Detect Security Support Provider in Splunk
Adversaries may abuse security support providers (SSPs) to execute DLLs when the system boots. Windows SSP DLLs are loaded into the Local Security Authority (LSA) process at system start. Once loaded into the LSA, SSP DLLs have access to encrypted and plaintext passwords stored in Windows, including logged-on user Domain passwords and smart card PINs. The SSP configuration is stored in HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Security Packages and HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig\Security Packages. An adversary may modify these registry keys to add new SSPs, which will be loaded at next boot or via the AddSecurityPackage API. Mimikatz, Empire, and PowerSploit all include SSP persistence capabilities.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Persistence Privilege Escalation
- Technique
- T1547 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
- Sub-technique
- T1547.005 Security Support Provider
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/005/
SPL Detection Query
index=wineventlog sourcetype="XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" EventCode=13
(TargetObject="*\\Control\\Lsa\\Security Packages" OR TargetObject="*\\Control\\Lsa\\OSConfig\\Security Packages")
| table _time, host, TargetObject, Details, Image, User
| sort - _timeDetects modifications to LSA Security Packages registry values using Sysmon Event ID 13. Any modification to these values warrants investigation as it can result in a malicious SSP DLL being loaded into lsass.exe with full access to all credentials in memory.
Data Sources
Required Sourcetypes
False Positives & Tuning
- Third-party SSP/credential provider installation
- Windows OS upgrades modifying Security Packages
- Microsoft cloud authentication updates (cloudAP)
Other platforms for T1547.005
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 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 1Add Malicious SSP via Registry
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 13: RegistryValueSet on Control\Lsa\Security Packages with the added 'df00tech-test'. PowerShell ScriptBlock Log Event ID 4104.
- Test 2Enumerate Current Security Packages
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: Process creation for reg.exe querying the Lsa key.
- Test 3Mimikatz-style SSP Installation Simulation
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 13: RegistryValueSet showing mimilib added to the Security Packages list. MDE DeviceRegistryEvents captures the full multi-string value.
References (5)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/005/
- http://docplayer.net/20839173-Analysis-of-malicious-security-support-provider-dlls.html
- https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn408187.aspx
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1547.005/T1547.005.md
- https://github.com/gentilkiwi/mimikatz
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for T1547.005 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.