Windows Findstr GPP Discovery
Description
The following analytic identifies the use of the findstr command employed to search for unsecured credentials Group Policy Preferences (GPP). GPP are tools that allow administrators to create domain policies with embedded credentials. These policies allow administrators to set local accounts. These group policies are stored in SYSVOL on a domain controller. This means that any domain user can view the SYSVOL share and decrypt the password (using the AES key that has been made public). While Microsoft released a patch that impedes Administrators to create unsecure credentials, existing Group Policy Preferences files with passwords are not removed from SYSVOL.
- Type: TTP
- Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
- Datamodel: Endpoint
- Last Updated: 2023-03-16
- Author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
- ID: 1631ac2d-f2a9-42fa-8a59-d6e210d472f5
Annotations
ATT&CK
Kill Chain Phase
- Exploitation
NIST
- DE.CM
CIS20
- CIS 10
CVE
Search
1
2
3
4
5
6
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where (Processes.process_name=findstr.exe AND Processes.process=*sysvol* AND Processes.process=*cpassword*) by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id Processes.original_file_name
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_findstr_gpp_discovery_filter`
Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:
windows_findstr_gpp_discovery_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.
Required fields
List of fields required to use this analytic.
- _time
- Processes.user
- Processes.dest
- Processes.process_name
- Processes.process
- Processes.dest
- Processes.user
- Processes.parent_process_name
- Processes.process_name
- Processes.process_id
- Processes.parent_process_id
- Processes.original_file_name
How To Implement
The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes
node of the Endpoint
data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
Known False Positives
Administrators may leverage findstr to find passwords in GPO to validate exposure. Filter as needed.
Associated Analytic Story
RBA
Risk Score | Impact | Confidence | Message |
---|---|---|---|
56.0 | 70 | 80 | Findstr was executed to discover GPP credentials on $dest$ |
The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.
Reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/006/
- https://pentestlab.blog/2017/03/20/group-policy-preferences/
- https://adsecurity.org/?p=2288
- https://www.hackingarticles.in/credential-dumping-group-policy-preferences-gpp/
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/ms14-025-vulnerability-in-group-policy-preferences-could-allow-elevation-of-privilege-may-13-2014-60734e15-af79-26ca-ea53-8cd617073c30
Test Dataset
Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py
tool or the UI.
Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range
source | version: 1