IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.

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PowerShell Script with Token Impersonation Capabilities

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IMPORTANT: This documentation is no longer updated. Refer to Elastic's version policy and the latest documentation.

PowerShell Script with Token Impersonation Capabilities

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Detects scripts that contain PowerShell functions, structures, or Windows API functions related to token impersonation/theft. Attackers may duplicate then impersonate another user’s token to escalate privileges and bypass access controls.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-windows.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5m

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

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Privilege Escalation
PowerShell

Version: 3

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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Rule query

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event.category:process and
  powershell.file.script_block_text:(
    "Invoke-TokenManipulation" or
    "ImpersonateNamedPipeClient" or
    "NtImpersonateThread" or
    (
      "STARTUPINFOEX" and
      "UpdateProcThreadAttribute"
    ) or
    (
      "AdjustTokenPrivileges" and
      "SeDebugPrivilege"
    ) or
    (
      ("DuplicateToken" or
      "DuplicateTokenEx") and
      ("SetThreadToken" or
      "ImpersonateLoggedOnUser" or
      "CreateProcessWithTokenW" or
      "CreatePRocessAsUserW" or
      "CreateProcessAsUserA")
    )
  ) and not user.id : "S-1-5-18"

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Privilege Escalation
- ID: TA0004
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/
Technique:
- Name: Access Token Manipulation
- ID: T1134
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Token Impersonation/Theft
- ID: T1134.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/001/
Tactic:
- Name: Execution
- ID: TA0002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/
Technique:
- Name: Command and Scripting Interpreter
- ID: T1059
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/
Sub-technique:
- Name: PowerShell
- ID: T1059.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001/
Technique:
- Name: Native API
- ID: T1106
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1106/

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