permission_modification_using_takeown_app.yml

name: Permission Modification using Takeown App
id: fa7ca5c6-c9d8-11eb-bce9-acde48001122
version: 5
date: '2025-01-27'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects the modification of file or directory
  permissions using the takeown.exe Windows application. It leverages data from Endpoint
  Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process execution logs that include
  process GUID, process name, and command-line details. This activity is significant
  because it is a common technique used by ransomware to take ownership of files or
  folders for encryption or deletion. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized
  access, data encryption, or data destruction, severely impacting the integrity and
  availability of critical data.
data_source:
- Sysmon EventID 1
- Windows Event Log Security 4688
- CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time)
  as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name = "takeown.exe"
  Processes.process = "*/f*" by Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process
  Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.process_id
  Processes.process_guid | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `permission_modification_using_takeown_app_filter`'
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection
  and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related
  telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search,
  you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process.
  Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must
  be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to
  the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint`
  data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field
  names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: takeown.exe is a normal windows application that may used by
  network operator.
references:
- https://research.nccgroup.com/2020/06/23/wastedlocker-a-new-ransomware-variant-developed-by-the-evil-corp-group/
drilldown_searches:
- name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
  search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
  earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
  latest_offset: $info_max_time$
- name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
  search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$")
    starthoursago=168  | 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: $info_min_time$
  latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
  message: A suspicious of execution of $process_name$ with process id $process_id$
    and commandline $process$ to modify permission of directory or files in host $dest$
  risk_objects:
  - field: dest
    type: system
    score: 30
  threat_objects:
  - field: process_name
    type: process_name
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Sandworm Tools
  - Ransomware
  - Crypto Stealer
  asset_type: Endpoint
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1222
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: 
      https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/ransomware_ttp/data1/windows-sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog