Fodhelper.exe UAC bypass

Cortex XDR Analytics Alert Reference by Alert name

Product
Cortex XDR
Last date published
2024-10-08
Category
Analytics Alert Reference
Order
Alert name

Synopsis

Activation Period

14 Days

Training Period

30 Days

Test Period

N/A (single event)

Deduplication Period

1 Day

Required Data

  • Requires:
    • XDR Agent

Detection Modules

Detector Tags

ATT&CK Tactic

Privilege Escalation (TA0004)

ATT&CK Technique

Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control (T1548.002)

Severity

Medium

Description

Attackers may use Fodhelper.exe to bypass UAC (User Account Control) by having it spawn their malicious process.

Attacker's Goals

Gain higher privileges by bypassing the User Account Control (UAC).

Investigative actions

  • Search for a registry event that changes the key Software\Classes\ms-settings.
  • Review the process that made the registry key.
  • Check whether the executing process is benign, and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.