title: Cobalt Strike DNS Beaconing
id: 2975af79-28c4-4d2f-a951-9095f229df29
status: test
description: Detects suspicious DNS queries known from Cobalt Strike beacons
references:
    - https://www.icebrg.io/blog/footprints-of-fin7-tracking-actor-patterns
    - https://www.sekoia.io/en/hunting-and-detecting-cobalt-strike/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2018-05-10
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1071.004
logsource:
    category: dns
detection:
    selection1:
        query|startswith:
            - 'aaa.stage.'
            - 'post.1'
    selection2:
        query|contains: '.stage.123456.'
    condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: critical

title: Suspicious Cobalt Strike DNS Beaconing - Sysmon
id: f356a9c4-effd-4608-bbf8-408afd5cd006
related:
    - id: 0d18728b-f5bf-4381-9dcf-915539fff6c2
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects a program that invoked suspicious DNS queries known from Cobalt Strike beacons
references:
    - https://www.icebrg.io/blog/footprints-of-fin7-tracking-actor-patterns
    - https://www.sekoia.io/en/hunting-and-detecting-cobalt-strike/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2021-11-09
modified: 2023-01-16
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1071.004
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: dns_query
detection:
    selection1:
        QueryName|startswith:
            - 'aaa.stage.'
            - 'post.1'
    selection2:
        QueryName|contains: '.stage.123456.'
    condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: critical

title: Suspicious Cobalt Strike DNS Beaconing - DNS Client
id: 0d18728b-f5bf-4381-9dcf-915539fff6c2
related:
    - id: f356a9c4-effd-4608-bbf8-408afd5cd006
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects a program that invoked suspicious DNS queries known from Cobalt Strike beacons
references:
    - https://www.icebrg.io/blog/footprints-of-fin7-tracking-actor-patterns
    - https://www.sekoia.io/en/hunting-and-detecting-cobalt-strike/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-01-16
tags:
    - attack.t1071.004
    - attack.command-and-control
logsource:
    product: windows
    service: dns-client
    definition: 'Requirements: Microsoft-Windows-DNS Client Events/Operational Event Log must be enabled/collected in order to receive the events.'
detection:
    selection_eid:
        EventID: 3008
    selection_query_1:
        QueryName|startswith:
            - 'aaa.stage.'
            - 'post.1'
    selection_query_2:
        QueryName|contains: '.stage.123456.'
    condition: selection_eid and 1 of selection_query_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: critical

title: Default Cobalt Strike Certificate
id: 7100f7e3-92ce-4584-b7b7-01b40d3d4118
status: test
description: Detects the presence of default Cobalt Strike certificate in the HTTPS traffic
references:
    - https://sergiusechel.medium.com/improving-the-network-based-detection-of-cobalt-strike-c2-servers-in-the-wild-while-reducing-the-6964205f6468
author: Bhabesh Raj
date: 2021-06-23
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.s0154
logsource:
    product: zeek
    service: x509
detection:
    selection:
        certificate.serial: 8BB00EE
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

title: Operator Bloopers Cobalt Strike Modules
id: 4f154fb6-27d1-4813-a759-78b93e0b9c48
related:
    - id: 647c7b9e-d784-4fda-b9a0-45c565a7b729
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects Cobalt Strike module/commands accidentally entered in CMD shell
references:
    - https://hstechdocs.helpsystems.com/manuals/cobaltstrike/current/userguide/content/cobalt-4-5-user-guide.pdf
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2021/10/04/bazarloader-and-the-conti-leaks/
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2022/06/16/sans-ransomware-summit-2022-can-you-detect-this/
author: _pete_0, TheDFIRReport
date: 2022-05-06
modified: 2023-01-30
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059.003
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - OriginalFileName: 'Cmd.Exe'
        - Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Invoke-UserHunter'
            - 'Invoke-ShareFinder'
            - 'Invoke-Kerberoast'
            - 'Invoke-SMBAutoBrute'
            - 'Invoke-Nightmare'
            - 'zerologon'
            - 'av_query'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

title: Operator Bloopers Cobalt Strike Commands
id: 647c7b9e-d784-4fda-b9a0-45c565a7b729
related:
    - id: 4f154fb6-27d1-4813-a759-78b93e0b9c48
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects use of Cobalt Strike commands accidentally entered in the CMD shell
references:
    - https://hstechdocs.helpsystems.com/manuals/cobaltstrike/current/userguide/content/cobalt-4-5-user-guide.pdf
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2021/10/04/bazarloader-and-the-conti-leaks/
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2022/06/16/sans-ransomware-summit-2022-can-you-detect-this/
author: _pete_0, TheDFIRReport
date: 2022-05-06
modified: 2023-01-30
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059.003
    - stp.1u
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - OriginalFileName: 'Cmd.Exe'
        - Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|startswith:
            - 'cmd '
            - 'cmd.exe'
            - 'c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'psinject'
            - 'spawnas'
            - 'make_token'
            - 'remote-exec'
            - 'rev2self'
            - 'dcsync'
            - 'logonpasswords'
            - 'execute-assembly'
            - 'getsystem'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

title: Meterpreter or Cobalt Strike Getsystem Service Installation - Security
id: ecbc5e16-58e0-4521-9c60-eb9a7ea4ad34
related:
    - id: 843544a7-56e0-4dcc-a44f-5cc266dd97d6
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects the use of getsystem Meterpreter/Cobalt Strike command by detecting a specific service installation
references:
    - https://speakerdeck.com/heirhabarov/hunting-for-privilege-escalation-in-windows-environment
    - https://blog.cobaltstrike.com/2014/04/02/what-happens-when-i-type-getsystem/
author: Teymur Kheirkhabarov, Ecco, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2019-10-26
modified: 2023-11-15
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1134.001
    - attack.t1134.002
logsource:
    product: windows
    service: security
    definition: The 'System Security Extension' audit subcategory need to be enabled to log the EID 4697
detection:
    selection_eid:
        EventID: 4697
    selection_cli_cmd:
        # meterpreter getsystem technique 1: cmd.exe /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        # cobaltstrike getsystem technique 1: %COMSPEC% /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        # cobaltstrike getsystem technique 1b (expanded %COMSPEC%): %COMSPEC% /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        ServiceFileName|contains|all:
            - '/c'
            - 'echo'
            - '\pipe\'
        ServiceFileName|contains:
            - 'cmd'
            - '%COMSPEC%'
    selection_cli_rundll:
        # meterpreter getsystem technique 2: rundll32.exe C:\Users\test\AppData\Local\Temp\tmexsn.dll,a /p:tmexsn
        ServiceFileName|contains|all:
            - 'rundll32'
            - '.dll,a'
            - '/p:'
    selection_cli_share:
        ServiceFileName|startswith: '\\\\127.0.0.1\\ADMIN$\'  # https://twitter.com/svch0st/status/1413688851877416960?lang=en
    condition: selection_eid and 1 of selection_cli_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

title: Meterpreter or Cobalt Strike Getsystem Service Installation - System
id: 843544a7-56e0-4dcc-a44f-5cc266dd97d6
status: test
description: Detects the use of getsystem Meterpreter/Cobalt Strike command by detecting a specific service installation
references:
    - https://speakerdeck.com/heirhabarov/hunting-for-privilege-escalation-in-windows-environment
    - https://blog.cobaltstrike.com/2014/04/02/what-happens-when-i-type-getsystem/
author: Teymur Kheirkhabarov, Ecco, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2019-10-26
modified: 2023-11-15
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1134.001
    - attack.t1134.002
logsource:
    product: windows
    service: system
detection:
    selection_id:
        Provider_Name: 'Service Control Manager'
        EventID: 7045
    selection_cli_cmd:
        # meterpreter getsystem technique 1: cmd.exe /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        # cobaltstrike getsystem technique 1: %COMSPEC% /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        # cobaltstrike getsystem technique 1b (expanded %COMSPEC%): %COMSPEC% /c echo 559891bb017 > \\.\pipe\5e120a
        ImagePath|contains|all:
            - '/c'
            - 'echo'
            - '\pipe\'
        ImagePath|contains:
        - 'cmd'
        - '%COMSPEC%'
    selection_cli_rundll:
        # meterpreter getsystem technique 2: rundll32.exe C:\Users\test\AppData\Local\Temp\tmexsn.dll,a /p:tmexsn
        ImagePath|contains|all:
            - 'rundll32'
            - '.dll,a'
            - '/p:'
    selection_cli_share:
        ImagePath|startswith: '\\\\127.0.0.1\\ADMIN$\'  # https://twitter.com/svch0st/status/1413688851877416960?lang=en
    condition: selection_id and 1 of selection_cli_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

title: Lace Tempest Cobalt Strike Download
id: aa5b0a40-ed88-46aa-9fdc-0337b379ca9d
status: test
description: Detects specific command line execution used by Lace Tempest to download Cobalt Strike as reported by SysAid Team
references:
    - https://www.sysaid.com/blog/service-desk/on-premise-software-security-vulnerability-notification
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-11-09
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - -nop -w hidden -c IEX ((new-object net.webclient).downloadstring(
            - /a')
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high