PowerShell SAM Copy — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2021-07-29 / 2023-01-06.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: d0355ac86bb630717474cb6d462e7ac305c70c05e72189a1591f3cdbc6ff4668

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: PowerShell SAM Copy
id: 1af57a4b-460a-4738-9034-db68b880c665
status: test
description: Detects suspicious PowerShell scripts accessing SAM hives
references:
    - https://twitter.com/splinter_code/status/1420546784250769408
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2021-07-29
modified: 2023-01-06
tags:
    - attack.credential-access
    - attack.t1003.002
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_1:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - '\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy'
            - 'System32\config\sam'
    selection_2:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Copy-Item'
            - 'cp $_.'
            - 'cpi $_.'
            - 'copy $_.'
            - '.File]::Copy('
    condition: all of selection*
falsepositives:
    - Some rare backup scenarios
    - PowerShell scripts fixing HiveNightmare / SeriousSAM ACLs
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Some rare backup scenarios
• PowerShell scripts fixing HiveNightmare / SeriousSAM ACLs

Source references

• https://twitter.com/splinter_code/status/1420546784250769408