Detect JamPlus in IBM QRadar
Adversaries may abuse the JamPlus build utility to proxy the execution of malicious scripts or binaries. JamPlus is a cross-platform build system that uses Jamfiles to describe build processes and dependencies. By embedding arbitrary shell commands within a specially crafted .jam file's Actions blocks, adversaries can execute payloads through a trusted developer tool. Because jam.exe carries a legitimate code-signing reputation, this technique is specifically used to bypass Smart App Control (SAC) and similar reputation-based application control mechanisms that would otherwise block unsigned or unknown executables.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Defense Evasion
- Sub-technique
- T1127.003 JamPlus
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1127/003/
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(starttime, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS event_time,
logsourcename(logsourceid) AS log_source,
"username" AS user_account,
"sourceip" AS host_ip,
"FileName" AS process_image,
"CommandLine" AS command_line,
"ParentImage" AS parent_image,
"ParentCommandLine" AS parent_command_line,
"CurrentDirectory" AS working_directory,
CASE
WHEN LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe' THEN
CASE
WHEN LOWER("FileName") IN ('cmd.exe','powershell.exe','pwsh.exe','wscript.exe','cscript.exe',
'mshta.exe','rundll32.exe','regsvr32.exe','certutil.exe',
'bitsadmin.exe','msiexec.exe','wmic.exe','schtasks.exe',
'net.exe','netsh.exe','whoami.exe','curl.exe') THEN 90
ELSE 60
END
WHEN (LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
LOWER("ParentImage") IN ('winword.exe','excel.exe','powerpnt.exe','outlook.exe','onenote.exe',
'wscript.exe','cscript.exe','mshta.exe','explorer.exe',
'powershell.exe','pwsh.exe','cmd.exe') THEN 85
WHEN (LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
(LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\temp\\%' OR LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\tmp\\%' OR
LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\downloads\\%' OR LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\desktop\\%' OR
LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\public\\%' OR LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\appdata\\local\\temp\\%') THEN 75
WHEN (LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
"CommandLine" LIKE '%-f %' AND
(LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\temp\\%' OR LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\tmp\\%' OR
LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\downloads\\%' OR LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\appdata\\%') THEN 70
ELSE 60
END AS risk_score,
CASE
WHEN LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe' THEN 'SuspiciousChildProcess'
WHEN LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe' THEN
CASE
WHEN LOWER("ParentImage") IN ('winword.exe','excel.exe','powerpnt.exe') THEN 'SuspiciousParentProcess'
WHEN LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%-f %' THEN 'SuspiciousJamfilePath'
ELSE 'SuspiciousExecutionPath'
END
ELSE 'Unknown'
END AS detection_branch
FROM events
WHERE
LOGSOURCETYPEID = 13 /* Microsoft Windows Security Event Log */
AND "EventID" = 4688
AND starttime > NOW() - 1 DAYS
AND (
LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe'
OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe'
OR LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jam.exe'
OR LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe'
)
AND (
(LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("ParentImage") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe')
AND LOWER("FileName") IN ('cmd.exe','powershell.exe','pwsh.exe','wscript.exe','cscript.exe',
'mshta.exe','rundll32.exe','regsvr32.exe','certutil.exe',
'bitsadmin.exe','msiexec.exe','wmic.exe','schtasks.exe',
'net.exe','netsh.exe','whoami.exe','curl.exe')
OR
(LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
LOWER("ParentImage") IN ('winword.exe','excel.exe','powerpnt.exe','outlook.exe','onenote.exe',
'wscript.exe','cscript.exe','mshta.exe','explorer.exe',
'powershell.exe','pwsh.exe','cmd.exe')
OR
(LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
(LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\temp\\%' OR LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\tmp\\%' OR
LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\downloads\\%' OR LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\desktop\\%' OR
LOWER("CurrentDirectory") LIKE '%\\public\\%')
OR
(LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jam.exe' OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%\\jamplus.exe') AND
"CommandLine" LIKE '%-f %' AND
(LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\temp\\%' OR LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\downloads\\%' OR
LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%\\appdata\\%')
)
ORDER BY starttime DESC Detects JamPlus (jam.exe/jamplus.exe) abuse for signed binary proxy execution using Windows Security Event ID 4688 (process creation with command line auditing enabled). Identifies four risk-scored branches: JamPlus spawning LOLBins as child processes (risk 90), JamPlus launched by Office/script interpreters (risk 85), JamPlus running from user-writable temp paths (risk 75), and JamPlus loading Jamfiles from suspicious paths via -f flag (risk 70).
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Game engine development teams using JamPlus as primary build system on workstations that also have Office installed
- Embedded/IoT developers running JamPlus builds from downloaded SDK archives in Downloads folder
- Automated test runners invoking JamPlus via PowerShell in CI runner environments with non-standard working directories
Other platforms for T1127.003
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1JamPlus Executes cmd.exe via Malicious Jamfile in TEMP
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for jam.exe with CommandLine containing '-f' and a path under %TEMP%. Sysmon Event ID 1: Child Process Create for cmd.exe with ParentImage matching jam.exe path. Sysmon Event ID 11: File Create for %TEMP%\jamtest-output.txt written by cmd.exe. Security Event ID 4688 if command line auditing is enabled.
- Test 2JamPlus Executes PowerShell Download Cradle via Jamfile
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for jam.exe from %TEMP%. Sysmon Event ID 1: Child Process Create for powershell.exe with ParentImage=jam.exe and CommandLine containing 'Net.WebClient' and 'DownloadString'. Sysmon Event ID 3: Network connection attempt from powershell.exe to 127.0.0.1:8080 (fails — no listener but event fires). PowerShell ScriptBlock Log Event ID 4104 with the download cradle content.
- Test 3JamPlus Binary Staged in TEMP Directory (Suspicious Execution Path)
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 11: File Create for %TEMP%\jam.exe (binary staging). Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for jam.exe with Image and FolderPath under %TEMP%. Sysmon Event ID 1: Child Process Create for cmd.exe with ParentImage=%TEMP%\jam.exe and CommandLine containing 'net user'.
- Test 4JamPlus Spawned by Scripting Engine (Simulated VBScript Dropper Delivery)
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for wscript.exe with CommandLine referencing dropper.vbs. Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create for jam.exe with ParentImage=wscript.exe — this is the primary detection event. Sysmon Event ID 1: Child Process Create for cmd.exe with ParentImage=jam.exe, completing the three-level process chain wscript.exe → jam.exe → cmd.exe.
References (8)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1127/003/
- https://cyble.com/blog/reputation-hijacking-with-jamplus-a-maneuver-to-bypass-smart-app-control-sac/
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/dismantling-smart-app-control
- https://jamplus.github.io/jamplus/quick_start.html
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/advanced-hunting-deviceprocessevents-table
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-control/smart-app-control/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/tree/master/rules/windows/process_creation
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