name: Windows MSIExec Spawn Discovery Command
id: e9d05aa2-32f0-411b-930c-5b8ca5c4fcee
version: 1
date: '2022-06-13'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic identifies MSIExec spawning multiple discovery
  commands, including spawning Cmd.exe or PowerShell.exe. Typically, child processes
  are not common from MSIExec other than MSIExec spawning itself.
data_source:
- Sysmon Event ID 1
search:
  selection1:
    Image|endswith:
    - powershell.exe
    - cmd.exe
    - nltest.exe
    - ipconfig.exe
    - systeminfo.exe
    ParentImage: msiexec.exe
  condition: selection1
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. In addition,
  confirm the latest CIM App 4.20 or higher is installed and the latest TA for the
  endpoint product.
known_false_positives: False positives will be present with MSIExec spawning Cmd or
  PowerShell. Filtering will be needed. In addition, add other known discovery processes
  to enhance query.
references:
- https://thedfirreport.com/2022/06/06/will-the-real-msiexec-please-stand-up-exploit-leads-to-data-exfiltration/
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1218.007/T1218.007.md
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Windows System Binary Proxy Execution MSIExec
  asset_type: Endpoint
  confidence: 50
  impact: 70
  message: An instance of $parent_process_name$ spawning $process_name$ was identified
    on endpoint $dest$ by user $user$ running different discovery commands.
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1218.007
  observable:
  - name: user
    type: User
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: dest
    type: Hostname
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: parent_process_name
    type: Process Name
    role:
    - Parent Process
  - name: process_name
    type: Process
    role:
    - Child Process
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  risk_score: 35
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1218.007/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: xmlwineventlog
    update_timestamp: true