User Account Creation

Identifies attempts to create new local users. This is sometimes done by attackers to increase access to a system or domain.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*
logs-windows.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5 minutes

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Persistence

Version: 9 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.16.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
process.name : ("net.exe", "net1.exe") and not process.parent.name :
"net.exe" and (process.args : "user" and process.args : ("/ad",
"/add"))

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Create Account
- ID: T1136
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1136/

Rule version history

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Version 9 (7.16.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 8 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:(net.exe or net1.exe) and not process.parent.name:net.exe
and process.args:(user and (/ad or /add))

Version 7 (7.12.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 6 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

Version 5 (7.10.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 4 (7.9.1 release)

Formatting only

Version 3 (7.9.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.name:(net.exe or net1.exe) and not process.parent.name:net.exe
and process.args:(user and (/ad or /add))

Version 2 (7.7.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.name:("net.exe" or "net1.exe") and not
process.parent.name:"net.exe" and process.args:("user" and ("/add" or
"/ad"))

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