---
title: "SAM Database File Access Attempt"
excerpt: "Security Account Manager
, OS Credential Dumping
"
categories:
  - Endpoint
last_modified_at: 2021-07-23
toc: true
toc_label: ""
tags:
  - Security Account Manager
  - OS Credential Dumping
  - Credential Access
  - Credential Access
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  - CVE-2021-36934
  - Endpoint
---



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#### Description

The following analytic identifies access to SAM, SYSTEM or SECURITY databases' within the file path of `windows\system32\config` using Windows Security EventCode 4663. This particular behavior is related to credential access, an attempt to either use a Shadow Copy or recent CVE-2021-36934 to access the SAM database. The Security Account Manager (SAM) is a database file in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 that stores users' passwords.

- **Type**: [Hunting](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/wiki/object-Analytic-Types)
- **Product**: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
- **Datamodel**: [Endpoint](https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/CIM/latest/User/Endpoint)
- **Last Updated**: 2021-07-23
- **Author**: Michael Haag, Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
- **ID**: 57551656-ebdb-11eb-afdf-acde48001122


#### [ATT&CK](https://attack.mitre.org/)

| ID             | Technique        |  Tactic             |
| -------------- | ---------------- |-------------------- |
| [T1003.002](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/002/) | Security Account Manager | Credential Access |

| [T1003](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/) | OS Credential Dumping | Credential Access |

#### Search

```
`wineventlog_security` (EventCode=4663)  process_name!=*\\dllhost.exe Object_Name IN ("*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SAM*","*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SYSTEM*","*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SECURITY*") 
| stats values(Accesses) count by process_name Object_Name  dest user 
| `sam_database_file_access_attempt_filter`
```

#### Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:
* [wineventlog_security](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/blob/develop/macros/wineventlog_security.yml)

Note that `sam_database_file_access_attempt_filter` is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

#### Required field
* _time
* process_name
* Object_Name
* dest
* user


#### How To Implement
To successfully implement this search, you must ingest Windows Security Event logs and track event code 4663. For 4663, enable "Audit Object Access" in Group Policy. Then check the two boxes listed for both "Success" and "Failure."

#### Known False Positives
Natively, `dllhost.exe` will access the files. Every environment will have additional native processes that do as well. Filter by process_name. As an aside, one can remove process_name entirely and add `Object_Name=*ShadowCopy*`.

#### Associated Analytic story
* [Credential Dumping](/stories/credential_dumping)


#### Kill Chain Phase
* Exploitation



#### RBA

| Risk Score  | Impact      | Confidence   | Message      |
| ----------- | ----------- |--------------|--------------|
| 80.0 | 80 | 100 | The following process $process_name$ accessed the object $Object_Name$ attempting to gain access to credentials on $dest$ by user $user$. |


#### CVE

| ID          | Summary | [CVSS](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln-metrics/cvss) |
| ----------- | ----------- | -------------- |
| [CVE-2021-36934](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-36934) | Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability | 4.6 |



#### Reference

* [https://www.ultimatewindowssecurity.com/securitylog/encyclopedia/event.aspx?eventID=4663](https://www.ultimatewindowssecurity.com/securitylog/encyclopedia/event.aspx?eventID=4663)
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4663](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4663)
* [https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-36934](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-36934)
* [https://github.com/GossiTheDog/HiveNightmare](https://github.com/GossiTheDog/HiveNightmare)
* [https://github.com/JumpsecLabs/Guidance-Advice/tree/main/SAM_Permissions](https://github.com/JumpsecLabs/Guidance-Advice/tree/main/SAM_Permissions)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Account_Manager](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Account_Manager)



#### Test Dataset
Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our [`replay.py`](https://github.com/splunk/attack_data#using-replaypy) tool or the [UI](https://github.com/splunk/attack_data#using-ui).
Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a [Splunk Attack Range](https://github.com/splunk/attack_range#replay-dumps-into-attack-range-splunk-server)



[*source*](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/tree/develop/detections/endpoint/sam_database_file_access_attempt.yml) \| *version*: **1**