{"id":"8834e2f7-6b4b-4f09-8906-d2276470ee23","title":"PsExec/PAExec Escalation to LOCAL SYSTEM","description":"Detects suspicious commandline flags used by PsExec and PAExec to escalate a command line to LOCAL_SYSTEM rights","author":"Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)","status":"test","level":"high","date":"2021-11-23","modified":"2024-03-05","tags":["attack.resource-development","attack.t1587.001"],"technique_ids":["T1587.001"],"logsource":{"category":"process_creation","product":"windows"},"falsepositives":["Admins that use PsExec or PAExec to escalate to the SYSTEM account for maintenance purposes (rare)","Users that debug Microsoft Intune issues using the commands mentioned in the official documentation; see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/intune-management-extension"],"references":["https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec","https://www.poweradmin.com/paexec/","https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/10/kegtap-and-singlemalt-with-a-ransomware-chaser.html"],"source_path":"rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sysinternals_psexec_paexec_escalate_system.yml","source_sha256":"e7a596ddd361c9fb5c60b824f7b4344ea16d49c21f2577bc5bd28e5e6c474b23","source_url":"https://github.com/anpa1200/sigma/blob/b249e9683190cffdcaf188ccbfb90bf4759844e1/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sysinternals_psexec_paexec_escalate_system.yml","license":"Detection Rule License 1.1","license_url":"https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md","yaml":"title: PsExec/PAExec Escalation to LOCAL SYSTEM\nid: 8834e2f7-6b4b-4f09-8906-d2276470ee23\nrelated:\n    - id: 207b0396-3689-42d9-8399-4222658efc99 # Generic rule based on similar cli flags\n      type: similar\nstatus: test\ndescription: Detects suspicious commandline flags used by PsExec and PAExec to escalate a command line to LOCAL_SYSTEM rights\nreferences:\n    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec\n    - https://www.poweradmin.com/paexec/\n    - https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/10/kegtap-and-singlemalt-with-a-ransomware-chaser.html\nauthor: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)\ndate: 2021-11-23\nmodified: 2024-03-05\ntags:\n    - attack.resource-development\n    - attack.t1587.001\nlogsource:\n    category: process_creation\n    product: windows\ndetection:\n    selection_sys: # Escalation to LOCAL_SYSTEM\n        CommandLine|contains|windash:\n            # Note that you don't need to add the \".exe\" part when using psexec/paexec\n            # The \"-\" can also be replaced with \"/\"\n            # The order of args isn't important\n            # \"cmd\" can be replaced by \"powershell\", \"pwsh\" or any other console like software\n            - ' -s cmd'\n            - ' -s -i cmd'\n            - ' -i -s cmd'\n            # Pwsh (For PowerShell 7)\n            - ' -s pwsh'\n            - ' -s -i pwsh'\n            - ' -i -s pwsh'\n            # PowerShell (For PowerShell 5)\n            - ' -s powershell'\n            - ' -s -i powershell'\n            - ' -i -s powershell'\n    selection_other:\n        CommandLine|contains:\n            - 'psexec'\n            - 'paexec'\n            - 'accepteula'\n    condition: all of selection_*\nfalsepositives:\n    - Admins that use PsExec or PAExec to escalate to the SYSTEM account for maintenance purposes (rare)\n    - Users that debug Microsoft Intune issues using the commands mentioned in the official documentation; see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/intune-management-extension\nlevel: high\n","validation":"yaml_parsed_not_backend_compiled_or_live_validated","techniques":[{"key":"enterprise/T1587.001","id":"T1587.001","name":"Malware","page":"techniques/enterprise/T1587.001/"}],"data_path":"data/detection-rules/8834e2f7-6b4b-4f09-8906-d2276470ee23.json","kind":"sigma"}