Get ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy with Powershell

SPLUNK detection rule by Teoderick Contreras, Mauricio Velazco, Splunk · Apache-2.0

The following analytic detects the execution of `powershell.exe` running the `Get-ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy` cmdlet, which is used to obtain the password policy in a Windows domain. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it indicates potential enumeration of domain policies, a common tactic for situational awareness and Active Directory discovery by adversaries. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to understand password policies, aiding in further attacks such as password spraying or brute force attempts.

name: Get ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy with Powershell
id: 8b5ef342-065a-11ec-b0fc-acde48001122
version: 11
creation_date: '2021-08-27'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the execution of `powershell.exe` running the `Get-ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy` cmdlet, which is used to obtain the password policy in a Windows domain. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it indicates potential enumeration of domain policies, a common tactic for situational awareness and Active Directory discovery by adversaries. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to understand password policies, aiding in further attacks such as password spraying or brute force attempts.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
    - Windows Event Log Security 4688
    - CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
      WHERE (
            Processes.process_name="cmd.exe"
            OR
            Processes.process_name="powershell*"
        )
        AND Processes.process = "*Get-ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy*"
      BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
         Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
         Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
         Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
         Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
         Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
         Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
    | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `get_aduserresultantpasswordpolicy_with_powershell_filter`
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: Administrators or power users may use this command for troubleshooting.
references:
    - https://github.com/S1ckB0y1337/Active-Directory-Exploitation-Cheat-Sheet
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1201/
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/activedirectory/get-aduserresultantpasswordpolicy?view=windowsserver2019-ps
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: an instance of process $process_name$ with commandline $process$ on $dest$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
          message: an instance of process $process_name$ with commandline $process$ on $dest$
threat_objects:
    - field: parent_process_name
      type: parent_process_name
analytic_story:
    - Active Directory Discovery
    - CISA AA23-347A
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1201
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1201/pwd_policy_discovery/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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