splApache-2.0from splunk/security_content

Suspicious mshta child process

The following analytic identifies child processes spawned from "mshta.exe". It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on specific child processes like "powershell.exe" and "cmd.exe". This activity is significant because "mshta.exe" is often exploited by attackers to execute malicious scripts or commands. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or maintain persistence within the environment. Monitoring this activity helps in early detection of potential threats leveraging "mshta.exe" for malicious purposes.

Quality

FP risk

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Forks

Views

Rule sourcedetections/endpoint/suspicious_mshta_child_process.yml

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  WHERE Processes.parent_process_name=mshta.exe
    AND
    Processes.process_name IN ("powershell.exe","colorcpl.exe", "msbuild.exe", "microsoft.workflow.compiler.exe", "searchprotocolhost.exe", "scrcons.exe", "cscript.exe", "wscript.exe", "cmd.exe", "bitsadmin.exe")
  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_mshta_child_process_filter`