splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

Suspicious MSBuild Spawn

The following analytic identifies instances where wmiprvse.exe spawns msbuild.exe, which is unusual and indicative of potential misuse of a COM object. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process relationships and command-line executions. This activity is significant because msbuild.exe is typically spawned by devenv.exe during legitimate Visual Studio use, not by wmiprvse.exe. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an attacker executing arbitrary code or scripts, potentially leading to system compromise or further malicious activities.

Quality

FP risk

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Forks

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Rule sourcedetections/endpoint/suspicious_msbuild_spawn.yml

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count values(Processes.process_name) as process_name values(Processes.process) as process min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  WHERE Processes.parent_process_name=wmiprvse.exe
    AND
    `process_msbuild`
  BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
     Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
     Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
     Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
     Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
     Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
     Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `suspicious_msbuild_spawn_filter`