Rare Process as a Service

Status: available
Severity: medium
Time window: 14d
Group by: DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessSHA1, ServiceProcessUser
Source: github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel

This query is looking for rarely seen processes which are launched as a service. Whiltelisted process list need to be updated based on the environment. Author: Jouni Mikkola More info: https://threathunt.blog/rare-process-launch-as-a-service/

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Persistence	`T1543.003` Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service

Telemetry coverage

Platform	Record / event type
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	`DeviceFileEvents` action `any`: File activity
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	`DeviceImageLoadEvents` action `any`: Image load
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	`DeviceNetworkEvents` action `any`: Network activity
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	`DeviceProcessEvents` action `any`: Process activity

Rule body

id: 91a451e3-178f-41b2-9e5d-da97d75b9971
name: Rare Process as a Service
description: |
  This query is looking for rarely seen processes which are launched as a service. Whiltelisted process list need to be updated based on the environment.
  Author: Jouni Mikkola
  More info: https://threathunt.blog/rare-process-launch-as-a-service/
severity: Medium
status: Available
requiredDataConnectors:
  - connectorId: MicrosoftThreatProtection
    dataTypes:
      - DeviceProcessEvents
      - DeviceNetworkEvents
      - DeviceFileEvents
      - DeviceImageLoadEvents
queryFrequency: 1d
queryPeriod: 14d
triggerOperator: gt
triggerThreshold: 0
tactics:
  - Persistence
relevantTechniques:
  - T1543
  - T1543.003
query: |
  let LookupTime = 14d;
  let WhiteList = pack_array(
  "svchost.exe",
  "mssense.exe",
  "msmpeng.exe",
  "searchindexer.exe",
  "microsoftedgeupdate.exe"
  );
  let GetServices = materialize (
  DeviceProcessEvents
  | where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
  | where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
  | where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
  | project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, StartedChildProcess = FileName, StartedChildProcessSHA1 = SHA1, StartedChildProcessCmdline = ProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName
  );
  GetServices
  | summarize count() by ServiceProcess, DeviceName
  | where count_ < 6 
  | join kind = inner GetServices on ServiceProcess, DeviceName 
  | join kind = leftouter ( 
  DeviceNetworkEvents 
  | where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
  | where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
  | where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
  | project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, NetworkAction = ActionType, RemoteIP, RemoteUrl
  ) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
  | join kind = leftouter (
  DeviceFileEvents
  | where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
  | where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
  | where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
  | project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, FileAction = ActionType, ModifiedFile = FileName, ModifiedFileSHA1 = SHA1, ModifiedFilePath = FolderPath
  ) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
  | join kind = leftouter (
  DeviceImageLoadEvents
  | where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
  | where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
  | where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
  | project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, LoadedDLL = FileName, LoadedDLLSHA1 = SHA1, LoadedDLLPath = FolderPath
  ) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
  | summarize ConnectedAddresses = make_set(RemoteIP, 100000), ConnectedUrls = make_set(RemoteUrl, 100000), FilesModified = make_set(ModifiedFile, 100000),FileModFolderPath = make_set(ModifiedFilePath, 100000),FileModHA1s = make_set(ModifiedFileSHA1, 100000), ChildProcesses = make_set(StartedChildProcess, 100000), ChildCommandlines = make_set(StartedChildProcessCmdline, 100000), DLLsLoaded = make_set(LoadedDLL, 100000), DLLSHA1 = make_set(LoadedDLLSHA1, 100000) by DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
  | extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
  | extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")
entityMappings:
  - entityType: Host
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: FullName
        columnName: DeviceName
      - identifier: HostName
        columnName: HostName
      - identifier: DnsDomain
        columnName: DnsDomain
  - entityType: Process
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: ProcessId
        columnName: ServiceProcessID
      - identifier: CommandLine
        columnName: ServiceProcessCmdline
version: 1.0.0
kind: Scheduled

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `let`

let LookupTime = 14d;
let WhiteList = pack_array(
"svchost.exe",
"mssense.exe",
"msmpeng.exe",
"searchindexer.exe",
"microsoftedgeupdate.exe"
);
let GetServices = materialize(<inlined as stages below>);

Stage 1: `source`

let GetServices

Stage 2: `source`

DeviceProcessEvents

Stage 3: `where`

where TimeGenerated > ago(1209600s)

Stage 4: `where`

where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"

Stage 5: `where`

where not (InitiatingProcessFileName =~ "WhiteList")

Stage 6: `project`

project DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessSHA1, ServiceProcessUser, StartedChildProcess, StartedChildProcessCmdline, StartedChildProcessSHA1, TimeGenerated

Stage 7: `summarize`

summarize by ServiceProcess, DeviceName

Stage 8: `where`

where count_ < 6

Stage 9: `join`

join kind=inner (GetServices) on ServiceProcess, DeviceName

Stage 10: `join`

join kind=leftouter (DeviceNetworkEvents) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1

Stage 11: `join`

join kind=leftouter (DeviceFileEvents) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1

Stage 12: `join`

join kind=leftouter (DeviceImageLoadEvents) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1

Stage 13: `summarize`

summarize ChildCommandlines, ChildProcesses, ConnectedAddresses, ConnectedUrls, DLLSHA1, DLLsLoaded, FileModFolderPath, FileModHA1s, FilesModified by DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1

Stage 14: `extend`

extend HostName

HostName =

ifDeviceName has "."substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.'))

elseDeviceName

Stage 15: `extend`

extend DnsDomain

DnsDomain =

ifDeviceName has "."substring(DeviceName, (indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1))

else""

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

Field	Kind	Values	Search
`InitiatingProcessParentFileName`	contains	`services.exe`	`field:"GrandParentImage" kind:contains value:"services.exe"`
`count_`	lt	`6`	`field:"count_" kind:lt value:"6"`

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

Field	Kind	Excluded values	Search
`InitiatingProcessFileName`	eq	`WhiteList`	`excludes:InitiatingProcessFileName` `field:"InitiatingProcessFileName" value:"WhiteList"`

Output fields

These fields are emitted when the rule matches.

Field	Source
`ChildCommandlines`	`summarize`
`ChildProcesses`	`summarize`
`ConnectedAddresses`	`summarize`
`ConnectedUrls`	`summarize`
`DLLSHA1`	`summarize`
`DLLsLoaded`	`summarize`
`DeviceName`	`summarize`
`FileModFolderPath`	`summarize`
`FileModHA1s`	`summarize`
`FilesModified`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcess`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcessCmdline`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcessCreationTime`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcessID`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcessSHA1`	`summarize`
`ServiceProcessUser`	`summarize`
`HostName`	`extend`
`DnsDomain`	`extend`

Rare Process as a Service

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: let

Stage 1: source

Stage 2: source

Stage 3: where

Stage 4: where

Stage 5: where

Stage 6: project

Stage 7: summarize

Stage 8: where

Stage 9: join

Stage 10: join

Stage 11: join

Stage 12: join

Stage 13: summarize

Stage 14: extend

Stage 15: extend