Security Account Manager (SAM) File Access


Description

Identifies access to the Security Account Manager (SAM) database file, which adversaries can use to recover password hashes for local accounts.

Query · eql

file where event.action == "open" and 
 file.path : 
      ("?:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM", 
       "\\??\\GLOBALROOT\\Device\\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy*\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM",  
       "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM") and
 user.id != null and process.executable : "?:\\*" and not process.pid == 4 and
 not process.executable :
             ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*",
              "?:\\Program Files\\*",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wuauclt.exe",
              "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\Sources\\SetupHost.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\vmwp.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Dism.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbengine.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\sppsvc.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\backgroundTaskHost.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\lsass.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SearchProtocolHost.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\\Agent\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SrTasks.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\rstrui.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\RecoveryDrive.exe", 
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\MRT.exe", 
              "?:\\rsyncd\\bin\\rsync.exe", 
              "?:\\PCBP\\wbps.exe", 
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Robocopy.exe",
              "D:\\PROGRAMS\\Commvault\\ContentStore\\Base\\CLBackup.exe") and
 /* mounted OS install */
 not file.path : "?:\\?*\\Windows\\System32\\*" and 
 
 not (process.code_signature.subject_name :
         ("ESET, spol. s r.o.", "Commvault Systems, Inc.", "Eric R. Zimmerman", "EFOLDER, INC.", "Absolute Software Corp.",
          "EFOLDER, INC.", "International Business Machines Corporation") and
      process.code_signature.trusted == true) and 
 
 /* 8.6+ logs also failed access attempt which generate some noise */
 not event.outcome == "failure"
Raw source Security Account Manager (SAM) File Access · Elastic TOML
Esc
Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies access to the Security Account Manager (SAM) database file, which adversaries can use to recover password
hashes for local accounts.
"""
id = "dc27190a-688b-4f9b-88f0-1f13deccd67f"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Security Account Manager (SAM) File Access"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = [
    "https://adsecurity.org/?page_id=1821",
    "https://github.com/gentilkiwi/mimikatz/wiki/module-~-lsadump",
]
version = "1.0.37"

query = '''
file where event.action == "open" and 
 file.path : 
      ("?:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM", 
       "\\??\\GLOBALROOT\\Device\\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy*\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM",  
       "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SAM") and
 user.id != null and process.executable : "?:\\*" and not process.pid == 4 and
 not process.executable :
             ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*",
              "?:\\Program Files\\*",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wuauclt.exe",
              "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\Sources\\SetupHost.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\vmwp.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Dism.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbengine.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\mmc.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\sppsvc.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\backgroundTaskHost.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\lsass.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SearchProtocolHost.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection\\Platform\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\\Agent\\*.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SrTasks.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\rstrui.exe",
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\RecoveryDrive.exe", 
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\MRT.exe", 
              "?:\\rsyncd\\bin\\rsync.exe", 
              "?:\\PCBP\\wbps.exe", 
              "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Robocopy.exe",
              "D:\\PROGRAMS\\Commvault\\ContentStore\\Base\\CLBackup.exe") and
 /* mounted OS install */
 not file.path : "?:\\?*\\Windows\\System32\\*" and 
 
 not (process.code_signature.subject_name :
         ("ESET, spol. s r.o.", "Commvault Systems, Inc.", "Eric R. Zimmerman", "EFOLDER, INC.", "Absolute Software Corp.",
          "EFOLDER, INC.", "International Business Machines Corporation") and
      process.code_signature.trusted == true) and 
 
 /* 8.6+ logs also failed access attempt which generate some noise */
 not event.outcome == "failure"
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.0.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1003"
name = "OS Credential Dumping"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1003.002"
name = "Security Account Manager"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/002/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0006"
name = "Credential Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0006/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.0.0"

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