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Suspicious Microsoft OneNote Child Process

SIGMA detection rule by Tim Rauch (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Elastic (idea) · GPL-2.0

Detects suspicious child processes of the Microsoft OneNote application. This may indicate an attempt to execute malicious embedded objects from a .one file.

title: Suspicious Microsoft OneNote Child Process
id: b38e988d-9ea4-447b-cc36-a30c9c3801e1
related:
    - id: 438025f9-5856-4663-83f7-52f878a70a50 # Generic rule for suspicious office application child processes
      type: derived
    - id: c27515df-97a9-4162-8a60-dc0eeb51b775
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects suspicious child processes of the Microsoft OneNote application. This may indicate an attempt to execute malicious embedded objects from a .one file.
references:
    - https://github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts/commit/746086721fd385d9f5c6647cada1788db4aea95f#diff-e34e43eb5666427602ddf488b2bf3b545bd9aae81af3e6f6c7949f9652abdf18
    - https://micahbabinski.medium.com/detecting-onenote-one-malware-delivery-407e9321ecf0
author: Tim Rauch (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Elastic (idea)
date: 2022-10-21
modified: 2023-02-10
tags:
    - attack.t1566
    - attack.t1566.001
    - attack.initial-access
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    process_creation:
        EventID: 4688
        Channel: Security
    selection_parent:
        ParentProcessName|endswith: \onenote.exe
    selection_opt_img:
        - OriginalFileName:
              - bitsadmin.exe
              - CertOC.exe
              - CertUtil.exe
              - Cmd.Exe
              - CMSTP.EXE
              - cscript.exe
              - curl.exe
              - HH.exe
              - IEExec.exe
              - InstallUtil.exe
              - javaw.exe
              - Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe
              - msdt.exe
              - MSHTA.EXE
              - msiexec.exe
              - Msxsl.exe
              - odbcconf.exe
              - pcalua.exe
              - PowerShell.EXE
              - RegAsm.exe
              - RegSvcs.exe
              - REGSVR32.exe
              - RUNDLL32.exe
              - schtasks.exe
              - ScriptRunner.exe
              - wmic.exe
              - WorkFolders.exe
              - wscript.exe
        - NewProcessName|endswith:
              - \AppVLP.exe
              - \bash.exe
              - \bitsadmin.exe
              - \certoc.exe
              - \certutil.exe
              - \cmd.exe
              - \cmstp.exe
              - \control.exe
              - \cscript.exe
              - \curl.exe
              - \forfiles.exe
              - \hh.exe
              - \ieexec.exe
              - \installutil.exe
              - \javaw.exe
              - \mftrace.exe
              - \Microsoft.Workflow.Compiler.exe
              - \msbuild.exe
              - \msdt.exe
              - \mshta.exe
              - \msidb.exe
              - \msiexec.exe
              - \msxsl.exe
              - \odbcconf.exe
              - \pcalua.exe
              - \powershell.exe
              - \pwsh.exe
              - \regasm.exe
              - \regsvcs.exe
              - \regsvr32.exe
              - \rundll32.exe
              - \schtasks.exe
              - \scrcons.exe
              - \scriptrunner.exe
              - \sh.exe
              - \svchost.exe
              - \verclsid.exe
              - \wmic.exe
              - \workfolders.exe
              - \wscript.exe
    selection_opt_explorer:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - .hta
            - .vb
            - .wsh
            - .js
            - .ps
            - .scr
            - .pif
            - .bat
            - .cmd
        NewProcessName|endswith: \explorer.exe
    selection_opt_paths:
        NewProcessName|contains:
            - \AppData\
            - \Users\Public\
            - \ProgramData\
            - \Windows\Tasks\
            - \Windows\Temp\
            - \Windows\System32\Tasks\
    filter_teams:
        CommandLine|endswith: -Embedding
        NewProcessName|endswith: \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe
    filter_onedrive:
        CommandLine|endswith: -Embedding
        NewProcessName|contains: \AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\
        NewProcessName|endswith: \FileCoAuth.exe
    condition: process_creation and (selection_parent and 1 of selection_opt_* and not 1 of filter_*)
falsepositives:
    - File located in the AppData folder with trusted signature
level: high
ruletype: Sigma

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Executable code, not a declarative rule

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