IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates
will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the
current release documentation.
Control Panel Process with Unusual Arguments
editControl Panel Process with Unusual Arguments
editIdentifies unusual instances of Control Panel with suspicious keywords or paths in the process command line value. Adversaries may abuse control.exe to proxy execution of malicious code.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- logs-endpoint.events.process-*
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-windows.forwarded*
- logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
- endgame-*
- logs-system.security*
- logs-m365_defender.event-*
- logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*
- logs-crowdstrike.fdr*
Severity: high
Risk score: 73
Runs every: 5m
Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
Tags:
- Domain: Endpoint
- OS: Windows
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Defense Evasion
- Tactic: Execution
- Data Source: Elastic Endgame
- Data Source: Elastic Defend
- Data Source: System
- Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Data Source: Sysmon
- Data Source: SentinelOne
- Data Source: Crowdstrike
Version: 313
Rule authors:
- Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Rule query
editprocess where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
process.name : "control.exe" and
process.command_line : (
"*.jpg*", "*.png*",
"*.gif*", "*.bmp*",
"*.jpeg*", "*.TIFF*",
"*.inf*", "*.cpl:*/*",
"*../../..*",
"*/AppData/Local/*",
"*:\\Users\\Public\\*",
"*\\AppData\\Local\\*"
)
Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: System Binary Proxy Execution
- ID: T1218
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/
-
Sub-technique:
- Name: Control Panel
- ID: T1218.002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/002/