---
title: Group Policy Abuse for Privilege Addition
description: Detects the first occurrence of a modification to Group Policy Object Attributes to add privileges to user accounts or use them to add users as local...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/security/prebuilt-rules/rules/windows/privilege_escalation_group_policy_privileged_groups
---

# Group Policy Abuse for Privilege Addition

Detects the first occurrence of a modification to Group Policy Object Attributes to add privileges to user accounts or
use them to add users as local admins.
**Rule type**: eql
**Rule indices**:
- logs-system.security*
- logs-windows.forwarded*
- winlogbeat-*

**Rule Severity**: high
**Risk Score**: 73
**Runs every**: 
**Searches indices from**: ``
**Maximum alerts per execution**: ?
**References**:
- [https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/master/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0025_windows_audit_directory_service_changes.md](https://github.com/atc-project/atc-data/blob/master/docs/Logging_Policies/LP_0025_windows_audit_directory_service_changes.md)
- [https://labs.f-secure.com/tools/sharpgpoabuse](https://labs.f-secure.com/tools/sharpgpoabuse)

**Tags**:
- Domain: Endpoint
- OS: Windows
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Privilege Escalation
- Data Source: Active Directory
- Resources: Investigation Guide
- Use Case: Active Directory Monitoring
- Data Source: Windows Security Event Logs

**Version**: ?
**Rule authors**:
- Elastic

**Rule license**: Elastic License v2

## Setup

The 'Audit Directory Service Changes' audit policy must be configured (Success Failure).
Steps to implement the logging policy with Advanced Audit Configuration:
```
Computer Configuration >
Policies >
Windows Settings >
Security Settings >
Advanced Audit Policies Configuration >
Audit Policies >
DS Access >
Audit Directory Service Changes (Success,Failure)
```


## Investigation guide


## Triage and analysis


### Investigating Group Policy Abuse for Privilege Addition

Group Policy Objects (GPOs) can be used to add rights and/or modify Group Membership on GPOs by changing the contents of an INF file named GptTmpl.inf, which is responsible for storing every setting under the Security Settings container in the GPO. This file is unique for each GPO, and only exists if the GPO contains security settings. Example Path: "\DC.com\SysVol\DC.com\Policies{PolicyGUID}\Machine\Microsoft\Windows NT\SecEdit\GptTmpl.inf"

#### Possible investigation steps

- This attack abuses a legitimate mechanism of Active Directory, so it is important to determine whether the activity is legitimate and the administrator is authorized to perform this operation.
- Retrieve the contents of the `GptTmpl.inf` file, and under the `Privilege Rights` section, look for potentially dangerous high privileges, for example: SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege, SeEnableDelegationPrivilege, etc.
- Inspect the user security identifiers (SIDs) associated with these privileges, and if they should have these privileges.


### False positive analysis

- Inspect whether the user that has done the modifications should be allowed to. The user name can be found in the `winlog.event_data.SubjectUserName` field.


### Related rules

- Scheduled Task Execution at Scale via GPO - 15a8ba77-1c13-4274-88fe-6bd14133861e
- Startup/Logon Script added to Group Policy Object - 16fac1a1-21ee-4ca6-b720-458e3855d046


### Response and remediation

- Initiate the incident response process based on the outcome of the triage.
- The investigation and containment must be performed in every computer controlled by the GPO, where necessary.
- Remove the script from the GPO.
- Check if other GPOs have suspicious scripts attached.


## Rule Query

```eql
any where host.os.type == "windows" and event.code: "5136" and
  winlog.event_data.AttributeLDAPDisplayName: "gPCMachineExtensionNames" and
  winlog.event_data.AttributeValue: "*827D319E-6EAC-11D2-A4EA-00C04F79F83A*" and
  winlog.event_data.AttributeValue: "*803E14A0-B4FB-11D0-A0D0-00A0C90F574B*"
```

**Framework:** MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic:  
  - Name: Privilege Escalation
  - Id: TA0004
  - Reference URL: [https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0004/)
- Technique:  
  - Name: Domain or Tenant Policy Modification
  - Id: T1484
  - Reference URL: [https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/)
- Sub Technique:  
  - Name: Group Policy Modification
  - Id: T1484.001
  - Reference URL: [https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/001/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1484/001/)
