Unusual File Creation - Alternate Data Stream

Last updated 6 days ago on 2025-05-08
Created 4 years ago on 2021-01-21

About

Identifies suspicious creation of Alternate Data Streams on highly targeted files. This is uncommon for legitimate files and sometimes done by adversaries to hide malware.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SysmonData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SentinelOneData Source: Elastic EndgameLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

Defense Evasion (TA0005)(opens in a new tab or window)

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
winlogbeat-*logs-endpoint.events.file-*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*endgame-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

windows(opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
file where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "creation" and

  file.path : "C:\\*:*" and
  not file.path : 
          ("C:\\*:zone.identifier*",
           "C:\\users\\*\\appdata\\roaming\\microsoft\\teams\\old_weblogs_*:$DATA",
           "C:\\Windows\\CSC\\*:CscBitmapStream") and

  not process.executable : (
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Dropbox\\Client\\Dropbox.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\EXCEL.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\OUTLOOK.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\POWERPNT.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\WINWORD.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\ExpressConnect\\ExpressConnectNetworkService.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\EXCEL.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\OUTLOOK.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\POWERPNT.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\*\\WINWORD.EXE",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection\\MsSense.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\Rivet Networks\\SmartByte\\SmartByteNetworkService.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\explorer.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\DataExchangeHost.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\drivers\\Intel\\ICPS\\IntelConnectivityNetworkService.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\drivers\\RivetNetworks\\Killer\\KillerNetworkService.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\inetsrv\\w3wp.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\PickerHost.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\RuntimeBroker.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\SearchProtocolHost.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\sihost.exe",
          "?:\\windows\\System32\\svchost.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\System32\\WFS.exe"
  ) and

  file.extension :
    (
      "pdf", "dll", "exe", "dat", "com", "bat", "cmd", "sys", "vbs", "ps1", "hta", "txt", "vbe", "js",
      "wsh", "docx", "doc", "xlsx", "xls", "pptx", "ppt", "rtf", "gif", "jpg", "png", "bmp", "img", "iso"
    )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Unusual File Creation - Alternate Data Stream 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).