name: Create Remote Thread In Shell Application
id: 10399c1e-f51e-11eb-b920-acde48001122
version: 3
date: '2024-05-21'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects suspicious process injection in command
  shell applications, specifically targeting `cmd.exe` and `powershell.exe`. It leverages
  Sysmon EventCode 8 to identify the creation of remote threads within these shell
  processes. This activity is significant because it is a common technique used by
  malware, such as IcedID, to inject malicious code and execute it within legitimate
  processes. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute
  arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or maintain persistence within the environment,
  posing a severe threat to system security.
data_source:
- Sysmon EventID 8
search: '`sysmon` EventCode=8 TargetImage IN ("*\\cmd.exe", "*\\powershell*") | stats
  count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by  TargetImage TargetProcessId
  SourceProcessId  EventCode StartAddress SourceImage dest |rename SourceImage as
  process_name| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `create_remote_thread_in_shell_application_filter`'
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: unknown
references:
- https://thedfirreport.com/2021/07/19/icedid-and-cobalt-strike-vs-antivirus/
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - IcedID
  - Qakbot
  - Warzone RAT
  asset_type: Endpoint
  confidence: 100
  impact: 70
  message: process $process_name$ create a remote thread to shell app process $TargetImage$
    in host $dest$
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1055
  observable:
  - name: dest
    type: Hostname
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: process_name
    type: Process
    role:
    - Attacker
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - SourceImage
  - TargetImage
  - TargetProcessId
  - SourceProcessId
  - StartAddress
  - EventCode
  - dest
  risk_score: 70
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: 
      https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/icedid/simulated_icedid/windows-sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: xmlwineventlog