Detection rules › Splunk
Windows Unusual Count Of Users Failed To Authenticate From Process
The following analytic identifies a source process failing to authenticate multiple users, potentially indicating a Password Spraying attack. It leverages Windows Event 4625, which logs failed logon attempts, and uses statistical analysis to detect anomalies. This activity is significant as it may represent an adversary attempting to gain initial access or elevate privileges within an Active Directory environment. If confirmed malicious, the attacker could compromise multiple accounts, leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Credential Access | T1110.003 Brute Force: Password Spraying |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Security-Auditing | 4625 | An account failed to log on. |
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: search
search EventCode=4625 Logon_Type=2 ProcessName!="-"
Stage 2: bucket
bucket span=2m _time
Stage 3: stats
stats dc(TargetUserName) AS unique_accounts, … AS user, … AS dest, … AS src BY _time, ProcessName, SubjectUserName, Computer, action, app, authentication_method, signature, signature_id
Stage 4: eventstats
eventstats avg(unique_accounts) AS comp_avg BY ProcessName, SubjectUserName, Computer
Stage 5: eval
eval ... using (comp_avg, comp_std)
Stage 6: eval
eval ... using (unique_accounts, upperBound)
Stage 7: search
search isOutlier=1
Stage 8: 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 |
|
Logon_Type | eq |
|
ProcessName | ne |
|
isOutlier | eq |
|
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.
- Failed Logon From Public IP (drops 3 filters this rule applies)
- Privileged Accounts Brute Force (drops 3 filters this rule applies)
- Multiple Logon Failure from the same Source Address (drops 3 filters this rule applies)