---
title: "Windows MSHTA Child Process"
excerpt: "Mshta, Signed Binary Proxy Execution"
categories:
  - Endpoint
last_modified_at: 2022-02-23
toc: true
toc_label: ""
tags:
  - Mshta
  - Defense Evasion
  - Signed Binary Proxy Execution
  - Defense Evasion
  - Splunk Behavioral Analytics
  - Endpoint_Processes
---



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#### Description

The following analytic identifies child processes spawning from  &#34;mshta.exe&#34;. The search will return the first time and last time these command-line arguments were used for these executions, as well as the target system, the user, parent process &#34;mshta.exe&#34; and its child process.

- **Type**: [TTP](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/wiki/Detection-Analytic-Types)
- **Product**: Splunk Behavioral Analytics
- **Datamodel**: [Endpoint_Processes](https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/CIM/latest/User/EndpointProcesses)
- **Last Updated**: 2022-02-23
- **Author**: Michael Haag, Splunk
- **ID**: f63f7e9c-9526-11ec-9fc7-acde48001122


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

| ID             | Technique        |  Tactic             |
| -------------- | ---------------- |-------------------- |
| [T1218.005](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/) | Mshta | Defense Evasion |

| [T1218](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/) | Signed Binary Proxy Execution | Defense Evasion |

#### Search

```

| from read_ssa_enriched_events() 
| eval timestamp=parse_long(ucast(map_get(input_event, "_time"), "string", null)), cmd_line=lower(ucast(map_get(input_event, "process"), "string", null)), process_name=lower(ucast(map_get(input_event, "process_name"), "string", null)), process_path=ucast(map_get(input_event, "process_path"), "string", null), parent_process_name=ucast(map_get(input_event, "parent_process_name"), "string", null), event_id=ucast(map_get(input_event, "event_id"), "string", null) 
| where cmd_line IS NOT NULL AND process_name IS NOT NULL AND parent_process_name IS NOT NULL 
| where parent_process_name="mshta.exe" AND process_name="powershell.exe" OR process_name="cmd.exe" OR process_name="scrcons.exe" OR process_name="colorcpl.exe" OR process_name="msbuild.exe" OR process_name="microsoft.workflow.compiler.exe" OR process_name="searchprotocolhost.exe" OR process_name="cscript.exe"  OR process_name="wscript.exe" 
| eval start_time=timestamp, end_time=timestamp, entities=mvappend(ucast(map_get(input_event, "dest_user_id"), "string", null), ucast(map_get(input_event, "dest_device_id"), "string", null)), body=create_map(["event_id", event_id, "cmd_line", cmd_line, "process_name", process_name, "parent_process_name", parent_process_name, "process_path", process_path]) 
| into write_ssa_detected_events();
```

#### Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:

Note that `windows_mshta_child_process_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
* dest_device_id
* process_name
* parent_process_name
* process_path
* dest_user_id
* process
* cmd_line


#### How To Implement
To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the process name, parent process, and command-line executions from your endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 6.0.4 of the Sysmon TA.

#### Known False Positives
Although unlikely, some legitimate applications may exhibit this behavior, triggering a false positive.

#### Associated Analytic story
* [Suspicious MSHTA Activity](/stories/suspicious_mshta_activity)
* [Living Off The Land](/stories/living_off_the_land)


#### Kill Chain Phase
* Exploitation



#### RBA

| Risk Score  | Impact      | Confidence   | Message      |
| ----------- | ----------- |--------------|--------------|
| 80.0 | 80 | 100 | An instance of $parent_process_name$ spawning $process_name$ was identified on endpoint $dest_device_id$ by user $dest_user_id$ attempting to access a remote destination to download an additional payload. |


Note that risk score is calculated base on the following formula: `(Impact * Confidence)/100`



#### Reference

* [https://github.com/redcanaryco/AtomicTestHarnesses](https://github.com/redcanaryco/AtomicTestHarnesses)
* [https://redcanary.com/blog/introducing-atomictestharnesses/](https://redcanary.com/blog/introducing-atomictestharnesses/)



#### 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)

* [https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1218.005/atomic_red_team/windows-security.log](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1218.005/atomic_red_team/windows-security.log)



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