Detectionhightest

Suspicious Windows Service Tampering

Detects the usage of binaries such as 'net', 'sc' or 'powershell' in order to stop, pause, disable or delete critical or important Windows services such as AV, Backup, etc. As seen being used in some ransomware scripts

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Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), François Hubaut, X__Junior (Nextron Systems)Created Thu Sep 01Updated Wed Aug 27ce72ef99-22f1-43d4-8695-419dcb5d9330windows

Log Source

WindowsProcess Creation

ProductWindows← raw: windows

CategoryProcess Creation← raw: process_creation

Events generated when a new process is spawned on the system. Covers command-line arguments, parent/child relationships, and process metadata.

Detection Logic

detection:
    selection_tools_img:
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'net.exe'
              - 'net1.exe'
              - 'PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'psservice.exe'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
              - 'sc.exe'
              - 'wmic.exe'
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\net.exe'
              - '\net1.exe'
              - '\PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\PsService.exe'
              - '\PsService64.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\sc.exe'
              - '\wmic.exe' # wmic process call win32_service where name='servicename' delete
    selection_tools_cli:
        - CommandLine|contains:
              - ' delete '
              - '.delete()' # Get-WmiObject win32_service -Filter "name='$serviceName'" ).delete()
              - ' pause ' # Covers flags from: PsService and Sc.EXE
              - ' stop ' # Covers flags from: PsService.EXE, Net.EXE and Sc.EXE
              - 'Stop-Service '
              - 'Remove-Service '
        - CommandLine|contains|all:
              - 'config'
              - 'start=disabled'
    selection_services:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '143Svc'
            - 'Acronis VSS Provider'
            - 'AcronisAgent'
            - 'AcrSch2Svc'
            - 'AdobeARMservice'
            - 'AHS Service'
            - 'Antivirus'
            - 'Apache4'
            - 'ARSM'
            - 'aswBcc'
            - 'AteraAgent'
            - 'Avast Business Console Client Antivirus Service'
            - 'avast! Antivirus'
            - 'AVG Antivirus'
            - 'avgAdminClient'
            - 'AvgAdminServer'
            - 'AVP1'
            - 'BackupExec'
            - 'bedbg'
            - 'BITS'
            - 'BrokerInfrastructure'
            - 'CASLicenceServer'
            - 'CASWebServer'
            - 'Client Agent 7.60'
            - 'Core Browsing Protection'
            - 'Core Mail Protection'
            - 'Core Scanning Server'
            - 'DCAgent'
            - 'dwmrcs'
            - 'EhttpSr'
            - 'ekrn'
            - 'Enterprise Client Service'
            - 'epag'
            - 'EPIntegrationService'
            - 'EPProtectedService'
            - 'EPRedline'
            - 'EPSecurityService'
            - 'EPUpdateService'
            - 'EraserSvc11710'
            - 'EsgShKernel'
            - 'ESHASRV'
            - 'FA_Scheduler'
            - 'FirebirdGuardianDefaultInstance'
            - 'FirebirdServerDefaultInstance'
            - 'FontCache3.0.0.0'
            - 'HealthTLService'
            - 'hmpalertsvc'
            - 'HMS'
            - 'HostControllerService'
            - 'hvdsvc'
            - 'IAStorDataMgrSvc'
            - 'IBMHPS'
            - 'ibmspsvc'
            - 'IISAdmin'
            - 'IMANSVC'
            - 'IMAP4Svc'
            - 'instance2'
            - 'KAVFS'
            - 'KAVFSGT'
            - 'kavfsslp'
            - 'KeyIso'
            - 'klbackupdisk'
            - 'klbackupflt'
            - 'klflt'
            - 'klhk'
            - 'KLIF'
            - 'klim6'
            - 'klkbdflt'
            - 'klmouflt'
            - 'klnagent'
            - 'klpd'
            - 'kltap'
            - 'KSDE1.0.0'
            - 'LogProcessorService'
            - 'M8EndpointAgent'
            - 'macmnsvc'
            - 'masvc'
            - 'MBAMService'
            - 'MBCloudEA'
            - 'MBEndpointAgent'
            - 'McAfeeDLPAgentService'
            - 'McAfeeEngineService'
            - 'MCAFEEEVENTPARSERSRV'
            - 'McAfeeFramework'
            - 'MCAFEETOMCATSRV530'
            - 'McShield'
            - 'McTaskManager'
            - 'mfefire'
            - 'mfemms'
            - 'mfevto'
            - 'mfevtp'
            - 'mfewc'
            - 'MMS'
            - 'mozyprobackup'
            - 'mpssvc'
            - 'MSComplianceAudit'
            - 'MSDTC'
            - 'MsDtsServer'
            - 'MSExchange'
            - 'msftesq1SPROO'
            - 'msftesql$PROD'
            - 'msftesql$SQLEXPRESS'
            - 'MSOLAP$SQL_2008'
            - 'MSOLAP$SYSTEM_BGC'
            - 'MSOLAP$TPS'
            - 'MSOLAP$TPSAMA'
            - 'MSOLAPSTPS'
            - 'MSOLAPSTPSAMA'
            - 'mssecflt'
            - 'MSSQ!I.SPROFXENGAGEMEHT'
            - 'MSSQ0SHAREPOINT'
            - 'MSSQ0SOPHOS'
            - 'MSSQL'
            - 'MSSQLFDLauncher$'
            - 'MySQL'
            - 'NanoServiceMain'
            - 'NetMsmqActivator'
            - 'NetPipeActivator'
            - 'netprofm'
            - 'NetTcpActivator'
            - 'NetTcpPortSharing'
            - 'ntrtscan'
            - 'nvspwmi'
            - 'ofcservice'
            - 'Online Protection System'
            - 'OracleClientCache80'
            - 'OracleDBConsole'
            - 'OracleMTSRecoveryService'
            - 'OracleOraDb11g_home1'
            - 'OracleService'
            - 'OracleVssWriter'
            - 'osppsvc'
            - 'PandaAetherAgent'
            - 'PccNTUpd'
            - 'PDVFSService'
            - 'POP3Svc'
            - 'postgresql-x64-9.4'
            - 'POVFSService'
            - 'PSUAService'
            - 'Quick Update Service'
            - 'RepairService'
            - 'ReportServer'
            - 'ReportServer$'
            - 'RESvc'
            - 'RpcEptMapper'
            - 'sacsvr'
            - 'SamSs'
            - 'SAVAdminService'
            - 'SAVService'
            - 'ScSecSvc'
            - 'SDRSVC'
            - 'SearchExchangeTracing'
            - 'sense'
            - 'SentinelAgent'
            - 'SentinelHelperService'
            - 'SepMasterService'
            - 'ShMonitor'
            - 'Smcinst'
            - 'SmcService'
            - 'SMTPSvc'
            - 'SNAC'
            - 'SntpService'
            - 'Sophos'
            - 'SQ1SafeOLRService'
            - 'SQL Backups'
            - 'SQL Server'
            - 'SQLAgent'
            - 'SQLANYs_Sage_FAS_Fixed_Assets'
            - 'SQLBrowser'
            - 'SQLsafe'
            - 'SQLSERVERAGENT'
            - 'SQLTELEMETRY'
            - 'SQLWriter'
            - 'SSISTELEMETRY130'
            - 'SstpSvc'
            - 'storflt'
            - 'svcGenericHost'
            - 'swc_service'
            - 'swi_filter'
            - 'swi_service'
            - 'swi_update'
            - 'Symantec'
            - 'sysmon'
            - 'TeamViewer'
            - 'Telemetryserver'
            - 'ThreatLockerService'
            - 'TMBMServer'
            - 'TmCCSF'
            - 'TmFilter'
            - 'TMiCRCScanService'
            - 'tmlisten'
            - 'TMLWCSService'
            - 'TmPfw'
            - 'TmPreFilter'
            - 'TmProxy'
            - 'TMSmartRelayService'
            - 'tmusa'
            - 'Tomcat'
            - 'Trend Micro Deep Security Manager'
            - 'TrueKey'
            - 'UFNet'
            - 'UI0Detect'
            - 'UniFi'
            - 'UTODetect'
            - 'vds'
            - 'Veeam'
            - 'VeeamDeploySvc'
            - 'Veritas System Recovery'
            - 'vmic'
            - 'VMTools'
            - 'vmvss'
            - 'VSApiNt'
            - 'VSS'
            - 'W3Svc'
            - 'wbengine'
            - 'WdNisSvc'
            - 'WeanClOudSve'
            - 'Weems JY'
            - 'WinDefend'
            - 'wmms'
            - 'wozyprobackup'
            - 'WPFFontCache_v0400'
            - 'WRSVC'
            - 'wsbexchange'
            - 'WSearch'
            - 'wscsvc'
            - 'Zoolz 2 Service'
    condition: all of selection_*

False Positives

Administrators or tools shutting down the services due to upgrade or removal purposes. If you experience some false positive, please consider adding filters to the parent process launching this command and not removing the entry

References

research.nccgroup.com

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virustotal.com

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