Suspicious Microsoft OneNote Child Process


Description

Detects suspicious child processes of the Microsoft OneNote application. This may indicate an attempt to execute malicious embedded objects from a .one file.

Query · sigma

selection_parent:
  ParentImage|endswith: \onenote.exe
selection_opt_img:
- OriginalFileName:
  - bitsadmin.exe
  - CertOC.exe
  - CertUtil.exe
  - Cmd.Exe
  - CMSTP.EXE
  - cscript.exe
  - curl.exe
  - HH.exe
  - IEExec.exe
  - InstallUtil.exe
  - javaw.exe
  - Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe
  - msdt.exe
  - MSHTA.EXE
  - msiexec.exe
  - Msxsl.exe
  - odbcconf.exe
  - pcalua.exe
  - PowerShell.EXE
  - RegAsm.exe
  - RegSvcs.exe
  - REGSVR32.exe
  - RUNDLL32.exe
  - schtasks.exe
  - ScriptRunner.exe
  - wmic.exe
  - WorkFolders.exe
  - wscript.exe
- Image|endswith:
  - \AppVLP.exe
  - \bash.exe
  - \bitsadmin.exe
  - \certoc.exe
  - \certutil.exe
  - \cmd.exe
  - \cmstp.exe
  - \control.exe
  - \cscript.exe
  - \curl.exe
  - \forfiles.exe
  - \hh.exe
  - \ieexec.exe
  - \installutil.exe
  - \javaw.exe
  - \mftrace.exe
  - \Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe
  - \msbuild.exe
  - \msdt.exe
  - \mshta.exe
  - \msidb.exe
  - \msiexec.exe
  - \msxsl.exe
  - \odbcconf.exe
  - \pcalua.exe
  - \powershell.exe
  - \pwsh.exe
  - \regasm.exe
  - \regsvcs.exe
  - \regsvr32.exe
  - \rundll32.exe
  - \schtasks.exe
  - \scrcons.exe
  - \scriptrunner.exe
  - \sh.exe
  - \svchost.exe
  - \verclsid.exe
  - \wmic.exe
  - \workfolders.exe
  - \wscript.exe
selection_opt_explorer:
  Image|endswith: \explorer.exe
  CommandLine|contains:
  - .hta
  - .vb
  - .wsh
  - .js
  - .ps
  - .scr
  - .pif
  - .bat
  - .cmd
selection_opt_paths:
  Image|contains:
  - \AppData\
  - \Users\Public\
  - \ProgramData\
  - \Windows\Tasks\
  - \Windows\Temp\
  - \Windows\System32\Tasks\
filter_teams:
  Image|endswith: \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe
  CommandLine|endswith: -Embedding
filter_onedrive:
  Image|contains: \AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\
  Image|endswith: \FileCoAuth.exe
  CommandLine|endswith: -Embedding
condition: selection_parent and 1 of selection_opt_* and not 1 of filter_*

Known false positives

  • File located in the AppData folder with trusted signature
Raw source Suspicious Microsoft OneNote Child Process · Sigma
Esc
Published by SigmaHQ/sigma ↗, licensed under Detection Rule License 1.1 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
title: Suspicious Microsoft OneNote Child Process
id: c27515df-97a9-4162-8a60-dc0eeb51b775
related:
    - id: 438025f9-5856-4663-83f7-52f878a70a50 # Generic rule for suspicious office application child processes
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects suspicious child processes of the Microsoft OneNote application. This may indicate an attempt to execute malicious embedded objects from a .one file.
references:
    - https://github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts/commit/746086721fd385d9f5c6647cada1788db4aea95f#diff-e34e43eb5666427602ddf488b2bf3b545bd9aae81af3e6f6c7949f9652abdf18
    - https://micahbabinski.medium.com/detecting-onenote-one-malware-delivery-407e9321ecf0
author: Tim Rauch (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Elastic (idea)
date: 2022-10-21
modified: 2023-02-10
tags:
    - attack.t1566
    - attack.t1566.001
    - attack.initial-access
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_parent:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\onenote.exe'
    selection_opt_img:
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'bitsadmin.exe'
              - 'CertOC.exe'
              - 'CertUtil.exe'
              - 'Cmd.Exe'
              - 'CMSTP.EXE'
              - 'cscript.exe'
              - 'curl.exe'
              - 'HH.exe'
              - 'IEExec.exe'
              - 'InstallUtil.exe'
              - 'javaw.exe'
              - 'Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe'
              - 'msdt.exe'
              - 'MSHTA.EXE'
              - 'msiexec.exe'
              - 'Msxsl.exe'
              - 'odbcconf.exe'
              - 'pcalua.exe'
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'RegAsm.exe'
              - 'RegSvcs.exe'
              - 'REGSVR32.exe'
              - 'RUNDLL32.exe'
              - 'schtasks.exe'
              - 'ScriptRunner.exe'
              - 'wmic.exe'
              - 'WorkFolders.exe'
              - 'wscript.exe'
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\AppVLP.exe'
              - '\bash.exe'
              - '\bitsadmin.exe'
              - '\certoc.exe'
              - '\certutil.exe'
              - '\cmd.exe'
              - '\cmstp.exe'
              - '\control.exe'
              - '\cscript.exe'
              - '\curl.exe'
              - '\forfiles.exe'
              - '\hh.exe'
              - '\ieexec.exe'
              - '\installutil.exe'
              - '\javaw.exe'
              - '\mftrace.exe'
              - '\Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe'
              - '\msbuild.exe'
              - '\msdt.exe'
              - '\mshta.exe'
              - '\msidb.exe'
              - '\msiexec.exe'
              - '\msxsl.exe'
              - '\odbcconf.exe'
              - '\pcalua.exe'
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\regasm.exe'
              - '\regsvcs.exe'
              - '\regsvr32.exe'
              - '\rundll32.exe'
              - '\schtasks.exe'
              - '\scrcons.exe'
              - '\scriptrunner.exe'
              - '\sh.exe'
              - '\svchost.exe'
              - '\verclsid.exe'
              - '\wmic.exe'
              - '\workfolders.exe'
              - '\wscript.exe'
    selection_opt_explorer:
        Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '.hta'
            - '.vb'
            - '.wsh'
            - '.js'
            - '.ps'
            - '.scr'
            - '.pif'
            - '.bat'
            - '.cmd'
    selection_opt_paths:
        Image|contains:
            - '\AppData\'
            - '\Users\Public\'
            - '\ProgramData\'
            - '\Windows\Tasks\'
            - '\Windows\Temp\'
            - '\Windows\System32\Tasks\'
    filter_teams:
        Image|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe'
        CommandLine|endswith: '-Embedding'
    filter_onedrive:
        Image|contains: '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\'
        Image|endswith: '\FileCoAuth.exe'
        CommandLine|endswith: '-Embedding'
    condition: selection_parent and 1 of selection_opt_* and not 1 of filter_*
falsepositives:
    - File located in the AppData folder with trusted signature
level: high

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