Start Windows Service Via Net.EXE — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Timur Zinniatullin, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, oscd.community. Source status: test; severity: low. Source dates: 2019-10-21 / 2023-03-05.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 08118757a3b593579d3ce96f1b949e1b99b3288320da3699db0e8f0b3bf714a5

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: Start Windows Service Via Net.EXE
id: 2a072a96-a086-49fa-bcb5-15cc5a619093
status: test
description: Detects the usage of the "net.exe" command to start a service using the "start" flag
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1569.002/T1569.002.md
author: Timur Zinniatullin, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, oscd.community
date: 2019-10-21
modified: 2023-03-05
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1569.002
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\net.exe'
              - '\net1.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'net.exe'
              - 'net1.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains: ' start '     # space character after the 'start' keyword indicates that a service name follows, in contrast to `net start` discovery expression
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate administrator or user executes a service for legitimate reasons.
level: low

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate administrator or user executes a service for legitimate reasons.

Source references

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1569.002/T1569.002.md