Windows Gather Victim Host Information Camera

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

The following analytic detects a PowerShell script that enumerates camera devices on the targeted host. This detection leverages PowerShell Script Block Logging, specifically looking for commands querying Win32_PnPEntity for camera-related information. This activity is significant as it is commonly observed in DCRat malware, which collects camera data to send to its command-and-control server. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an attempt to gather sensitive visual information from the host, potentially leading to privacy breaches or further exploitation.

name: Windows Gather Victim Host Information Camera
id: e4df4676-ea41-4397-b160-3ee0140dc332
version: 13
creation_date: '2022-07-29'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects a PowerShell script that enumerates camera devices on the targeted host. This detection leverages PowerShell Script Block Logging, specifically looking for commands querying Win32_PnPEntity for camera-related information. This activity is significant as it is commonly observed in DCRat malware, which collects camera data to send to its command-and-control server. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an attempt to gather sensitive visual information from the host, potentially leading to privacy breaches or further exploitation.
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: |-
    `powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText= "* Win32_PnPEntity *" ScriptBlockText= "*SELECT*" ScriptBlockText= "*WHERE*" ScriptBlockText = "*PNPClass*" ScriptBlockText IN ("*Image*", "*Camera*")
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest signature signature_id
           user_id vendor_product EventID
           Guid Opcode Name
           Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
           ScriptBlockText
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `windows_gather_victim_host_information_camera_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this analytic, you will need to enable PowerShell Script Block Logging on some or all endpoints. Additional setup here https://help.splunk.com/en/security-offerings/splunk-user-behavior-analytics/get-data-in/5.4.1/add-other-data-to-splunk-uba/configure-powershell-logging-to-see-powershell-anomalies-in-splunk-uba.
known_false_positives: Administrators may execute this powershell command to get hardware information related to camera on $dest$.
references:
    - https://cert.gov.ua/article/405538
    - https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.dcrat
    - https://www.mandiant.com/resources/analyzing-dark-crystal-rat-backdoor
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$" and "$user_id$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$" user_id = "$user_id$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$" and "$user_id$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$", "$user_id$") | 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"
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
          message: A Powershell script to enumerate camera detected on host - $dest$
        - field: user_id
          type: user
          score: 20
          message: A Powershell script to enumerate camera detected on host - $dest$
analytic_story:
    - DarkCrystal RAT
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1592.001
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/dcrat/dcrat_enum_camera/windows-powershell-xml.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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

f78c805c-8e1a-4c99-8b35-cbbdaa542507

Propose edits, view related rules, and engage with the community through comments.

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

[[ reason ]]

What does this mean?

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.

[[ reason ]]

What do these messages mean?

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

[[ currentRule.title ]]

Community Discussion