Detect Suspicious Commands Initiated by Webserver Processes

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Id	fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7
Rulename	Detect Suspicious Commands Initiated by Webserver Processes
Description	This query was originally published in the threat analytics report, Operation Soft Cell. Operation Soft Cell is a series of campaigns targeting users’ call logs at telecommunications providers throughout the world. These attacks date from as early as 2012. Operation Soft Cell operators sometimes use legitimate web server processes to launch commands, especially for network discovery and user/owner discovery. The following query detects activity of this kind. Reference - https://www.cybereason.com/blog/operation-soft-cell-a-worldwide-campaign-against-telecommunications-providers
Severity	High
Tactics	Execution DefenseEvasion Discovery
Techniques	T1059 T1574 T1087 T1082
Required data connectors	MicrosoftThreatProtection
Kind	Scheduled
Query frequency	1h
Query period	1h
Trigger threshold	0
Trigger operator	gt
Source Uri	https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Discovery/SuspiciousCommandInitiatedByWebServerProcess.yaml
Version	1.0.0
Arm template	fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7.json

KQL

// Suspicious commands launched by web server processes
DeviceProcessEvents 
| where (((InitiatingProcessParentFileName in("w3wp.exe", "beasvc.exe",
    "httpd.exe") or InitiatingProcessParentFileName startswith "tomcat")
    or InitiatingProcessFileName in("w3wp.exe", "beasvc.exe", "httpd.exe") or
    InitiatingProcessFileName startswith "tomcat"))
    and FileName in~('cmd.exe', 'powershell.exe')
| where ProcessCommandLine contains '%temp%'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'wget'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'whoami'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'certutil'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'systeminfo'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'ping'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'ipconfig'
    or ProcessCommandLine has 'timeout'
| summarize
    take_any(FileName),
    make_set(ProcessCommandLine, 100000),
    take_any(InitiatingProcessFileName),
    take_any(InitiatingProcessParentFileName)
    by DeviceId, DeviceName
| extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
| extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")

YAML

relevantTechniques:
- T1059
- T1574
- T1087
- T1082
name: Detect Suspicious Commands Initiated by Webserver Processes
requiredDataConnectors:
- dataTypes:
  - DeviceProcessEvents
  connectorId: MicrosoftThreatProtection
entityMappings:
- fieldMappings:
  - identifier: FullName
    columnName: DeviceName
  - identifier: HostName
    columnName: HostName
  - identifier: DnsDomain
    columnName: DnsDomain
  entityType: Host
triggerThreshold: 0
id: fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7
tactics:
- Execution
- DefenseEvasion
- Discovery
version: 1.0.0
OriginalUri: https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Discovery/SuspiciousCommandInitiatedByWebServerProcess.yaml
queryPeriod: 1h
kind: Scheduled
tags:
- Operation Soft Cell
- Webserver Process
- Discovery
queryFrequency: 1h
severity: High
status: Available
description: |
  This query was originally published in the threat analytics report, Operation Soft Cell.
  Operation Soft Cell is a series of campaigns targeting users' call logs at telecommunications providers throughout the world. These attacks date from as early as 2012.
  Operation Soft Cell operators sometimes use legitimate web server processes to launch commands, especially for network discovery and user/owner discovery. The following query detects activity of this kind.
  Reference - https://www.cybereason.com/blog/operation-soft-cell-a-worldwide-campaign-against-telecommunications-providers  
query: |
  // Suspicious commands launched by web server processes
  DeviceProcessEvents 
  | where (((InitiatingProcessParentFileName in("w3wp.exe", "beasvc.exe",
      "httpd.exe") or InitiatingProcessParentFileName startswith "tomcat")
      or InitiatingProcessFileName in("w3wp.exe", "beasvc.exe", "httpd.exe") or
      InitiatingProcessFileName startswith "tomcat"))
      and FileName in~('cmd.exe', 'powershell.exe')
  | where ProcessCommandLine contains '%temp%'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'wget'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'whoami'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'certutil'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'systeminfo'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'ping'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'ipconfig'
      or ProcessCommandLine has 'timeout'
  | summarize
      take_any(FileName),
      make_set(ProcessCommandLine, 100000),
      take_any(InitiatingProcessFileName),
      take_any(InitiatingProcessParentFileName)
      by DeviceId, DeviceName
  | extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
  | extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")  
triggerOperator: gt

ARM

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "workspace": {
      "type": "String"
    }
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "apiVersion": "2024-01-01-preview",
      "id": "[concat(resourceId('Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers', parameters('workspace'), 'Microsoft.SecurityInsights'),'/alertRules/fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7')]",
      "kind": "Scheduled",
      "name": "[concat(parameters('workspace'),'/Microsoft.SecurityInsights/fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7')]",
      "properties": {
        "alertRuleTemplateName": "fa2f7d8a-6726-465a-aa72-6f6e3d4c99d7",
        "customDetails": null,
        "description": "This query was originally published in the threat analytics report, Operation Soft Cell.\nOperation Soft Cell is a series of campaigns targeting users' call logs at telecommunications providers throughout the world. These attacks date from as early as 2012.\nOperation Soft Cell operators sometimes use legitimate web server processes to launch commands, especially for network discovery and user/owner discovery. The following query detects activity of this kind.\nReference - https://www.cybereason.com/blog/operation-soft-cell-a-worldwide-campaign-against-telecommunications-providers\n",
        "displayName": "Detect Suspicious Commands Initiated by Webserver Processes",
        "enabled": true,
        "entityMappings": [
          {
            "entityType": "Host",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "DeviceName",
                "identifier": "FullName"
              },
              {
                "columnName": "HostName",
                "identifier": "HostName"
              },
              {
                "columnName": "DnsDomain",
                "identifier": "DnsDomain"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "OriginalUri": "https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Discovery/SuspiciousCommandInitiatedByWebServerProcess.yaml",
        "query": "// Suspicious commands launched by web server processes\nDeviceProcessEvents \n| where (((InitiatingProcessParentFileName in(\"w3wp.exe\", \"beasvc.exe\",\n    \"httpd.exe\") or InitiatingProcessParentFileName startswith \"tomcat\")\n    or InitiatingProcessFileName in(\"w3wp.exe\", \"beasvc.exe\", \"httpd.exe\") or\n    InitiatingProcessFileName startswith \"tomcat\"))\n    and FileName in~('cmd.exe', 'powershell.exe')\n| where ProcessCommandLine contains '%temp%'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'wget'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'whoami'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'certutil'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'systeminfo'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'ping'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'ipconfig'\n    or ProcessCommandLine has 'timeout'\n| summarize\n    take_any(FileName),\n    make_set(ProcessCommandLine, 100000),\n    take_any(InitiatingProcessFileName),\n    take_any(InitiatingProcessParentFileName)\n    by DeviceId, DeviceName\n| extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)\n| extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), \"\")\n",
        "queryFrequency": "PT1H",
        "queryPeriod": "PT1H",
        "severity": "High",
        "status": "Available",
        "subTechniques": [],
        "suppressionDuration": "PT1H",
        "suppressionEnabled": false,
        "tactics": [
          "DefenseEvasion",
          "Discovery",
          "Execution"
        ],
        "tags": [
          "Operation Soft Cell",
          "Webserver Process",
          "Discovery"
        ],
        "techniques": [
          "T1059",
          "T1082",
          "T1087",
          "T1574"
        ],
        "templateVersion": "1.0.0",
        "triggerOperator": "GreaterThan",
        "triggerThreshold": 0
      },
      "type": "Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers/alertRules"
    }
  ]
}