Elastic Security Detection Rules

Execution via Windows Command Debugging Utility

Last updated 10 days ago on 2025-02-21
Created 7 months ago on 2024-07-24

About

An adversary can use the Windows command line debugging utility cdb.exe to execute commands or shellcode. This rule looks for those instances and where the cdb.exe binary is outside of the normal WindowsKit installation paths.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SysmonData Source: SentinelOneData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: CrowdstrikeData Source: Windows Security Event LogsLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

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

↳ System Binary Proxy Execution (T1218)(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
endgame-*logs-crowdstrike.fdr*logs-endpoint.events.process-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
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.pe.original_file_name == "CDB.Exe" or process.name : "cdb.exe") and
  process.args : ("-cf", "-c", "-pd") and
  not process.executable : (
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*\\cdb.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files\\*\\cdb.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume?\\Program Files (x86)\\*\\cdb.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume?\\Program Files\\*\\cdb.exe"
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Execution via Windows Command Debugging Utility 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).