Sigma rule: CobaltStrike Service Installations - Security

Rule

Title

CobaltStrike Service Installations - Security

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Wojciech Lesicki

Date

2021-05-26

Modified

2022-11-27

File

rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_cobaltstrike_service_installs.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects known malicious service installs that appear in cases in which a Cobalt Strike beacon elevates privileges or lateral movement

Log source

product

windows

service

security

definition

The 'System Security Extension' audit subcategory need to be enabled to log the EID 4697

Detection

event_id:
    EventID: 4697
selection1:
    ServiceFileName|contains|all:
        - 'ADMIN$'
        - '.exe'
selection2:
    ServiceFileName|contains|all:
        - '%COMSPEC%'
        - 'start'
        - 'powershell'
selection3:
    ServiceFileName|contains: 'powershell -nop -w hidden -encodedcommand'
selection4:
    ServiceFileName|base64offset|contains: "IEX (New-Object Net.Webclient).DownloadString('http://127.0.0.1:"
condition: event_id and 1 of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.persistence
• attack.execution
• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.lateral-movement
• attack.t1021.002
• attack.t1543.003
• attack.t1569.002

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1021.002
• T1543.003
• T1569.002

Related rules

• 5a105d34-05fc-401e-8553-272b45c1522d (derived)

References

• https://www.sans.org/webcasts/119395
• https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/getting-the-bacon-from-cobalt-strike-beacon/
• https://thedfirreport.com/2021/08/29/cobalt-strike-a-defenders-guide/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_cobaltstrike_service_installs.yml