PH_Rule_SIGMA_290
Enabled
Detects handles requested to SAM registry hive. The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a database file in the Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) that contains usernames and passwords. This rule is adapted from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_sam_registry_hive_handle_request.yml
9
Security
Credential Access
Credential Access consists of techniques for stealing credentials like account names and passwords. Techniques used to get credentials include keylogging or credential dumping. Using legitimate credentials can give adversaries access to systems, make them harder to detect, and provide the opportunity to create more accounts to help achieve their goals.
https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0006T1012
Query Registry
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software. Adversaries may use the information from Query Registry during automated discovery to shape follow-on behaviors, including whether or not the adversary fully infects the target and/or attempts specific actions.
https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1012T1552.002
Unsecured Credentials: Credentials in Registry
Adversaries may search the Registry on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials. The Windows Registry stores configuration information that can be used by the system or other programs. Adversaries may query the Registry looking for credentials and passwords that have been stored for use by other programs or services. Sometimes these credentials are used for automatic logons.
https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/002Server
Windows Security Log via OMI or FortiSIEM Agent
Correlation
Determine if this was an authorized penetration testing activity or authorized sysadmin activity. Otherwise, there is no reason for this activity to be occurring. The host should be quarantined and investigated immediately. Collect the process hash and check for malware match. Investigate what other incidents are occurring on that host during that time frame.
If the following pattern or patterns match an ingested event within the given time window in seconds, trigger an incident.
300 seconds
If the following defined pattern/s occur within a 300 second time window.
Filter
This is the named definition of the event query, this is important if multiple subpatterns are defined to distinguish them.
This is the query logic that matches incoming events
eventType="Win-Security-4656" AND osObjType="Key" AND osObjName REGEXP "\\SAM$"
This defines how matching events are aggregated, only events with the same matching attribute values are grouped into one unique incident ID
hostName,osObjName,osObjType
This is most typically a numerical constraint that defines when the rule should trigger an incident
COUNT(*) >= 1
This section defines which fields in matching raw events should be mapped to the incident attributes in the resulting incident.
The available raw event attributes to map are limited to the group by attributes and the aggregate event constraint fields for each subpattern
hostName = Filter.hostName,
osObjName = Filter.osObjName,
osObjType = Filter.osObjType