Windows Audit Policy Tampering Using auditpol from NT Resource Kit

Detects auditpol runs with flags that disable key audit categories, indicating potential audit policy tampering for defense impairment.

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windows-audit-policy-tampering-using-auditpol-from-nt-resource-kit-c6c56ada

title: Windows Audit Policy Tampering Using auditpol from NT Resource Kit
id: 27b7e1a9-056e-4b7d-a65c-54810d8fe569
related:
  - id: 0a13e132-651d-11eb-ae93-0242ac130002
    type: similar
  - id: c6c56ada-612b-42d1-9a29-adad3c5c2c1e
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags process executions of auditpol with audit policy-related command-line flags that suppress logon, system, SAM, privilege, object, process, and policy auditing. Attackers may use an older auditpol utility from the NT resource kit to impair detection by disabling or removing selected audit policies or restoring a custom policy. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry and matching specific command-line substrings in the executed command.
references:
  - https://github.com/3CORESec/MAL-CL/tree/master/Descriptors/Windows%202000%20Resource%20Kit%20Tools/AuditPol
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_auditpol_nt_resource_kit_usage.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2021-12-18
modified: 2023-02-21
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685.001
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - /logon:none
      - /system:none
      - /sam:none
      - /privilege:none
      - /object:none
      - /process:none
      - /policy:none
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - The old auditpol utility isn't available by default on recent versions of Windows as it was replaced by a newer version. The FP rate should be very low except for tools that use a similar flag structure
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

What it detects

This rule flags process executions of auditpol with audit policy-related command-line flags that suppress logon, system, SAM, privilege, object, process, and policy auditing. Attackers may use an older auditpol utility from the NT resource kit to impair detection by disabling or removing selected audit policies or restoring a custom policy. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry and matching specific command-line substrings in the executed command.

Known false positives

The old auditpol utility isn't available by default on recent versions of Windows as it was replaced by a newer version. The FP rate should be very low except for tools that use a similar flag structure

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.