name: Winword Spawning Windows Script Host
id: 637e1b5c-9be1-11eb-9c32-acde48001122
version: 1
date: '2021-04-12'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
type: TTP
datamodel:
- Endpoint
description: The following detection identifies Microsoft Winword.exe spawning Windows
  Script Host - `cscript.exe` or `wscript.exe`. Typically, this is not common behavior
  and not default with Winword.exe. Winword.exe will generally be found in the following
  path `C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16` (version will vary). `cscript.exe`
  or `wscript.exe` default location is `c:\windows\system32\` or c:windows\syswow64\`.
  `cscript.exe` or `wscript.exe` spawning from Winword.exe is common for a spearphishing
  attachment and is actively used. Albeit, the command-line executed will most likely
  be obfuscated and captured via another detection. During triage, review parallel
  processes and identify any files that may have been written. Review the reputation
  of the remote destination and block accordingly.
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time)
  as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.parent_process_name="winword.exe"
  Processes.process_name IN ("cscript.exe", "wscript.exe") by Processes.dest Processes.user
  Processes.parent_process Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id
  Processes.parent_process_id | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `winword_spawning_windows_script_host_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information
  on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from
  your endpoints into the `Endpoint` datamodel in the `Processes` node.
known_false_positives: There will be limited false positives and it will be different
  for every environment. Tune by child process or command-line as needed.
references:
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/001/
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Spearphishing Attachments
  confidence: 100
  context:
  - Source:Endpoint
  - Stage:Initial Access
  dataset:
  - https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1566.001/macro/windows-sysmon_wsh.log
  impact: 70
  kill_chain_phases:
  - Exploitation
  message: User $user$ on $dest$ spawned Windows Script Host from Winword.exe
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1566
  - T1566.001
  observable:
  - name: dest
    type: Endpoint
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: user
    type: User
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: process_name
    type: Process
    role:
    - Target
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - process_name
  - process_id
  - parent_process_name
  - dest
  - user
  - parent_process_id
  risk_score: 70
  security_domain: endpoint
  asset_type: Endpoint