Windows Snake Malware Kernel Driver Comadmin

SPLUNK detection rule by Michael Haag, Splunk · Apache-2.0

The following analytic detects the creation of the comadmin.dat file in the %windows%\system32\Com directory, which is associated with Snake Malware. This detection leverages the Endpoint.Filesystem data model to identify file creation events matching the specified path and filename. This activity is significant because the comadmin.dat file is part of Snake Malware's installation process, which includes dropping a kernel driver and a custom DLL. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow an attacker to load a malicious driver, potentially leading to privilege escalation and persistent access to the compromised system.

name: Windows Snake Malware Kernel Driver Comadmin
id: 628d9c7c-3242-43b5-9620-7234c080a726
version: 9
creation_date: '2023-05-11'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the creation of the comadmin.dat file in the %windows%\system32\Com directory, which is associated with Snake Malware. This detection leverages the Endpoint.Filesystem data model to identify file creation events matching the specified path and filename. This activity is significant because the comadmin.dat file is part of Snake Malware's installation process, which includes dropping a kernel driver and a custom DLL. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow an attacker to load a malicious driver, potentially leading to privilege escalation and persistent access to the compromised system.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 11
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Filesystem where Filesystem.file_path="*\\windows\\system32\\com\\*" AND Filesystem.file_name="comadmin.dat" by Filesystem.action Filesystem.dest Filesystem.file_access_time Filesystem.file_create_time Filesystem.file_hash Filesystem.file_modify_time Filesystem.file_name Filesystem.file_path Filesystem.file_acl Filesystem.file_size Filesystem.process_guid Filesystem.process_id Filesystem.user Filesystem.vendor_product | `drop_dm_object_name(Filesystem)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_snake_malware_kernel_driver_comadmin_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the `Endpoint` datamodel in the `Filesystem` node. In addition, confirm the latest CIM App 4.20 or higher is installed and the latest TA for the endpoint product.
known_false_positives: False positives may be present, filter as needed.
references:
    - https://media.defense.gov/2023/May/09/2003218554/-1/-1/0/JOINT_CSA_HUNTING_RU_INTEL_SNAKE_MALWARE_20230509.PDF
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | 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: A kernel driver comadmin.dat related to Snake Malware was written to disk on $dest$.
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Snake Malware
asset_type: Endpoint
atomic_guid:
    - e5cb5564-cc7b-4050-86e8-f2d9eec1941f
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1547.006
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/malware/snakemalware/comadmin_windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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4905dbe1-a441-4408-9e8b-aaa0038c5c84

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