System Boot Files Permission Change


Description

Identifies attempts to change file ownership of system boot critical files. Adversaries may modify file or directory ownership to evade access control lists (ACLs) and access protected files.

Query · eql

process where event.action == "start" and
  (
   ((process.name : "icacls.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name  == "iCACLS.EXE") and (process.args : "/reset" or (process.args : "/grant" and process.args : "Everyone:F"))) or
   ((process.name : "takeown.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "takeown.exe") and process.args : "/f")
   ) and
   process.command_line : ("*winload.exe*", "*winload.efi*", "*ntoskrnl.exe*", "*bootmgr*")
Raw source System Boot Files Permission Change · Elastic TOML
Esc
Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies attempts to change file ownership of system boot critical files. Adversaries may modify file or directory
ownership to evade access control lists (ACLs) and access protected files.
"""
id = "8b32486f-4a3b-4e2b-afca-a02db8185e50"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "System Boot Files Permission Change"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = ["https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1222/001/"]
version = "1.0.3"

query = '''
process where event.action == "start" and
  (
   ((process.name : "icacls.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name  == "iCACLS.EXE") and (process.args : "/reset" or (process.args : "/grant" and process.args : "Everyone:F"))) or
   ((process.name : "takeown.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "takeown.exe") and process.args : "/f")
   ) and
   process.command_line : ("*winload.exe*", "*winload.efi*", "*ntoskrnl.exe*", "*bootmgr*")
'''

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

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.parent.entity_id"
state = 0
tree = true

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

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1222"
name = "File and Directory Permissions Modification"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1222/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1222.001"
name = "Windows File and Directory Permissions Modification"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1222/001/"



[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.