CMSTP Execution Process Creation — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Nik Seetharaman. Source status: stable; severity: high. Source dates: 2018-07-16 / 2020-12-23.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: bf996988a325bbf86725b2e8e01d859133abb7868fe81a584baef94c5ace8ace

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: CMSTP Execution Process Creation
id: 7d4cdc5a-0076-40ca-aac8-f7e714570e47
status: stable
description: Detects various indicators of Microsoft Connection Manager Profile Installer execution
references:
    - https://web.archive.org/web/20190720093911/http://www.endurant.io/cmstp/detecting-cmstp-enabled-code-execution-and-uac-bypass-with-sysmon/
author: Nik Seetharaman
date: 2018-07-16
modified: 2020-12-23
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218.003
    - attack.g0069
    - car.2019-04-001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    # CMSTP Spawning Child Process
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\cmstp.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate CMSTP use (unlikely in modern enterprise environments)
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate CMSTP use (unlikely in modern enterprise environments)

Source references

• https://web.archive.org/web/20190720093911/http://www.endurant.io/cmstp/detecting-cmstp-enabled-code-execution-and-uac-bypass-with-sysmon/