HackTool - CACTUSTORCH Remote Thread Creation — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: @SBousseaden (detection), Thomas Patzke (rule). Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2019-02-01 / 2023-05-05.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: b3b78153cd1372ce9d6d7c8b1c14c8318f58283d63c8cb4ec18cf5a87ad24050

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: HackTool - CACTUSTORCH Remote Thread Creation
id: 2e4e488a-6164-4811-9ea1-f960c7359c40
status: test
description: Detects remote thread creation from CACTUSTORCH as described in references.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/SBousseaden/status/1090588499517079552 # Deleted
    - https://github.com/mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH
author: '@SBousseaden (detection), Thomas Patzke (rule)'
date: 2019-02-01
modified: 2023-05-05
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.execution
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1055.012
    - attack.t1059.005
    - attack.t1059.007
    - attack.t1218.005
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: create_remote_thread
detection:
    selection:
        SourceImage|endswith:
            - '\System32\cscript.exe'
            - '\System32\wscript.exe'
            - '\System32\mshta.exe'
            - '\winword.exe'
            - '\excel.exe'
        TargetImage|contains: '\SysWOW64\'
        StartModule: null
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unknown

Source references

• https://twitter.com/SBousseaden/status/1090588499517079552
• https://github.com/mdsecactivebreach/CACTUSTORCH