IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.

« Microsoft Build Engine Started by a Script Process Microsoft Build Engine Started by an Office Application »

› › ›

Microsoft Build Engine Started by a System Process

edit

Microsoft Build Engine Started by a System Process

edit

An instance of MSBuild, the Microsoft Build Engine, was started by Explorer or the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) subsystem. This behavior is unusual and is sometimes used by malicious payloads.

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
Defense Evasion

Version: 12 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.7.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.4.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Potential false positives

edit

The Build Engine is commonly used by Windows developers but use by non-engineers is unusual.

Investigation guide

edit

Rule query

edit

process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
process.name : "MSBuild.exe" and process.parent.name :
("explorer.exe", "wmiprvse.exe")

Threat mapping

edit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution
- ID: T1127
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1127/
Tactic:
- Name: Execution
- ID: TA0002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/

Rule version history

edit

Version 12 (8.4.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 10 (8.2.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 9 (7.16.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 8 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:MSBuild.exe and process.parent.name:(explorer.exe or
wmiprvse.exe)

Version 7 (7.12.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 6 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

Version 5 (7.11.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 4 (7.10.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 3 (7.9.1 release)

Formatting only

Version 2 (7.9.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

process.name:MSBuild.exe and process.parent.name:(explorer.exe or
wmiprvse.exe) and event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)"

« Microsoft Build Engine Started by a Script Process Microsoft Build Engine Started by an Office Application »