SUSP_ScreenConnect_User_PoC_Com_Unused_Feb24_RID3767

YARA detection rule by Florian Roth · CC-BY-NC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Detects suspicious ScreenConnect user with poc.com email address, which is a sign of exploitation of the ConnectWise ScreenConnect (versions prior to 23.9.8) vulnerability with the POC released by WatchTower and the account wasn't actually used yet to login

rule SUSP_ScreenConnect_User_PoC_Com_Unused_Feb24_RID3767 : ADMINTOOL_ScreenConnect DEMO SUSP {
   meta:
      description = "Detects suspicious ScreenConnect user with poc.com email address, which is a sign of exploitation of the ConnectWise ScreenConnect (versions prior to 23.9.8) vulnerability with the POC released by WatchTower and the account wasn't actually used yet to login"
      author = "Florian Roth"
      reference = "https://github.com/watchtowrlabs/connectwise-screenconnect_auth-bypass-add-user-poc/blob/45e5b2f699a4d8f2d59ec3fc79a2e3c99db71882/watchtowr-vs-ConnectWise_2024-02-21.py#L53"
      date = "2024-02-23 17:37:01"
      score = 65
      customer = "demo"
      license = "CC-BY-NC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"
      
      tags = "ADMINTOOL_ScreenConnect, DEMO, SUSP"
      minimum_yara = "3.5.0"
      
   strings:
      $a1 = "<Users xmlns:xsi=" 
      $a2 = "<CreationDate>" 
      $s1 = "@poc.com</Email>" 
      $s2 = "<LastLoginDate>0001" 
   condition: 
      filesize < 200KB and all of ( $a* ) and all of ( $s* )
}

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

5590a54d-0773-4132-956d-3c0b80c9b0a4

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Executable code, not a declarative rule

This submission is arbitrary [[ currentRule.format ? currentRule.format.toUpperCase() : '' ]] code, not a declarative detection rule — review it as you would any script before running it, and note that it cannot be safely aggregated or auto-executed alongside YARA/Sigma/Suricata/CRS rules.

Rejected pattern present

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Format & documentation suggestions

Not a security issue — this rule is valid and was accepted as-is. These are optional fields/conventions its own format recommends, mainly affecting its quality score and how well it documents itself for other reviewers.

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[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

[[ currentRule.title ]]

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