defense_evasion_mshta_making_network_connections.toml

[metadata]
creation_date = "2020/02/18"
maturity = "development"
updated_date = "2021/03/08"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
description = """
Identifies mshta.exe making a network connection. This may indicate adversarial activity, as mshta.exe is often
leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious scripts and evade detection.
"""
from = "now-9m"
index = ["winlogbeat-*", "logs-endpoint.events.*", "logs-windows.*"]
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Network Connection via Mshta"
references = ["https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/cyber-espionage-apt32.html"]
risk_score = 47
rule_id = "a4ec1382-4557-452b-89ba-e413b22ed4b8"
severity = "medium"
tags = ["Elastic", "Host", "Windows", "Threat Detection", "Defense Evasion"]
type = "eql"

query = '''
/* duplicate of Mshta Making Network Connections - c2d90150-0133-451c-a783-533e736c12d7 */

sequence by process.entity_id
  [process where process.name : "mshta.exe" and event.type == "start"]
  [network where process.name : "mshta.exe"]
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1218"
name = "Signed Binary Proxy Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/"
[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1218.005"
name = "Mshta"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/"



[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"