splunk-security_content/detections/endpoint/suspicious_wevtutil_usage.yml

name: Suspicious wevtutil Usage
id: 2827c0fd-e1be-4868-ae25-59d28e0f9d4f
version: 4
date: '2021-10-11'
author: David Dorsey, Michael Haag, Splunk
type: TTP
datamodel:
- Endpoint
description: The wevtutil.exe application is the windows event log utility. This searches
  for wevtutil.exe with parameters for clearing the application, security, setup,
  trace or system event logs.
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` values(Processes.process) as process
  min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  where Processes.process_name=wevtutil.exe Processes.process IN ("* cl *", "*clear-log*")
  (Processes.process="*System*" OR Processes.process="*Security*" OR Processes.process="*Setup*"
  OR Processes.process="*Application*" OR Processes.process="*trace*") by Processes.process_name
  Processes.parent_process_name Processes.dest Processes.user| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` |`security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `suspicious_wevtutil_usage_filter`'
how_to_implement: You must be ingesting data that records process activity from your
  hosts to populate the Endpoint data model in the Processes node. You must also be
  ingesting logs with both the process name and command line from your endpoints.
  The command-line arguments are mapped to the "process" field in the Endpoint data
  model.
known_false_positives: The wevtutil.exe application is a legitimate Windows event
  log utility. Administrators may use it to manage Windows event logs.
references:
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1070.001/T1070.001.md
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Windows Log Manipulation
  - Ransomware
  - Clop Ransomware
  cis20:
  - CIS 3
  - CIS 5
  - CIS 6
  confidence: 70
  context:
  - Source:Endpoint
  - Stage:Defense Evasion
  dataset:
  - https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1070.001/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log
  impact: 40
  kill_chain_phases:
  - Actions on Objectives
  message: Wevtutil.exe being used to clear Event Logs on $dest$ by $user$
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1070.001
  - T1070
  nist:
  - DE.DP
  - PR.IP
  - PR.PT
  - PR.AC
  - PR.AT
  - DE.AE
  observable:
  - name: dest
    type: Endpoint
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: User
    type: User
    role:
    - Victim
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - Processes.process
  - Processes.process_name
  - Processes.parent_process_name
  - Processes.dest
  - Processes.user
  risk_score: 28
  security_domain: endpoint
  supported_tas:
  - Splunk_TA_microsoft_sysmon
  asset_type: Endpoint