?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup\\*",
               "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\StartUp\\*") and
  process.name : ("EQNEDT32.EXE", "WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSPUB.EXE") and
  not file.extension : ("docx", "xls", "doc", "xlsx", "tmp", "xlsm") and file.name : "*.*"
Raw source Microsoft Office Process Setting Persistence via Startup · Elastic TOML
Esc
Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies files written to or modified in the startup folder by a Microsoft Office process. Adversaries may use this
technique to maintain persistence and avoid spawning suspicious child processes.
"""
id = "2b8ea430-897d-486c-85a8-add9d7072ff3"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Microsoft Office Process Setting Persistence via Startup"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.36"

query = '''
file where event.action != "deletion" and
  file.path : ("?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup\\*",
               "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\StartUp\\*") and
  process.name : ("EQNEDT32.EXE", "WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSPUB.EXE") and
  not file.extension : ("docx", "xls", "doc", "xlsx", "tmp", "xlsm") and file.name : "*.*"
'''

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

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

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1566"
name = "Phishing"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1566.001"
name = "Spearphishing Attachment"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/001/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0001"
name = "Initial Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1547"
name = "Boot or Logon Autostart Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1547.001"
name = "Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/001/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0003"
name = "Persistence"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

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