create_remote_thread_in_shell_application.yml

name: Create Remote Thread In Shell Application
id: 10399c1e-f51e-11eb-b920-acde48001122
version: 13
creation_date: '2021-08-05'
modification_date: '2026-06-29'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: |-
    The following analytic detects suspicious process injection in command shell applications, specifically targeting `cmd.exe` and `powershell.exe`.
    It leverages Sysmon EventCode 8 to identify the creation of remote threads within these shell processes.
    This activity is significant because it is a common technique used by malware, such as IcedID, to inject malicious code and execute it within legitimate processes.
    If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or maintain persistence within the environment, posing a severe threat to system security.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 8
search: |-
    `sysmon`
    EventCode=8
    TargetImage IN (
        "*\\cmd.exe",
        "*\\powershell_ise.exe",
        "*\\powershell.exe",
        "*\\pwsh.exe"
    )
    | stats count min(_time) as firstTime
                  max(_time) as lastTime
                  values(NewThreadId) as "NewThreadId"
                  values(StartAddress) as "StartAddress"
      by dest signature_id signature
         SourceProcessGuid SourceProcessId SourceImage
         TargetProcessGuid TargetProcessId TargetImage
         StartModule StartFunction vendor_product
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `create_remote_thread_in_shell_application_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the process name, parent process, and command-line executions from your endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 6.0.4 of the Sysmon TA.
known_false_positives: No false positives have been identified at this time.
references:
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2021/07/19/icedid-and-cobalt-strike-vs-antivirus/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: The process $SourceImage$ created a remote thread into the shell app process $TargetImage$ in host $dest$
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
threat_objects:
    - field: SourceImage
      type: process_name
    - field: TargetImage
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - IcedID
    - Qakbot
    - Warzone RAT
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1055
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/icedid/simulated_icedid/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit