splunk-security_content/detections/endpoint/windows_process_injection_remote_thread.yml

name: Windows Process Injection Remote Thread
id: 8a618ade-ca8f-4d04-b972-2d526ba59924
version: 8
date: '2025-05-02'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description:
  The following analytic detects suspicious remote thread execution in
  processes such as Taskmgr.exe, calc.exe, and notepad.exe, which may indicate process
  injection by malware like Qakbot. This detection leverages Sysmon EventCode 8 to
  identify remote thread creation in specific target processes. This activity is significant
  as it often signifies an attempt by malware to inject malicious code into legitimate
  processes, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution. If confirmed malicious,
  this could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or maintain
  persistence on the compromised host.
data_source:
  - Sysmon EventID 8
search:
  '`sysmon` EventCode=8 TargetImage IN ("*\\Taskmgr.exe", "*\\calc.exe", "*\\notepad.exe",
  "*\\rdpclip.exe", "*\\explorer.exe", "*\\wermgr.exe", "*\\ping.exe", "*\\OneDriveSetup.exe",
  "*\\dxdiag.exe", "*\\mobsync.exe", "*\\msra.exe", "*\\xwizard.exe","*\\cmd.exe",
  "*\\powershell.exe") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
  by EventID Guid NewThreadId ProcessID SecurityID SourceImage SourceProcessGuid SourceProcessId
  StartAddress StartFunction StartModule TargetImage TargetProcessGuid TargetProcessId
  UserID dest parent_process_exec parent_process_guid parent_process_id parent_process_name
  parent_process_path process_exec process_guid process_id process_name process_path
  signature signature_id user_id vendor_product | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_process_injection_remote_thread_filter`'
how_to_implement:
  To successfully implement this search, you must be ingesting data
  that records process activity from your hosts like remote thread EventCode=8 of
  sysmon. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 6.0.4 of the Sysmon
  TA.
known_false_positives: unknown
references:
  - https://twitter.com/pr0xylife/status/1585612370441031680?s=46&t=Dc3CJi4AnM-8rNoacLbScg
  - https://thedfirreport.com/2023/06/12/a-truly-graceful-wipe-out/
drilldown_searches:
  - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
    search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
    earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
    latest_offset: $info_max_time$
  - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
    search:
      '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$")
      starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
      values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories)
      as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic)
      as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
    earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
    latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
  message:
    process $SourceImage$ create a remote thread to process $TargetImage$ on
    host $dest$
  risk_objects:
    - field: dest
      type: system
      score: 64
  threat_objects:
    - field: SourceImage
      type: process
tags:
  analytic_story:
    - Qakbot
    - Graceful Wipe Out Attack
    - Warzone RAT
    - Earth Alux
    - Water Gamayun
  asset_type: Endpoint
  mitre_attack_id:
    - T1055.002
  product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
  - name: True Positive Test
    attack_data:
      - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/qakbot/qbot_wermgr2/sysmon_wermgr2.log
        source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
        sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog