Regsvr32 with Unusual Arguments


Description

Identifies unusual instances of Regsvr32 with suspicious keywords or paths in the process command line value. Adversaries may abuse regsvr32.exe to proxy execution of malicious code.

Query · eql

process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and
 (
  (process.args_count == 2 and process.working_directory : "?:\\" and not process.working_directory : "C:\\") or
  process.command_line :
          ("*.jpg*",
           "*.png*",
           "*.gif*",
           "*.bmp*",
           "*.jpeg*",
           "*.TIFF*",
           "*.tmp*",
           "*.dat*",
           "*.pdf*",
           "*.doc*",
           "*.xls*",
           "*.ppt*",
           "*.txt*",
           "* ?:/*/*",
           "* ..\\*",
           "*DumpStack.log*",
           "*:\\Users\\Public\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Documents\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Pictures\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Music\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Pictures\\*",
           "*:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*",
           "*:\\Windows\\System32\\tasks\\*",
           "*\\DavWWWRoot\\*")
  ) and

 not process.args : ("?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*", "?:\\Program Files\\*") and

 /*  path traversal */
 not (process.command_line : "* ..\\*" and process.command_line :"* ..\\*\\*") and
 not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Tencent\\QQPCMgr\\*\\QQPCTray.exe" and
 not process.command_line :
             ("*\\Program Files (x86)\\Tencent\\QQPCMgr\\*.dat*",
              "*QQPCMgr*TSWebMon64.dat*",
              "*BarTender Suite\\Codejock.DockingPane.x64.v15.3.1.ocx*") and
 not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Eaglesoft\\Shared Files\\OcxReg.exe" and
 not process.args : ("?:\\windows\\system32\\ChartFX.ClientServer.Data.dll", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\ChartFX.ClientServer.Data.dll") and
 not (process.args : "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\TeamsMeetingAddin\\*\\Microsoft.Teams.AddinLoader.dll" and process.args : "/i:user") and
 not (process.args : "..\\*.dll" and process.working_directory : "?:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\") and
 not (process.args : "..\\*.dll" and
      descendant of
       [process where event.action == "start" and
        process.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe",
                              "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe")]) and
 not (process.parent.name : "msiexec.exe" and process.parent.args : "-Embedding") and
 not process.parent.executable : "C:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe" and
 not (process.executable : "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\SSM*.tmp\\REGSVR32.EXE" and process.args : "?:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\*.dll") and
 not process.args : ("?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\assembly\\NativeImages*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\Installer\\MSI*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\system32\\Codejock.DockingPane.*.ocx",
                     "?:\\windows\\system32\\Msjet35.dll",
                     "?:\\windows\\system32\\Msrd2x35.dll",
                     "System.Data.dll", "Atalasoft.*.dll", "DTI.ImageMan.Codecs.Pdf.dll") and
 not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and process.parent.executable : "C:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\cmd.exe" and
      process.args : ("C:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\is-*.tmp\\QClickV?\\Driver\\QClickV?_x64.ocx",
                      "(x86)\\eClinicalWorks_Prod\\RegBlg.bat")) and
 process.command_line != "regsvr32  DevExpress.Data.v14.1.dll"
Raw source Regsvr32 with Unusual Arguments · Elastic TOML
Esc
Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies unusual instances of Regsvr32 with suspicious keywords or paths in the process command line value.
Adversaries may abuse regsvr32.exe to proxy execution of malicious code.
"""
id = "5db08297-bf72-49f4-b426-f405c2b01326"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Regsvr32 with Unusual Arguments"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.39"

query = '''
process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and
 (
  (process.args_count == 2 and process.working_directory : "?:\\" and not process.working_directory : "C:\\") or
  process.command_line :
          ("*.jpg*",
           "*.png*",
           "*.gif*",
           "*.bmp*",
           "*.jpeg*",
           "*.TIFF*",
           "*.tmp*",
           "*.dat*",
           "*.pdf*",
           "*.doc*",
           "*.xls*",
           "*.ppt*",
           "*.txt*",
           "* ?:/*/*",
           "* ..\\*",
           "*DumpStack.log*",
           "*:\\Users\\Public\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Documents\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Pictures\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Music\\*",
           "*:\\Users\\*\\Pictures\\*",
           "*:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*",
           "*:\\Windows\\System32\\tasks\\*",
           "*\\DavWWWRoot\\*")
  ) and

 not process.args : ("?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*", "?:\\Program Files\\*") and

 /*  path traversal */
 not (process.command_line : "* ..\\*" and process.command_line :"* ..\\*\\*") and
 not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Tencent\\QQPCMgr\\*\\QQPCTray.exe" and
 not process.command_line :
             ("*\\Program Files (x86)\\Tencent\\QQPCMgr\\*.dat*",
              "*QQPCMgr*TSWebMon64.dat*",
              "*BarTender Suite\\Codejock.DockingPane.x64.v15.3.1.ocx*") and
 not process.parent.executable : "?:\\Eaglesoft\\Shared Files\\OcxReg.exe" and
 not process.args : ("?:\\windows\\system32\\ChartFX.ClientServer.Data.dll", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\ChartFX.ClientServer.Data.dll") and
 not (process.args : "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\TeamsMeetingAddin\\*\\Microsoft.Teams.AddinLoader.dll" and process.args : "/i:user") and
 not (process.args : "..\\*.dll" and process.working_directory : "?:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\") and
 not (process.args : "..\\*.dll" and
      descendant of
       [process where event.action == "start" and
        process.executable : ("?:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe",
                              "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe")]) and
 not (process.parent.name : "msiexec.exe" and process.parent.args : "-Embedding") and
 not process.parent.executable : "C:\\Program Files\\LANDesk\\ManagementSuite\\Install Only Files\\LaunchApp.exe" and
 not (process.executable : "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\SSM*.tmp\\REGSVR32.EXE" and process.args : "?:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\*.dll") and
 not process.args : ("?:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\assembly\\NativeImages*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\Installer\\MSI*",
                     "?:\\Windows\\system32\\Codejock.DockingPane.*.ocx",
                     "?:\\windows\\system32\\Msjet35.dll",
                     "?:\\windows\\system32\\Msrd2x35.dll",
                     "System.Data.dll", "Atalasoft.*.dll", "DTI.ImageMan.Codecs.Pdf.dll") and
 not (process.name : "regsvr32.exe" and process.parent.executable : "C:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\cmd.exe" and
      process.args : ("C:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\is-*.tmp\\QClickV?\\Driver\\QClickV?_x64.ocx",
                      "(x86)\\eClinicalWorks_Prod\\RegBlg.bat")) and
 process.command_line != "regsvr32  DevExpress.Data.v14.1.dll"
'''

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 = "T1218"
name = "System Binary Proxy Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1218.010"
name = "Regsvr32"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/010/"



[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.