Detect Credential Dumping through LSASS access

SPLUNK detection rule by Patrick Bareiss, Splunk · Apache-2.0

The following analytic detects attempts to read LSASS memory, indicative of credential dumping. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 10, filtering for specific access permissions (0x1010 and 0x1410) on the lsass.exe process. This activity is significant because it suggests an attacker is trying to extract credentials from LSASS memory, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, and compromise of sensitive information. If confirmed malicious, this could enable attackers to escalate privileges, move laterally within the network, or exfiltrate data. Extensive triage is necessary to differentiate between malicious and benign activities.

name: Detect Credential Dumping through LSASS access
id: 2c365e57-4414-4540-8dc0-73ab10729996
version: 15
creation_date: '2019-12-11'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Patrick Bareiss, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects attempts to read LSASS memory, indicative of credential dumping. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 10, filtering for specific access permissions (0x1010 and 0x1410) on the lsass.exe process. This activity is significant because it suggests an attacker is trying to extract credentials from LSASS memory, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, and compromise of sensitive information. If confirmed malicious, this could enable attackers to escalate privileges, move laterally within the network, or exfiltrate data. Extensive triage is necessary to differentiate between malicious and benign activities.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 10
search: |-
    `sysmon` EventCode=10 TargetImage=*lsass.exe (GrantedAccess=0x1010 OR GrantedAccess=0x1410)
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY CallTrace EventID GrantedAccess
           Guid Opcode ProcessID
           SecurityID SourceImage SourceProcessGUID
           SourceProcessId TargetImage TargetProcessGUID
           TargetProcessId UserID dest
           granted_access parent_process_exec parent_process_guid
           parent_process_id parent_process_name parent_process_path
           process_exec process_guid process_id
           process_name process_path signature
           signature_id user_id vendor_product
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `detect_credential_dumping_through_lsass_access_filter`
how_to_implement: This search needs Sysmon Logs and a sysmon configuration, which includes EventCode 10 with lsass.exe. This search uses an input macro named `sysmon`. We strongly recommend that you specify your environment-specific configurations (index, source, sourcetype, etc.) for Windows Sysmon logs. Replace the macro definition with configurations for your Splunk environment. The search also uses a post-filter macro designed to filter out known false positives.
known_false_positives: The activity may be legitimate. Other tools can access lsass for legitimate reasons, and it's possible this event could be generated in those cases. In these cases, false positives should be fairly obvious and you may need to tweak the search to eliminate noise.
references: []
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$" and "$TargetImage$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$" TargetImage = "$TargetImage$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$" and "$TargetImage$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$", "$TargetImage$") | 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: The $SourceImage$ has attempted access to read $TargetImage$ was identified on endpoint $dest$, this is indicative of credential dumping and should be investigated.
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Detect Zerologon Attack
    - CISA AA23-347A
    - Credential Dumping
    - BlackSuit Ransomware
    - Lokibot
    - Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters
asset_type: Windows
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1003.001
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/attack_techniques/T1003.001/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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