Attacker Tools On Endpoint

name: Attacker Tools On Endpoint
id: a51bfe1a-94f0-48cc-b4e4-16a110145893
version: 19
creation_date: '2021-07-12'
modification_date: '2026-07-14'
author: Bhavin Patel, Splunk, sventec, Github Community
status: production
type: TTP
description: |-
    The following analytic detects the execution of tools commonly exploited by cybercriminals, such as those used for unauthorized access, network scanning, privilege escalation, password dumping or data exfiltration.
    It leverages process activity data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on known attacker tool names.
    This activity is significant because it serves as an early warning system for potential security incidents, enabling prompt response. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or further network compromise, posing a severe threat to the organization's security infrastructure.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
    - Windows Event Log Security 4688
    - CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
    - Cisco Network Visibility Module Flow Data
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
      count min(_time) as firstTime
            max(_time) as lastTime
            values(Processes.process) as process
            values(Processes.parent_process) as parent_process
    FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes WHERE [
        | inputlookup attacker_tools
        | rename attacker_tool_names AS Processes.process_name
        | fields Processes.process_name
    ]
    AND
    Processes.dest!=unknown
    Processes.user!=unknown

    by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
       Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec
       Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id
       Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
       Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
       Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
       Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
       Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product

    | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | lookup attacker_tools attacker_tool_names AS process_name OUTPUT description
    | search description !=false
    | `attacker_tools_on_endpoint_filter`
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: Some administrator activity can be potentially triggered, please add those users to the filter macro.
references: []
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: An attacker tool $process_name$, listed in attacker_tools.csv is executed on host $dest$ by User $user$. $process_name$ is known for [$description$].
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: An attacker tool $process_name$, listed in attacker_tools.csv is executed on host $dest$ by User $user$. $process_name$ is known for [$description$].
threat_objects:
    - field: process_name
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - XMRig
    - Unusual Processes
    - SamSam Ransomware
    - CISA AA22-264A
    - Compromised Windows Host
    - PHP-CGI RCE Attack on Japanese Organizations
    - Cisco Network Visibility Module Analytics
    - Scattered Spider
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1003
    - T1036.005
    - T1595
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test - Sysmon
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1595/attacker_scan_tools/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit
    - name: True Positive Test - Cisco NVM
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/cisco_network_visibility_module/cisco_nvm_flowdata/nvm_flowdata.log
          source: not_applicable
          sourcetype: cisco:nvm:flowdata:v2
      test_type: unit