Detect Create or Modify System Process in Sumo Logic CSE
Adversaries may create or modify system-level processes to repeatedly execute malicious payloads as part of persistence. When operating systems boot up, they can start processes that perform background system functions. On Windows and Linux, these system processes are referred to as services. On macOS, launchd processes known as Launch Daemon and Launch Agent are run to finish system initialization and load user specific parameters. Adversaries may install new services, daemons, or agents that can be configured to execute at startup or a repeatable interval in order to establish persistence. Similarly, adversaries may modify existing services, daemons, or agents to achieve the same effect. Services, daemons, or agents may be created with administrator privileges but executed under root/SYSTEM privileges. Adversaries may leverage this functionality to create or modify system processes in order to escalate privileges.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Persistence Privilege Escalation
- Technique
- T1543 Create or Modify System Process
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/
Sumo Detection Query
_sourceCategory=windows* AND (
("EventCode=7045" OR "EventCode=4697") OR
("EventCode=1" AND ("sc.exe" AND ("create" OR "config"))) OR
("EventCode=1" AND ("New-Service" OR "Set-Service")) OR
("EventCode=12" OR "EventCode=13") AND "CurrentControlSet\Services"
)
| parse "EventCode=*" as EventCode
| parse regex "(?i)CommandLine=(?P<CommandLine>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)ParentImage=(?P<ParentImage>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)Image=(?P<Image>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)TargetObject=(?P<RegistryKey>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)ServiceFileName=(?P<ServiceFileName>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)User=(?P<User>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?i)Computer=(?P<Computer>[^\n]+)" nodrop
| eval DetectionBranch = if(EventCode in ("7045", "4697"), "security_service_install",
if(EventCode == "1" and matches(CommandLine, "(?i)sc\.exe") and matches(CommandLine, "(?i)(create|config)"), "sc_exe_service_create",
if(EventCode == "1" and matches(CommandLine, "(?i)(New-Service|Set-Service)"), "powershell_new_service",
if((EventCode == "12" or EventCode == "13") and matches(RegistryKey, "(?i)CurrentControlSet.Services"), "registry_service_modification",
"other"))))
| where DetectionBranch != "other"
| eval SuspiciousPath = if(
matches(coalesce(ServiceFileName, CommandLine, ""), "(?i)(\\\\temp\\\\|\\\\appdata\\\\|\\\\downloads\\\\|\\\\public\\\\|%temp%|%appdata%)"),
1, 0)
| eval LOLBinService = if(
matches(coalesce(ServiceFileName, CommandLine, ""), "(?i)(powershell\.exe|cmd\.exe|wscript\.exe|cscript\.exe|mshta\.exe|rundll32\.exe|regsvr32\.exe|certutil\.exe|bitsadmin\.exe)"),
1, 0)
| eval UnusualParent = if(
EventCode == "1" and matches(ParentImage, "(?i)(winword|excel|powerpnt|outlook|wscript|cscript|mshta|rundll32)\.exe"),
1, 0)
| eval RiskScore = SuspiciousPath + LOLBinService + UnusualParent
| eval SuspicionFlags = concat(
if(SuspiciousPath == 1, "suspicious_path ", ""),
if(LOLBinService == 1, "lolbin_service ", ""),
if(UnusualParent == 1, "unusual_parent ", "")
)
| where RiskScore > 0 or DetectionBranch == "security_service_install"
| fields _messageTime, Computer, User, DetectionBranch, CommandLine, Image, ParentImage, ServiceFileName, RegistryKey, RiskScore, SuspicionFlags
| sort by _messageTime descDetects Windows service creation and modification via Sumo Logic CSE by parsing Sysmon and Windows Security event logs. Identifies sc.exe service creation, PowerShell New-Service/Set-Service usage, direct registry modifications to the Services hive, and security audit events 7045/4697. Scores results by suspicious binary path, LOLBin usage, and abnormal parent processes.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Windows Update and patch management processes (TiWorker.exe, TrustedInstaller.exe) create and modify services during OS updates — filter by known Windows Update process names and system accounts
- Virtualization software (VMware Tools, VirtualBox Guest Additions) creates services during installation and updates — allowlist known vendor-signed process paths
- Custom enterprise monitoring agents deployed by IT operations may trigger registry modification detections — coordinate with IT ops for known deployment accounts and time windows
Other platforms for T1543
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 1Create Malicious Windows Service via sc.exe
Expected signal: Security Event ID 4697 and System Event ID 7045: New service 'ArgusTestSvc' installed with ServiceFileName containing cmd.exe. Sysmon Event ID 1: sc.exe process creation with CommandLine containing 'create ArgusTestSvc'. Sysmon Event ID 13: Registry value set at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ArgusTestSvc\ImagePath.
- Test 2Create Persistent Service via PowerShell New-Service
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: powershell.exe process creation with CommandLine containing 'New-Service'. Security Event ID 4697 and System Event ID 7045: service 'ArgusTestPSSvc' installed with ServiceFileName = powershell.exe. Sysmon Event ID 13: registry modification at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ArgusTestPSSvc\.
- Test 3Service Installed in User-Writable Path
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 11: file created at %TEMP%\svchost32.exe (copy of cmd.exe). Sysmon Event ID 1: sc.exe execution with TEMP path in command line. Security Event ID 4697 / System Event ID 7045: new service with ServiceFileName in user Temp directory. Sysmon Event ID 13: ImagePath registry value containing \Temp\ path.
- Test 4Modify Existing Service Binary Path (Service Hijacking)
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: sc.exe with 'config' and 'binPath' in command line targeting 'wuauserv'. Sysmon Event ID 13: registry value modification at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\ImagePath. Security Event ID 4697 may fire depending on Windows version and audit policy. Note: this test modifies a real service — run only in isolated test environments.
References (9)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/
- https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772408.aspx
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/services/service-control-manager
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1543.003/T1543.003.md
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/iocs-yellow-liderc-imaploader
- https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/aa24-109a-stopransomware-akira_0.pdf
- https://www.sans.org/white-papers/33492/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/tree/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set
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