Potential Crypto Mining Activity — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems). Source status: stable; severity: high. Source dates: 2021-10-26 / 2023-02-13.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: ab0e5bde99c33ca00ac32a3352a28caf821cd66a5a9e4e6972d82388b20636ab

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: Potential Crypto Mining Activity
id: 66c3b204-9f88-4d0a-a7f7-8a57d521ca55
status: stable
description: Detects command line parameters or strings often used by crypto miners
references:
    - https://www.poolwatch.io/coin/monero
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2021-10-26
modified: 2023-02-13
tags:
    - attack.impact
    - attack.t1496
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - ' --cpu-priority='
            - '--donate-level=0'
            - ' -o pool.'
            - ' --nicehash'
            - ' --algo=rx/0 '
            - 'stratum+tcp://'
            - 'stratum+udp://'
            # base64 encoded: --donate-level=
            - 'LS1kb25hdGUtbGV2ZWw9'
            - '0tZG9uYXRlLWxldmVsP'
            - 'tLWRvbmF0ZS1sZXZlbD'
            # base64 encoded: stratum+tcp:// and stratum+udp://
            - 'c3RyYXR1bSt0Y3A6Ly'
            - 'N0cmF0dW0rdGNwOi8v'
            - 'zdHJhdHVtK3RjcDovL'
            - 'c3RyYXR1bSt1ZHA6Ly'
            - 'N0cmF0dW0rdWRwOi8v'
            - 'zdHJhdHVtK3VkcDovL'
    filter:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - ' pool.c '
            - ' pool.o '
            - 'gcc -'
    condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of crypto miners
    - Some build frameworks
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate use of crypto miners
• Some build frameworks

Source references

• https://www.poolwatch.io/coin/monero