Potentially Suspicious EventLog Recon Behavior Via Log Query Utilities (via process_creation)

title: Potentially Suspicious EventLog Recon Behavior Via Log Query Utilities (via process_creation)
id: 62efcfda-22c8-5c96-a59a-cd5b0d296ae4
status: stable
description: This rule detects execution of different log query utilities and commands to search and dump the content of specific event logs or look for specific event IDs. This method is used by threat actors to extract sensitive information from events logs such as usernames, IP addresses, hostnames, etc.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1087/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/
    - http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2022/09/lazarus-three-rats.html
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2023/10/30/netsupport-intrusion-results-in-domain-compromise/
    - https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa23-144a
    - https://www.group-ib.com/blog/apt41-world-tour-2021/
    - https://labs.withsecure.com/content/dam/labs/docs/f-secureLABS-tlp-white-lazarus-threat-intel-report2.pdf
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.diagnostics/get-winevent?view=powershell-7.3
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-eventlog?view=powershell-5.1
    - http://www.solomonson.com/posts/2010-07-09-reading-eventviewer-command-line/
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wevtutil
    - https://ptsecurity.com/research/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/striking-panda-attacks-apt31-today
    - https://www.cybertriage.com/artifact/terminalservices_remoteconnectionmanager_log/
    - https://ponderthebits.com/2018/02/windows-rdp-related-event-logs-identification-tracking-and-investigation/
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-03-17
tags:
    - attack.credential-access
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.t1552
    - attack.t1087
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_wmi:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'Select'
            - 'Win32_NTLogEvent'
    selection_wevtutil_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\wevtutil.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'wevtutil.exe'
    selection_wevtutil_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - ' qe '
            - ' query-events '
    selection_wmic_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\wmic.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
    selection_wmic_cli:
        CommandLine|contains: ' ntevent'
    selection_cmdlet:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Get-WinEvent '
            - 'get-eventlog '
    selection_logs_name:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell'
            - 'Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing'
            - 'Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager'
            - 'Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-RemoteConnectionManager'
            - 'Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender'
            - 'PowerShellCore'
            - 'Security'
            - 'Windows PowerShell'
    selection_logs_eid:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '-InstanceId 462?'
            - '.eventid -eq 462?'
            - '.ID -eq 462?'
            - 'EventCode=?462?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?462?'
            - 'System[EventID=462?]'
            - '-InstanceId 4778'
            - '.eventid -eq 4778'
            - '.ID -eq 4778'
            - 'EventCode=?4778?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?4778?'
            - 'System[EventID=4778]'
            - '-InstanceId 25'
            - '.eventid -eq 25'
            - '.ID -eq 25'
            - 'EventCode=?25?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?25?'
            - 'System[EventID=25]'
            - '-InstanceId 1149'
            - '.eventid -eq 1149'
            - '.ID -eq 1149'
            - 'EventCode=?1149?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?1149?'
            - 'System[EventID=1149]'
            - '-InstanceId 21'
            - '.eventid -eq 21'
            - '.ID -eq 21'
            - 'EventCode=?21?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?21?'
            - 'System[EventID=21]'
            - '-InstanceId 22'
            - '.eventid -eq 22'
            - '.ID -eq 22'
            - 'EventCode=?22?'
            - 'EventIdentifier=?22?'
            - 'System[EventID=22]'
    condition: 1 of selection_logs_* and (selection_wmi or all of selection_wevtutil_* or all of selection_wmic_* or selection_cmdlet)
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_eventlog_content_recon/info.yml