Detection rules › Splunk
SAM Database File Access Attempt
The following analytic detects attempts to access the SAM, SYSTEM, or SECURITY database files within the windows\system32\config directory using Windows Security EventCode 4663. This detection leverages Windows Security Event logs to identify unauthorized access attempts. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it indicates potential credential access attempts, possibly exploiting vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-36934. If confirmed malicious, an attacker could extract user passwords, leading to unauthorized access, privilege escalation, and further compromise of the system.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Credential Access | T1003.002 OS Credential Dumping: Security Account Manager |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Security-Auditing | 4663 | An attempt was made to access an object. |
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: search
search EventCode=4663 ObjectName IN ("*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SAM*", "*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SECURITY*", "*\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SYSTEM*") ProcessName!="*\\\\dllhost.exe"
Stage 2: stats
stats BY ProcessName, ObjectName, dest, src_user
Stage 3: rename
rename
Stage 4: 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.
| Field | Kind | Values |
|---|---|---|
EventCode | eq |
|
ObjectName | in |
|
ProcessName | ne |
|
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.
- Windows Credential Access From Browser Password Store (drops 2 filters this rule applies)