Detection rules › Splunk

ConnectWise ScreenConnect Path Traversal Windows SACL

Author
Michael Haag, Splunk
Source
upstream

The following analytic detects attempts to exploit the ConnectWise ScreenConnect CVE-2024-1708 vulnerability using Windows SACL EventCode 4663. It identifies path traversal attacks by monitoring file system events related to the ScreenConnect service. This activity is significant as it allows unauthorized access to sensitive files and directories, potentially leading to data exfiltration or arbitrary code execution. If confirmed malicious, attackers could gain unauthorized access to critical data or execute harmful code, compromising the integrity and security of the affected system. Immediate remediation by updating to version 23.9.8 or above is recommended.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Initial AccessT1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application

Event coverage

ProviderEvent IDTitle
Security-Auditing4663An attempt was made to access an object.

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: search

search EventCode=4663 ProcessName="*\\\\ScreenConnect.Service.exe" file_name IN ("*.ashx", "*.aspx") file_path="*\\ScreenConnect\\App_Extensions\\*"

Stage 2: stats

stats BY ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName, AccessMask, process_id, EventCode, Computer, Caller_User_Name

Stage 3: rename

rename

Stage 4: search

search

Stage 5: search

search

Stage 6: search

search `macro`

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
EventCodeeq
  • 4663 corpus 16 (splunk 16)
ProcessNameeq
  • *\\ScreenConnect.Service.exe
file_namein
  • "*.ashx" corpus 4 (splunk 4)
  • "*.aspx" corpus 3 (splunk 3)
file_pathin
  • "*\\ScreenConnect\\App_Extensions\\*" corpus 2 (splunk 2)

Neighbors

Broader alternatives (more inclusive than this rule)

These rules match a superset of what this rule catches. They cover the same events plus more. Use them if you want wider coverage and can absorb more false positives.