Detecting the presence of PrintSpoofer tool

Prerequisite:

The rule requires auditing to be enabled for proper functioning.

Rule type:

Correlation rule

Rule description:

This correlation rule aims to identify potential attempts to utilize PrintSpoofer, a tool designed to escalate user privileges on Windows systems. It is used for:

• Gaining administrator access: Elevating privileges to perform unauthorized actions, steal sensitive data, or deploy malware.
• Maintaining persistence: Establishing long-term access on a compromised system by escalating privileges and hiding malicious activities.
• Lateral movement: Using elevated privileges to move across the network and compromise other systems.

Data source:

Windows: user account, network traffic, process

Relevant MITRE ATT&CK techniques and tactics:

Tactics: TA0004 - Privilege Escalation, TA0005 - Defense Evasion, TA0008 - Lateral Movement, TA0002 - Execution

Techniques: T1548 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism, T1021 - Remote Services, T1072 - Software Deployment Tools

Sub-techniques: T1548.003: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, T1021.002: SMB/Windows File Sharing

Criteria:

Process name ends with PrintSpoofer.exe: This criterion directly targets processes named "PrintSpoofer.exe". Malicious actors might use executables with this name to perform spoofing activities.

Process name ends with Spoof.uxe.tmp: This criterion targets processes with names ending in "Spoof.uxe.tmp". The ".tmp" extension often indicates temporary files, but spoofing malware might use filenames like this to disguise itself as a temporary file while spoofing.

When to enable this rule:

Enable this rule when the user wants to:

• detect attempts to escalate privileges or maintain persistence on a system.
• identify potential lateral movement within the network.

Compliance mapping (NIST, CIS):

Enabling this rule will help you comply with the below security standards' requirements:

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF):

• Anomalies in System Process Execution (DE.AE-1): Detection of suspicious process executions associated with PrintSpoofer, such as attempts to exploit Windows print spooler service vulnerabilities.
• Irregular Access to Credential Stores (DE.CM-1): Identification of unauthorized access attempts or modifications related to credential stores or system services.
• Security Log Anomalies (DE.CM-7): Alerting on activities indicating attempts to exploit print spooler vulnerabilities or escalate privileges.

CIS:

• Control 8: Malware Defense: Implement mechanisms to detect and prevent the execution of PrintSpoofer and similar tools targeting print spooler vulnerabilities.
• Control 6: Maintenance, Monitoring, and Analysis of Audit Logs: Continuously monitor audit logs for anomalies indicating PrintSpoofer usage or suspicious activities targeting print services.

Next steps:

Upon triggering this alert, the following actions can be taken:

• Identification: Mark this alert as a part of an existing incident or initiate a new incident. Assigning the incident to an analyst for in-depth examination.
• Analysis: Conduct an impact investigation and thoroughly analyze the degree of compromise utilizing the Incident Workbench to gain insights into the threat's severity.
• Response: Initiate automated workflow execution to swiftly terminate the identified malicious process, leveraging Workflows for prompt mitigation.