Suspicious CertUtil Commands
editSuspicious CertUtil Commands
editIdentifies suspicious commands being used with certutil.exe. CertUtil is a native Windows component which is part of Certificate Services. CertUtil is often abused by attackers to live off the land for stealthier command and control or data exfiltration.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-endpoint.events.*
- logs-windows.*
- endgame-*
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
References:
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Defense Evasion
- Elastic Endgame
Version: 101 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.6.0
Rule authors: Elastic, Austin Songer
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Investigation guide
editRule query
editprocess where event.type == "start" and (process.name : "certutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "CertUtil.exe") and process.args : ("?decode", "?encode", "?urlcache", "?verifyctl", "?encodehex", "?decodehex", "?exportPFX")
Threat mapping
editFramework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
- ID: T1140
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1140/
Rule version history
edit- Version 101 (8.6.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 100 (8.5.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 16 (8.4.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type == "start" and (process.name : "certutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "CertUtil.exe") and process.args : ("?decode", "?encode", "?urlcache", "?verifyctl", "?encodehex", "?decodehex", "?exportPFX")
-
- Version 14 (8.3.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 12 (8.2.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 10 (8.0.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type == "start" and (process.name : "certutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "CertUtil.exe") and process.args : ("?decode", "?encode", "?urlcache", "?verifyctl", "?encodehex", "?decodehex")
-
- Version 9 (7.14.0 release)
-
- Rule name changed from: Encoding or Decoding Files via CertUtil
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type == "start" and (process.name : "certutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "CertUtil.exe") and process.args : ("?decode", "?encode")
- Version 8 (7.13.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and process.name:certutil.exe and process.args:(-decode or -encode or /decode or /encode)
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- Version 7 (7.12.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 6 (7.11.2 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.name:certutil.exe and process.args:(-decode or -encode or /decode or /encode)
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- Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and process.name:"certutil.exe" and process.args:("-encode" or "/encode" or "-decode" or "/decode")
-