Signed Binary Execution via Microsoft Office


Description

Identifies the execution of a signed file written or modified by a Microsoft Office process. This may indicate an attempt to side-load a DLL or execute signed malware.

Query · eql

sequence by user.id with maxspan=1m
  [file where event.action != "deletion" and
    (file.extension : ("exe", "com") or file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d5a*") and
    process.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE") and
    not file.path : (
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Desktop\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Downloads\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Documents\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\*-*-*-*\\*",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*",
               "?:\\Program Files\\*"
             )
    ] by file.path
  [process where event.action == "start" and
    process.parent.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE", "Cmd.exe") and
    process.code_signature.trusted == true and
    not (
        (
          process.pe.original_file_name in ("ZoomIt.exe", "setup.exe", "Setup.exe", "SFXCAB.EXE") and
          process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Corporation"
	    ) or
	      process.code_signature.subject_name in
	        (
	          "Add-in Express",
	          "Adaptive Insights LLC",
	          "Adaptive Insights, Inc.",
	          "Beijing Yundong Zhixiao Network Technology Co. , Ltd.",
	          "Dynamo Software, Inc.",
	          "Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.",
	          "Essential Objects, Inc.",
	          "iSpring Solutions, Inc.",
	          "Insightsoftware.Com, Inc.",
	          "JPMorgan Chase and Co.",
	          "KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, LLC",
	          "Poll Everywhere, Inc.",
	          "PitchBook Data, Inc.",
	          "Tagetik Software Srl",
	          "SAS Institute, Inc.",
	          "Thomson Reuters Corporation",
	          "TEAMDEV LTD.",
	          "Vena Solutions Canada Inc.",
	          "Zhuhai Kingsoft Office Software Co., Ltd.",
	          "Citrix Systems, Inc.",
	          "Grammarly, Inc.",
	          "Planful, Inc.",
	          "Orpheus Technology Ltd",
	          "Taralex LLC",
	          "Code Systems Corporation",
	          "ACCES EDITIONS SAS",
	          "PC SOFT INFORMATIQUE",
	          "Vena Solutions Inc.",
	          "International Business Machines Corporation",
	          "Vena Solutions Inc"
	        )
    )
    ] by process.executable
Raw source Signed Binary Execution via Microsoft Office · Elastic TOML
Esc
Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies the execution of a signed file written or modified by a Microsoft Office process. This may indicate an
attempt to side-load a DLL or execute signed malware.
"""
id = "321e7877-075a-4582-8eff-777dde15e787"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Signed Binary Execution via Microsoft Office"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.37"

query = '''
sequence by user.id with maxspan=1m
  [file where event.action != "deletion" and
    (file.extension : ("exe", "com") or file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d5a*") and
    process.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE") and
    not file.path : (
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Desktop\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Downloads\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\Documents\\*",
               "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\*-*-*-*\\*",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*",
               "?:\\Program Files\\*"
             )
    ] by file.path
  [process where event.action == "start" and
    process.parent.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE", "Cmd.exe") and
    process.code_signature.trusted == true and
    not (
        (
          process.pe.original_file_name in ("ZoomIt.exe", "setup.exe", "Setup.exe", "SFXCAB.EXE") and
          process.code_signature.subject_name == "Microsoft Corporation"
	    ) or
	      process.code_signature.subject_name in
	        (
	          "Add-in Express",
	          "Adaptive Insights LLC",
	          "Adaptive Insights, Inc.",
	          "Beijing Yundong Zhixiao Network Technology Co. , Ltd.",
	          "Dynamo Software, Inc.",
	          "Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.",
	          "Essential Objects, Inc.",
	          "iSpring Solutions, Inc.",
	          "Insightsoftware.Com, Inc.",
	          "JPMorgan Chase and Co.",
	          "KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, LLC",
	          "Poll Everywhere, Inc.",
	          "PitchBook Data, Inc.",
	          "Tagetik Software Srl",
	          "SAS Institute, Inc.",
	          "Thomson Reuters Corporation",
	          "TEAMDEV LTD.",
	          "Vena Solutions Canada Inc.",
	          "Zhuhai Kingsoft Office Software Co., Ltd.",
	          "Citrix Systems, Inc.",
	          "Grammarly, Inc.",
	          "Planful, Inc.",
	          "Orpheus Technology Ltd",
	          "Taralex LLC",
	          "Code Systems Corporation",
	          "ACCES EDITIONS SAS",
	          "PC SOFT INFORMATIQUE",
	          "Vena Solutions Inc.",
	          "International Business Machines Corporation",
	          "Vena Solutions Inc"
	        )
    )
    ] by process.executable
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[optional_actions]]
action = "rollback"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 1

[[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 = "T1574"
name = "Hijack Execution Flow"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1574/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1574.001"
name = "DLL"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1574/001/"



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

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

Detection rules belong to the projects that publish them and remain under their own licenses. This site indexes and links to them; it claims no rights in them.