Enumeration of Privileged Local Groups Membership

Identifies instances of an unusual process enumerating built-in Windows privileged local groups membership like Administrators or Remote Desktop users.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-windows.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 43

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Discovery

Version: 2

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

edit

## Config

This will require Windows security event 4799 by enabling audit success for the Windows Account Management category and
the Security Group Management subcategory.

Rule query

edit

iam where event.action == "user-member-enumerated" and

 /* noisy and usual legit processes excluded */
 not winlog.event_data.CallerProcessName:
              ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\VSSVC.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SearchIndexer.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\CompatTelRunner.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\oobe\\msoobe.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\net1.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Netplwiz.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\msiexec.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\CloudExperienceHostBroker.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\wbem\\WmiPrvSE.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SrTasks.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\lsass.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\diskshadow.exe",
               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\dfsrs.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
               "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe") and
  /* privileged local groups */
 (group.name:("admin*","RemoteDesktopUsers") or
  winlog.event_data.TargetSid:("S-1-5-32-544","S-1-5-32-555"))

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Discovery
- ID: TA0007
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0007/
Technique:
- Name: Permission Groups Discovery
- ID: T1069
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1069/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Local Groups
- ID: T1069.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1069/001/

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