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Elastic Docs ›Elastic Security Solution [7.14] ›Detections and alerts ›Prebuilt rule reference

System Shells via Services

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System Shells via Services

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Windows services typically run as SYSTEM and can be used as a privilege escalation opportunity. Malware or penetration testers may run a shell as a service to gain SYSTEM permissions.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*
  • logs-windows.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Persistence

Version: 9 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.13.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
process.parent.name : "services.exe" and process.name : ("cmd.exe",
"powershell.exe") and /* Third party FP's */ not process.args :
"NVDisplay.ContainerLocalSystem"

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 9 (7.13.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
powershell.exe)
Version 8 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 7 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 6 (7.11.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 5 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.parent.name:services.exe and process.name:(cmd.exe or
powershell.exe)
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.parent.name:"services.exe" and process.name:("cmd.exe" or
"powershell.exe")
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