---
title: Startup/Logon Script added to Group Policy Object
description: Detects the modification of Group Policy Objects (GPO) to add a startup/logon script to users or computer objects. Rule type: eql Rule indices: logs-system.security*,...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/security/prebuilt-rules/rules/windows/privilege_escalation_group_policy_iniscript
products:
  - Elastic Security
---

# Startup/Logon Script added to Group Policy Object
Detects the modification of Group Policy Objects (GPO) to add a startup/logon script to users or computer objects.
**Rule type**: eql
**Rule indices**:
- logs-system.security*
- logs-windows.forwarded*
- winlogbeat-*

**Rule Severity**: medium
**Risk Score**: 47
**Runs every**: 
**Searches indices from**: ``
**Maximum alerts per execution**: 100
**References**:
- [[https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/master/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0025_windows_audit_directory_service_changes.md](https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/master/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0025_windows_audit_directory_service_changes.md)](https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/master/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0025_windows_audit_directory_service_changes.md)
- [[https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/f2bbb51ecf68e2c9f488e3c70dcdd3df51d2a46b/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0029_windows_audit_detailed_file_share.md](https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/f2bbb51ecf68e2c9f488e3c70dcdd3df51d2a46b/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0029_windows_audit_detailed_file_share.md)](https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/f2bbb51ecf68e2c9f488e3c70dcdd3df51d2a46b/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0029_windows_audit_detailed_file_share.md)
- [[https://labs.f-secure.com/tools/sharpgpoabuse](https://labs.f-secure.com/tools/sharpgpoabuse)](https://labs.f-secure.com/tools/sharpgpoabuse)

**Tags**:
- Domain: Endpoint
- OS: Windows
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Privilege Escalation
- Data Source: Active Directory
- Resources: Investigation Guide
- Use Case: Active Directory Monitoring
- Data Source: Windows Security Event Logs

**Version**: 214
**Rule authors**:
- Elastic

**Rule license**: Elastic License v2

## Setup

The 'Audit Detailed File Share' audit policy must be configured (Success Failure).
Steps to implement the logging policy with Advanced Audit Configuration:
```
Computer Configuration >
Policies >
Windows Settings >
Security Settings >
Advanced Audit Policies Configuration >
Audit Policies >
Object Access >
Audit Detailed File Share (Success,Failure)
```

The 'Audit Directory Service Changes' audit policy must be configured (Success Failure).
Steps to implement the logging policy with Advanced Audit Configuration:
```
Computer Configuration >
Policies >
Windows Settings >
Security Settings >
Advanced Audit Policies Configuration >
Audit Policies >
DS Access >
Audit Directory Service Changes (Success,Failure)
```


## Investigation guide


## Triage and analysis


### Investigating Startup/Logon Script added to Group Policy Object

Group Policy Objects (GPOs) can be used by attackers to instruct arbitrarily large groups of clients to execute specified commands at startup, logon, shutdown, and logoff. This is done by creating or modifying the `scripts.ini` or `psscripts.ini` files. The scripts are stored in the following paths:
- `<GPOPath>\Machine\Scripts\`
- `<GPOPath>\User\Scripts\`


#### Possible investigation steps

- This attack abuses a legitimate mechanism of Active Directory, so it is important to determine whether the activity is legitimate and the administrator is authorized to perform this operation.
- Retrieve the contents of the `ScheduledTasks.xml` file, and check the `<Command>` and `<Arguments>` XML tags for any potentially malicious commands or binaries.
- Investigate other alerts associated with the user/host during the past 48 hours.
- Scope which objects may be compromised by retrieving information about which objects are controlled by the GPO.


### False positive analysis

- Verify if the execution is legitimately authorized and executed under a change management process.


### Related rules

- Group Policy Abuse for Privilege Addition - b9554892-5e0e-424b-83a0-5aef95aa43bf
- Scheduled Task Execution at Scale via GPO - 15a8ba77-1c13-4274-88fe-6bd14133861e


### Response and remediation

- Initiate the incident response process based on the outcome of the triage.
- The investigation and containment must be performed in every computer controlled by the GPO, where necessary.
- Remove the script from the GPO.
- Check if other GPOs have suspicious scripts attached.
- Determine the initial vector abused by the attacker and take action to prevent reinfection through the same vector.
- Using the incident response data, update logging and audit policies to improve the mean time to detect (MTTD) and the mean time to respond (MTTR).


## Rule Query

```eql
any where host.os.type == "windows" and event.code in ("5136", "5145") and
(
  (
    winlog.event_data.AttributeLDAPDisplayName : (
      "gPCMachineExtensionNames",
      "gPCUserExtensionNames"
    ) and
    winlog.event_data.AttributeValue : "*42B5FAAE-6536-11D2-AE5A-0000F87571E3*" and
    winlog.event_data.AttributeValue : (
      "*40B66650-4972-11D1-A7CA-0000F87571E3*",
      "*40B6664F-4972-11D1-A7CA-0000F87571E3*"
    )
  ) or
  (
    winlog.event_data.ShareName : "\\\\*\\SYSVOL" and
    winlog.event_data.RelativeTargetName : ("*\\scripts.ini", "*\\psscripts.ini") and
    winlog.event_data.AccessList:"*%%4417*"
  )
)
```

**Framework:** MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic:
  - Name: Privilege Escalation
- Id: TA0004
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/)](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/)
- Technique:
  - Name: Domain or Tenant Policy Modification
- Id: T1484
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/)
- Sub Technique:
  - Name: Group Policy Modification
- Id: T1484.001
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/001/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/001/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/001/)
- Technique:
  - Name: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
- Id: T1547
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/)

**Framework:** MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic:
  - Name: Persistence
- Id: TA0003
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/)](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/)
- Technique:
  - Name: Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
- Id: T1037
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/)