splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

Excessive Usage Of Taskkill

The following analytic identifies excessive usage of `taskkill.exe`, a command-line utility used to terminate processes. The detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on instances where `taskkill.exe` is executed ten or more times within a one-minute span. This behavior is significant as adversaries often use `taskkill.exe` to disable security tools or other critical processes to evade detection. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to bypass security defenses, maintain persistence, and further compromise the system.

Quality

FP risk

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Rule sourcedetections/endpoint/excessive_usage_of_taskkill.yml

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(Processes.action) as action values(Processes.dest) as dest values(Processes.original_file_name) as original_file_name values(Processes.parent_process) as parent_process values(Processes.parent_process_exec) as parent_process_exec values(Processes.parent_process_guid) as parent_process_guid values(Processes.parent_process_id) as parent_process_id values(Processes.parent_process_path) as parent_process_path values(Processes.process) as process values(Processes.process_exec) as process_exec values(Processes.process_guid) as process_guid values(Processes.process_hash) as process_hash values(Processes.process_id) as process_id values(Processes.process_integrity_level) as process_integrity_level values(Processes.process_path) as process_path values(Processes.user) as user  values(Processes.user_id) as user_id values(Processes.vendor_product) as vendor_product FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  WHERE Processes.process_name = "taskkill.exe"
  BY Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.dest
     Processes.user _time span=1m
| where count >=10
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `excessive_usage_of_taskkill_filter`