Elastic Security Detection Rules

Web Shell Detection: Script Process Child of Common Web Processes

Last updated 5 months ago on 2025-03-20
Created 4 years ago on 2021-08-24

About

Identifies suspicious commands executed via a web server, which may suggest a vulnerability and remote shell access.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: PersistenceTactic: Initial AccessTactic: ExecutionData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SentinelOneData Source: Windows Security Event LogsData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SysmonData Source: CrowdstrikeLanguage: eql
Severity
high
Risk Score
73
MITRE ATT&CK™

Persistence (TA0003)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Server Software Component (T1505)(opens in a new tab or window)

Initial Access (TA0001)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190)(opens in a new tab or window)

Execution (TA0002)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Windows Management Instrumentation (T1047)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059)(opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Security audits, maintenance, and network administrative scripts may trigger this alert when run under web processes.
License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
endgame-*logs-crowdstrike.fdr*logs-endpoint.events.process-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*winlogbeat-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

windows(opens in a new tab or window)

system(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(opens in a new tab or window)

crowdstrike(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
  process.parent.name : ("w3wp.exe", "httpd.exe", "nginx.exe", "php.exe", "php-cgi.exe", "tomcat.exe") and
  process.name : ("cmd.exe", "cscript.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe", "wmic.exe", "wscript.exe") and
  not
  (
    process.parent.name : ("php.exe", "httpd.exe") and process.name : "cmd.exe" and
    process.command_line : (
      "cmd.exe /c mode CON",
      "cmd.exe /s /c \"mode CON\"",
      "cmd.exe /c \"mode\"",
      "cmd.exe /s /c \"tput colors 2>&1\""
    )
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Web Shell Detection: Script Process Child of Common Web Processes in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(opens in a new tab or window).