Execution of File Written or Modified by Microsoft Office


Description

Identifies when a Microsoft Office process creates a portable executable (PE) file and the file is subsequently executed. An adversary may deliver a weaponized Office document to their target that writes and executes a malicious PE file.

Query · eql

sequence with maxspan=2m
  [ file where event.action != "deletion" and
      process.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE") and
      // Match Windows PE files by header data (MZ)
      file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d5a*" and
      not file.extension : ("exe", "com") ] by file.path
  [ process where event.action == "start" ] by process.executable
Raw source Execution of File Written or Modified by Microsoft Office · Elastic TOML
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Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies when a Microsoft Office process creates a portable executable (PE) file and the file is subsequently
executed. An adversary may deliver a weaponized Office document to their target that writes and executes a malicious PE
file.
"""
id = "901f0c30-a7c5-40c5-80e3-a50c6744632f"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Execution of File Written or Modified by Microsoft Office"
os_list = ["windows"]
version = "1.0.31"

query = '''
sequence with maxspan=2m
  [ file where event.action != "deletion" and
      process.name : ("WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "MSACCESS.EXE") and
      // Match Windows PE files by header data (MZ)
      file.Ext.header_bytes : "4d5a*" and
      not file.extension : ("exe", "com") ] by file.path
  [ process where event.action == "start" ] by process.executable
'''

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 = 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.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1566.002"
name = "Spearphishing Link"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/002/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0001"
name = "Initial Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

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