name: Mmc LOLBAS Execution Process Spawn
id: f6601940-4c74-11ec-b9b7-3e22fbd008af
version: 1
date: '2021-11-23'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic identifies `mmc.exe` spawning a LOLBAS execution
  process. When adversaries execute code on remote endpoints abusing the DCOM protocol
  and the MMC20 COM object, the executed command is spawned as a child processs of
  `mmc.exe`. The LOLBAS project documents Windows native binaries that can be abused
  by threat actors to perform tasks like executing malicious code. Looking for child
  processes of mmc.exe that are part of the LOLBAS project can help defenders identify
  lateral movement activity.
data_source:
- Sysmon Event ID 1
search:
  selection1:
    Image|endswith:
    - Regsvcs.exe
    - Ftp.exe
    - OfflineScannerShell.exe
    - Rasautou.exe
    - Schtasks.exe
    - Xwizard.exe
    - Dllhost.exe
    - Pnputil.exe
    - Atbroker.exe
    - Pcwrun.exe
    - Ttdinject.exe
    - Mshta.exe
    - Bitsadmin.exe
    - Certoc.exe
    - Ieexec.exe
    - Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe
    - Runscripthelper.exe
    - Forfiles.exe
    - Msbuild.exe
    - Register-cimprovider.exe
    - Tttracer.exe
    - Ie4uinit.exe
    - Bash.exe
    - Hh.exe
    - SettingSyncHost.exe
    - Cmstp.exe
    - Mmc.exe
    - Stordiag.exe
    - Scriptrunner.exe
    - Odbcconf.exe
    - Extexport.exe
    - Msdt.exe
    - WorkFolders.exe
    - Diskshadow.exe
    - Mavinject.exe
    - Regasm.exe
    - Gpscript.exe
    - Rundll32.exe
    - Regsvr32.exe
    - Msiexec.exe
    - Wuauclt.exe
    - Presentationhost.exe
    - Wmic.exe
    - Runonce.exe
    - Syncappvpublishingserver.exe
    - Verclsid.exe
    - Infdefaultinstall.exe
    - Explorer.exe
    - Installutil.exe
    - Netsh.exe
    - Wab.exe
    - Dnscmd.exe
    - At.exe
    - Pcalua.exe
    - Msconfig.exe
    ParentImage: mmc.exe
  condition: (selection1)
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.
known_false_positives: Legitimate applications may trigger this behavior, filter as
  needed.
references:
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/003/
- https://www.cybereason.com/blog/dcom-lateral-movement-techniques
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Active Directory Lateral Movement
  - Living Off The Land
  asset_type: Endpoint
  confidence: 60
  impact: 90
  message: Mmc.exe spawned a LOLBAS process on $dest$.
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1021
  - T1021.003
  - T1218.014
  observable:
  - name: dest
    type: Endpoint
    role:
    - Victim
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  risk_score: 54
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1021.003/lateral_movement_lolbas/windows-sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: xmlwineventlog