System Service Discovery
Adversaries may try to gather information about registered local system services. Adversaries may obtain information about services using tools as well as OS utility commands such as sc query
, tasklist /svc
, systemctl --type=service
, and net start
.
Adversaries may use the information from System Service Discovery during automated discovery to shape follow-on behaviors, including whether or not the adversary fully infects the target and/or attempts specific actions.
Procedure Examples |
|
Name | Description |
---|---|
Ursnif |
Ursnif has gathered information about running services.(Citation: TrendMicro Ursnif Mar 2015) |
BRONZE BUTLER |
BRONZE BUTLER has used TROJ_GETVERSION to discover system services.(Citation: Trend Micro Tick November 2019) |
Sykipot |
Sykipot may use |
Comnie |
Comnie runs the command: |
Net |
The |
TeamTNT |
TeamTNT has searched for services such as Alibaba Cloud Security's aliyun service and BMC Helix Cloud Security's bmc-agent service in order to disable them.(Citation: Cisco Talos Intelligence Group) |
Elise |
Elise executes |
PoshC2 |
PoshC2 can enumerate service and service permission information.(Citation: GitHub PoshC2) |
Indrik Spider |
Indrik Spider has used the win32_service WMI class to retrieve a list of services from the system.(Citation: Symantec WastedLocker June 2020) |
SLOTHFULMEDIA |
SLOTHFULMEDIA has the capability to enumerate services.(Citation: CISA MAR SLOTHFULMEDIA October 2020) |
Kwampirs |
Kwampirs collects a list of running services with the command |
Tasklist |
Tasklist can be used to discover services running on a system.(Citation: Microsoft Tasklist) |
jRAT |
jRAT can list local services.(Citation: Kaspersky Adwind Feb 2016) |
RATANKBA |
RATANKBA uses |
OilRig |
OilRig has used |
Turla |
Turla surveys a system upon check-in to discover running services and associated processes using the |
BBSRAT |
BBSRAT can query service configuration information.(Citation: Palo Alto Networks BBSRAT) |
RainyDay |
RainyDay can create and register a service for execution.(Citation: Bitdefender Naikon April 2021) |
Operation Wocao |
Operation Wocao has used the |
Cobalt Strike |
Cobalt Strike can enumerate services on compromised hosts.(Citation: Cobalt Strike Manual 4.3 November 2020) |
Volgmer |
Volgmer queries the system to identify existing services.(Citation: US-CERT Volgmer Nov 2017) |
LookBack |
LookBack can enumerate services on the victim machine.(Citation: Proofpoint LookBack Malware Aug 2019) |
Heyoka Backdoor |
Heyoka Backdoor can check if it is running as a service on a compromised host.(Citation: SentinelOne Aoqin Dragon June 2022) |
Aquatic Panda |
Aquatic Panda has attempted to discover services for third party EDR products.(Citation: CrowdStrike AQUATIC PANDA December 2021) |
Poseidon Group |
After compromising a victim, Poseidon Group discovers all running services.(Citation: Kaspersky Poseidon Group) |
Kimsuky |
Kimsuky has used an instrumentor script to gather the names of all services running on a victim's system.(Citation: Talos Kimsuky Nov 2021) |
Caterpillar WebShell |
Caterpillar WebShell can obtain a list of the services from a system.(Citation: ClearSky Lebanese Cedar Jan 2021) |
Chimera |
Chimera has used |
Ke3chang |
Ke3chang performs service discovery using |
InvisiMole |
InvisiMole can obtain running services on the victim.(Citation: ESET InvisiMole June 2018) |
GreyEnergy |
GreyEnergy enumerates all Windows services.(Citation: ESET GreyEnergy Oct 2018) |
SUNBURST |
SUNBURST collected a list of service names that were hashed using a FNV-1a + XOR algorithm to check against similarly-hashed hardcoded blocklists.(Citation: FireEye SUNBURST Backdoor December 2020) |
HyperBro |
HyperBro can list all services and their configurations.(Citation: Unit42 Emissary Panda May 2019) |
Hydraq |
Hydraq creates a backdoor through which remote attackers can monitor services.(Citation: Symantec Trojan.Hydraq Jan 2010)(Citation: Symantec Hydraq Jan 2010) |
GravityRAT |
GravityRAT has a feature to list the available services on the system.(Citation: Talos GravityRAT) |
REvil |
REvil can enumerate active services.(Citation: Intel 471 REvil March 2020) |
Cuba |
Cuba can query service status using |
SynAck |
SynAck enumerates all running services.(Citation: SecureList SynAck Doppelgänging May 2018)(Citation: Kaspersky Lab SynAck May 2018) |
HotCroissant |
HotCroissant has the ability to retrieve a list of services on the infected host.(Citation: Carbon Black HotCroissant April 2020) |
Earth Lusca |
Earth Lusca has used Tasklist to obtain information from a compromised host.(Citation: TrendMicro EarthLusca 2022) |
S-Type |
S-Type runs the command |
GeminiDuke |
GeminiDuke collects information on programs and services on the victim that are configured to automatically run at startup.(Citation: F-Secure The Dukes) |
During Operation Wocao, threat actors used the `tasklist` command to search for one of its backdoors.(Citation: FoxIT Wocao December 2019) |
|
ZLib |
ZLib has the ability to discover and manipulate Windows services.(Citation: Cylance Dust Storm) |
Emissary |
Emissary has the capability to execute the command |
Babuk |
Babuk can enumerate all services running on a compromised host.(Citation: McAfee Babuk February 2021) |
Ixeshe |
Ixeshe can list running services.(Citation: Trend Micro IXESHE 2012) |
SombRAT |
SombRAT can enumerate services on a victim machine.(Citation: BlackBerry CostaRicto November 2020) |
WINERACK |
WINERACK can enumerate services.(Citation: FireEye APT37 Feb 2018) |
Epic |
Epic uses the |
BitPaymer |
BitPaymer can enumerate existing Windows services on the host that are configured to run as LocalSystem.(Citation: Crowdstrike Indrik November 2018) |
TrickBot |
TrickBot collects a list of install programs and services on the system’s machine.(Citation: S2 Grupo TrickBot June 2017) |
JPIN |
JPIN can list running services.(Citation: Microsoft PLATINUM April 2016) |
admin@338 |
admin@338 actors used the following command following exploitation of a machine with LOWBALL malware to obtain information about services: |
During Operation CuckooBees, the threat actors used the `net start` command as part of their initial reconnaissance.(Citation: Cybereason OperationCuckooBees May 2022) |
|
Dyre |
Dyre has the ability to identify running services on a compromised host.(Citation: Malwarebytes Dyreza November 2015) |
APT1 |
APT1 used the commands |
ZxShell |
ZxShell can check the services on the system.(Citation: Talos ZxShell Oct 2014) |
SILENTTRINITY |
SILENTTRINITY can search for modifiable services that could be used for privilege escalation.(Citation: GitHub SILENTTRINITY Modules July 2019) |
Mitigations |
|
Mitigation | Description |
---|---|
System Service Discovery Mitigation |
Identify unnecessary system utilities or potentially malicious software that may be used to acquire information about services, and audit and/or block them by using whitelisting (Citation: Beechey 2010) tools, like AppLocker, (Citation: Windows Commands JPCERT) (Citation: NSA MS AppLocker) or Software Restriction Policies (Citation: Corio 2008) where appropriate. (Citation: TechNet Applocker vs SRP) |
Detection
System and network discovery techniques normally occur throughout an operation as an adversary learns the environment. Data and events should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of a chain of behavior that could lead to other activities, such as Lateral Movement, based on the information obtained. Monitor processes and command-line arguments for actions that could be taken to gather system information related to services. Remote access tools with built-in features may interact directly with the Windows API to gather information. Information may also be acquired through Windows system management tools such as Windows Management Instrumentation and PowerShell.
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Связанные риски
Каталоги
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