Microsoft Sentinel Analytic Rules
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Malicious Inbox Rule

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Id7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a
RulenameMalicious Inbox Rule
DescriptionOften times after the initial compromise the attackers create inbox rules to delete emails that contain certain keywords.

This is done so as to limit ability to warn compromised users that they’ve been compromised. Below is a sample query that tries to detect this.

Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/7kyp0a/recent_phishing_attempts_my_experience_and_what/
SeverityMedium
TacticsPersistence
DefenseEvasion
TechniquesT1098
T1078
Required data connectorsOffice365
KindScheduled
Query frequency1d
Query period1d
Trigger threshold0
Trigger operatorgt
Source Urihttps://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft 365/Analytic Rules/Malicious_Inbox_Rule.yaml
Version2.0.4
Arm template7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a.json
Deploy To Azure
let Keywords = dynamic(["helpdesk", " alert", " suspicious", "fake", "malicious", "phishing", "spam", "do not click", "do not open", "hijacked", "Fatal"]);
OfficeActivity
| where OfficeWorkload =~ "Exchange" 
| where Operation =~ "New-InboxRule" and (ResultStatus =~ "True" or ResultStatus =~ "Succeeded")
| where Parameters has "Deleted Items" or Parameters has "Junk Email"  or Parameters has "DeleteMessage"
| extend Events=todynamic(Parameters)
| parse Events  with * "SubjectContainsWords" SubjectContainsWords '}'*
| parse Events  with * "BodyContainsWords" BodyContainsWords '}'*
| parse Events  with * "SubjectOrBodyContainsWords" SubjectOrBodyContainsWords '}'*
| where SubjectContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
 or BodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
 or SubjectOrBodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
| extend ClientIPAddress = case( ClientIP has ".", tostring(split(ClientIP,":")[0]), ClientIP has "[", tostring(trim_start(@'[[]',tostring(split(ClientIP,"]")[0]))), ClientIP )
| extend Keyword = iff(isnotempty(SubjectContainsWords), SubjectContainsWords, (iff(isnotempty(BodyContainsWords),BodyContainsWords,SubjectOrBodyContainsWords )))
| extend RuleDetail = case(OfficeObjectId contains '/' , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '/')[-1]) , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '\\')[-1]))
| summarize count(), StartTimeUtc = min(TimeGenerated), EndTimeUtc = max(TimeGenerated) by  Operation, UserId, ClientIPAddress, ResultStatus, Keyword, OriginatingServer, OfficeObjectId, RuleDetail
| extend AccountName = tostring(split(UserId, "@")[0]), AccountUPNSuffix = tostring(split(UserId, "@")[1])
| extend OriginatingServerName = tostring(split(OriginatingServer, " ")[0])
relevantTechniques:
- T1098
- T1078
OriginalUri: https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft 365/Analytic Rules/Malicious_Inbox_Rule.yaml
triggerOperator: gt
kind: Scheduled
entityMappings:
- fieldMappings:
  - columnName: UserId
    identifier: FullName
  - columnName: AccountName
    identifier: Name
  - columnName: AccountUPNSuffix
    identifier: UPNSuffix
  entityType: Account
- fieldMappings:
  - columnName: OriginatingServerName
    identifier: FullName
  entityType: Host
- fieldMappings:
  - columnName: ClientIPAddress
    identifier: Address
  entityType: IP
requiredDataConnectors:
- dataTypes:
  - OfficeActivity (Exchange)
  connectorId: Office365
queryPeriod: 1d
query: |
  let Keywords = dynamic(["helpdesk", " alert", " suspicious", "fake", "malicious", "phishing", "spam", "do not click", "do not open", "hijacked", "Fatal"]);
  OfficeActivity
  | where OfficeWorkload =~ "Exchange" 
  | where Operation =~ "New-InboxRule" and (ResultStatus =~ "True" or ResultStatus =~ "Succeeded")
  | where Parameters has "Deleted Items" or Parameters has "Junk Email"  or Parameters has "DeleteMessage"
  | extend Events=todynamic(Parameters)
  | parse Events  with * "SubjectContainsWords" SubjectContainsWords '}'*
  | parse Events  with * "BodyContainsWords" BodyContainsWords '}'*
  | parse Events  with * "SubjectOrBodyContainsWords" SubjectOrBodyContainsWords '}'*
  | where SubjectContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
   or BodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
   or SubjectOrBodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)
  | extend ClientIPAddress = case( ClientIP has ".", tostring(split(ClientIP,":")[0]), ClientIP has "[", tostring(trim_start(@'[[]',tostring(split(ClientIP,"]")[0]))), ClientIP )
  | extend Keyword = iff(isnotempty(SubjectContainsWords), SubjectContainsWords, (iff(isnotempty(BodyContainsWords),BodyContainsWords,SubjectOrBodyContainsWords )))
  | extend RuleDetail = case(OfficeObjectId contains '/' , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '/')[-1]) , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '\\')[-1]))
  | summarize count(), StartTimeUtc = min(TimeGenerated), EndTimeUtc = max(TimeGenerated) by  Operation, UserId, ClientIPAddress, ResultStatus, Keyword, OriginatingServer, OfficeObjectId, RuleDetail
  | extend AccountName = tostring(split(UserId, "@")[0]), AccountUPNSuffix = tostring(split(UserId, "@")[1])
  | extend OriginatingServerName = tostring(split(OriginatingServer, " ")[0])  
version: 2.0.4
description: |
  'Often times after the initial compromise the attackers create inbox rules to delete emails that contain certain keywords.
   This is done so as to limit ability to warn compromised users that they've been compromised. Below is a sample query that tries to detect this.
  Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/7kyp0a/recent_phishing_attempts_my_experience_and_what/'  
tactics:
- Persistence
- DefenseEvasion
severity: Medium
name: Malicious Inbox Rule
queryFrequency: 1d
triggerThreshold: 0
status: Available
id: 7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a
{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "workspace": {
      "type": "String"
    }
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "apiVersion": "2023-02-01-preview",
      "id": "[concat(resourceId('Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers', parameters('workspace'), 'Microsoft.SecurityInsights'),'/alertRules/7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a')]",
      "kind": "Scheduled",
      "name": "[concat(parameters('workspace'),'/Microsoft.SecurityInsights/7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a')]",
      "properties": {
        "alertRuleTemplateName": "7b907bf7-77d4-41d0-a208-5643ff75bf9a",
        "customDetails": null,
        "description": "'Often times after the initial compromise the attackers create inbox rules to delete emails that contain certain keywords.\n This is done so as to limit ability to warn compromised users that they've been compromised. Below is a sample query that tries to detect this.\nReference: https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/7kyp0a/recent_phishing_attempts_my_experience_and_what/'\n",
        "displayName": "Malicious Inbox Rule",
        "enabled": true,
        "entityMappings": [
          {
            "entityType": "Account",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "UserId",
                "identifier": "FullName"
              },
              {
                "columnName": "AccountName",
                "identifier": "Name"
              },
              {
                "columnName": "AccountUPNSuffix",
                "identifier": "UPNSuffix"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "entityType": "Host",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "OriginatingServerName",
                "identifier": "FullName"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "entityType": "IP",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "ClientIPAddress",
                "identifier": "Address"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "OriginalUri": "https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft 365/Analytic Rules/Malicious_Inbox_Rule.yaml",
        "query": "let Keywords = dynamic([\"helpdesk\", \" alert\", \" suspicious\", \"fake\", \"malicious\", \"phishing\", \"spam\", \"do not click\", \"do not open\", \"hijacked\", \"Fatal\"]);\nOfficeActivity\n| where OfficeWorkload =~ \"Exchange\" \n| where Operation =~ \"New-InboxRule\" and (ResultStatus =~ \"True\" or ResultStatus =~ \"Succeeded\")\n| where Parameters has \"Deleted Items\" or Parameters has \"Junk Email\"  or Parameters has \"DeleteMessage\"\n| extend Events=todynamic(Parameters)\n| parse Events  with * \"SubjectContainsWords\" SubjectContainsWords '}'*\n| parse Events  with * \"BodyContainsWords\" BodyContainsWords '}'*\n| parse Events  with * \"SubjectOrBodyContainsWords\" SubjectOrBodyContainsWords '}'*\n| where SubjectContainsWords has_any (Keywords)\n or BodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)\n or SubjectOrBodyContainsWords has_any (Keywords)\n| extend ClientIPAddress = case( ClientIP has \".\", tostring(split(ClientIP,\":\")[0]), ClientIP has \"[\", tostring(trim_start(@'[[]',tostring(split(ClientIP,\"]\")[0]))), ClientIP )\n| extend Keyword = iff(isnotempty(SubjectContainsWords), SubjectContainsWords, (iff(isnotempty(BodyContainsWords),BodyContainsWords,SubjectOrBodyContainsWords )))\n| extend RuleDetail = case(OfficeObjectId contains '/' , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '/')[-1]) , tostring(split(OfficeObjectId, '\\\\')[-1]))\n| summarize count(), StartTimeUtc = min(TimeGenerated), EndTimeUtc = max(TimeGenerated) by  Operation, UserId, ClientIPAddress, ResultStatus, Keyword, OriginatingServer, OfficeObjectId, RuleDetail\n| extend AccountName = tostring(split(UserId, \"@\")[0]), AccountUPNSuffix = tostring(split(UserId, \"@\")[1])\n| extend OriginatingServerName = tostring(split(OriginatingServer, \" \")[0])\n",
        "queryFrequency": "P1D",
        "queryPeriod": "P1D",
        "severity": "Medium",
        "status": "Available",
        "suppressionDuration": "PT1H",
        "suppressionEnabled": false,
        "tactics": [
          "DefenseEvasion",
          "Persistence"
        ],
        "techniques": [
          "T1078",
          "T1098"
        ],
        "templateVersion": "2.0.4",
        "triggerOperator": "GreaterThan",
        "triggerThreshold": 0
      },
      "type": "Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers/alertRules"
    }
  ]
}