Unusual Connection to Active Directory Web Services (via network_connection)

title: Unusual Connection to Active Directory Web Services (via network_connection)
id: 925451ab-ff4c-5871-b3b4-c8d36d7a944d
status: stable
description: This rule detects uncommon network connections to the Active Directory Web Services (ADWS) from processes not usually linked with ADWS management.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1087/
    - https://medium.com/falconforce/soaphound-tool-to-collect-active-directory-data-via-adws-165aca78288c
    - https://github.com/FalconForceTeam/FalconFriday/blob/a9219dfcfd89836f34660223f47d766982bdce46/Discovery/ADWS_Connection_from_Unexpected_Binary-Win.md
author: 'Huntrule Team'
date: 2026-05-07
tags:
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.t1087
logsource:
    category: network_connection
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Initiated: true
        DestinationPort: 9389
    filter_main_dsac:
        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\dsac.exe'
    filter_main_ms_monitoring_agent:
        Image: 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\'
    filter_main_powershell:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7-preview\pwsh.ex'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\'
            - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium