KARIM ASHRAF SPACE.
  • Who Am I ?
  • WRITEUPS
    • What about Practice in Cyber Security?
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    • Cyberdefenders Labs
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      • Incident Responder Path
        • Cybersecurity Incident Handling Guide
          • Introduction to Incident Handling
          • Incident Handling Steps
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          • Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
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        • Incident Response on Windows
          • How to Create Incident Response Plan?
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          • Introduction to Hacked Web Server Analysis
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          • Discovering the Web Shell
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        • Log Analysis with Sysmon
          • Introduction and Set Up of Sysmon
          • Detecting Mimikatz with Sysmon
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        • Forensic Acquisition and Triage
          • Introduction to Forensics Acquisition and Triage
          • Acquiring Memory Image From Windows and Linux
          • Custom Image Using FTK and Mounting Image for Analysis
          • KAPE Targets for Acquisition
          • KAPE Modules for Triage and Analysis
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          • Introduction to Windows Registry Forensics
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          • Regedit and Registry Explorer
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          • Shellbags
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          • Recent Files
          • Dialogue Boxes MRU
        • Event Log Analysis
          • Introduction to Event Logs
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          • Introduction to Browser Forensics
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          • Tool: BrowsingHistoryView
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          • Introduction to GTFOBins
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          • Introduction to Active Directory
          • Hunting AS-REP Roasting Attack
          • Hunting for Kerberoasting Attacks
          • Hunting for LDAP Enumerations (Bloodhound_Sharphound)
          • Hunting for NTDS Database Dumping
          • Hunting for Golden Ticket Attacks
          • Hunting for NTLM Relay Attacks
        • Writing a Report on Security Incident
          • Introduction to Technical Writing
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        • How to Prepare a Cyber Crisis Management Pla
          • Introduction to Crisis Management
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    • BTLO LABS
      • Bruteforce BTLO
    • The Complete Active Directory Security Handbook
      • Introduction
      • Active Directory
      • Attack Technique 1: Pass the Hash: Use of Alternate Authentication Material (T1550)
      • Attack Technique 2: Pass the Ticket: Use of Alternate Authentication Material (T1550)
      • Attack Technique 3: Kerberoasting
      • Attack Technique 4: Golden Ticket Attack
      • Attack Technique 5: DCShadow Attack
      • Attack Technique 6: AS-REP Roasting
      • Attack Technique 7: LDAP Injection Attack
      • Attack Technique 8: PetitPotam NTLM Relay Attack on a Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
      • Conclusion & References
    • Windows Privilege Escalation
      • Tools
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      • EoP - Named Pipes
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      • EoP - From local administrator to NT SYSTEM
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      • EoP - Impersonation Privileges
      • EoP - Privileged File Write
      • References
      • Practical Labs
    • Advanced Log Analysis
      • Key Windows Event IDs for Cybersecurity Monitoring
      • Analyzing a Series of Failed Login Attempts from Multiple IP Addresses
      • Steps to Investigate Suspicious Outbound Network Traffic
      • Identifying and Responding to Lateral Movement within a Network
      • Distinguishing Between Legitimate and Malicious PowerShell Executions
      • Detecting and Analyzing a Potential Data Exfiltration Incident Using Log Data
      • Steps to Analyze PowerShell Logging (Event ID 4104) for Malicious Activity
      • How to Identify an Internal Pivot Attack Using Log Data
      • Indicators in Logs Suggesting a Privilege Escalation Attack
      • How to Detect Command and Control (C2) Communication Using Log Analysis
      • How to Analyze Logs to Detect a Brute-Force Attack on an RDP Service
      • How to Analyze Logs to Detect a Brute-Force Attack on an RDP Service
      • How to Detect the Use of Living-Off-the-Land Binaries (LOLBins) in Logs
      • How to Detect Malware Masquerading as a Legitimate Process Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Analyze Lateral Movement Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect Potential Ransomware Attacks in Their Early Stages Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Analyze Privilege Escalation Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect the Use of Mimikatz or Similar Tools in Log Data
      • How to Detect and Analyze DNS Tunneling Through Log Analysis
      • How to Detect a Pass-the-Hash (PtH) Attack Using Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze an Attacker’s Use of a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Using Log Data
      • How to Detect Lateral Movement Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect and Investigate Data Exfiltration Using Logs
      • How to Identify and Analyze an Internal Phishing Campaign Using Email and System Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze Ransomware Activity Using Logs
      • How to Detect Malicious PowerShell Activity Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Respond to Brute-Force Attacks Using Log Data
      • How to Detect Privilege Escalation Attempts Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious Domain Name Resolution Requests in DNS Logs
      • How to Detect and Respond to Unauthorized Access to Critical Files
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious PowerShell Command Execution
      • How to Detect and Investigate Account Takeover (ATO) Attempts Using
      • How to Detect and Analyze the Use of Living Off the Land Binaries (LOLBins)
      • How to Detect and Investigate Lateral Movement
      • How to Detect and Investigate Data Exfiltration
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious Activity Involving Service Accounts
      • How to Detect and Investigate Anomalous PowerShell Activity Related to Credential Dumping
      • How to Detect and Analyze the Execution of Unsigned or Malicious Executables
      • How to Detect and Investigate Abnormal Spikes in Network Traffic
    • Methods for Stealing Password in Browser
      • Important Tables and Columns
      • Important Queries
      • Profiles
      • Tools
        • HackBrowserData
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        • BrowserPass
        • WebBrowserPassView
        • Infornito
        • Hindsight
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    • Hack The Box Tracks
      • Soc Analyst Path 2024
        • 1. Incident Handling Process
          • Incident Handling Definition & Scope
          • Incident Handling's Value & Generic Notes
          • Cyber Kill Chain
          • Incident Handling Process Overview
          • Preparation Stage (Part 1)
          • Preparation Stage (Part 2)
          • DMARC
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          • Detection & Analysis Stage (Part 1)
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          • Detection & Analysis Stage (Part 2)
          • The Investigation
          • Initial Investigation Data
          • Creation & Usage Of IOCs
          • Identification Of New Leads & Impacted Systems
          • Data Collection & Analysis From The New Leads & Impacted Systems
          • Containment
          • Eradication
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          • Post-Incident Activity Stage
          • Reporting
        • 2. Security Monitoring & SIEM Fundamentals
          • What Is SIEM?
          • The Evolution Of SIEM And How It Works
          • SIEM Business Requirements & Use Cases Log Aggregation & Normalization
          • Data Flows Within A SIEM
          • What Are The Benefits Of Using A SIEM Solution
          • What Is the Elastic Stack?
          • The Elastic Stack As A SIEM Solution
          • How To Identify The Available Data
          • The Elastic Common Schema (ECS)
          • SOC Definition & Fundamentals
          • Evolution of Security Operations Centers (SOCs)
          • What Is MITRE ATT&CK?
          • What Is A SIEM Use Case?
          • How To Build SIEM Use Cases
          • SIEM Visualization Example 1: Failed Logon Attempts (All Users)
          • SIEM Visualization Example 2: Failed Logon Attempts (Disabled Users)
          • SIEM Visualization Example 3: Successful RDP Logon Related To Service Accounts
          • SIEM Visualization Example 4: Users Added or Removed from a Local Group
          • What Is Alert Triaging?
  • COURSES SUMMARY
    • TCM SEC
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    • The SecOps Group
      • Certified AppSec Practitioner exam
      • CNSP Review
    • Cybrary
      • Cybrary Offensive Pentesting
  • TIPS&TRICKS
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    • Intel TurboBoost
    • Pentest_Copilot
    • Ferdium
    • Youtube Adblock_Bybass
    • Burb-Bambdas
    • Burb Customizer
    • BetterFox
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On this page
  • Monitoring and Analyzing MSI Event Logs for Threat Detection
  • Key MSI Event IDs for Detection
  • 1. Event ID 1040 - MSI Installation/Uninstallation Start
  • 2. Event ID 11707 - MSI Installation Complete
  • 3. Event ID 1033 - Validation and Installation Success
  • 4. Event ID 1034 - MSI Product Removal
  • Analyzing MSI Logs
  • Practical Detection Examples
  • 1. Suspicious MSI Installation Path
  • 2. Unexpected Manufacturer
  • 3. Malware Uninstallation
  • 4. Installation Error Logs
  • Defensive Measures
  • Key Points
  1. WRITEUPS
  2. Lets Defend
  3. Incident Responder Path
  4. Advanced Event Log Analysis

MSI Event Logs

Monitoring and Analyzing MSI Event Logs for Threat Detection

Microsoft Installer (MSI) files are a standard format for software installation on Windows systems. While they facilitate legitimate installations, attackers often exploit MSI files to distribute malware under the guise of trusted updates or applications. By analyzing MSI event logs, security analysts can distinguish between benign and malicious activities.

Key MSI Event IDs for Detection

Here are the critical MSI-related Event IDs to monitor for identifying potential malicious activities:

1. Event ID 1040 - MSI Installation/Uninstallation Start

Purpose: Logs the initiation of an MSI installation or uninstallation process.

Details:

  • Full Path of the MSI file.

  • Process ID of the installer process.

Use Case:

  • Detect unauthorized or unexpected MSI installations.

Example Log:

Event ID: 1040  
Path: C:\Temp\malicious.msi  
Process ID: 1234

2. Event ID 11707 - MSI Installation Complete

Purpose: Logs the completion of an MSI installation or uninstallation.

Details:

  • Status Code indicating the result of the installation:

    • 0: Installation succeeded.

Use Case:

  • Validate if the MSI installation was successful or failed.

Example Log:

Event ID: 11707  
Status: 0 (Success)  
Product: LegitApp

3. Event ID 1033 - Validation and Installation Success

Purpose: Indicates that an MSI package was validated and installed successfully.

Details:

  • Product Name: Installed application name.

  • Product Version: Installed software version.

  • Manufacturer Name: Source of the MSI file.

Use Case:

  • Compare the Manufacturer Name against known vendors to detect suspicious or tampered MSI files.

Example Log:

Event ID: 1033  
Product Name: FakeApp  
Product Version: 1.0  
Manufacturer: UnknownVendor

4. Event ID 1034 - MSI Product Removal

Purpose: Logs the uninstallation of an MSI-installed product.

Details:

  • Product Name: Name of the removed application.

Use Case:

  • Malware often uninstalls itself after execution. Tracking removals can help uncover these activities.

Example Log:

Event ID: 1034  
Product Name: MaliciousApp  
Removal initiated.

Analyzing MSI Logs

How to View MSI Events:

  1. Open Event Viewer.

  2. Navigate to: Windows Logs > Application Logs.

  3. Filter Current Log:

    • Select Event Source: MsiInstaller.

    • Apply filters for Event IDs: 1040, 11707, 1033, 1034.

Practical Detection Examples

1. Suspicious MSI Installation Path

  • MSI files originating from directories like Downloads or Temp may indicate malicious behavior.

  • Example:

    Product: MaliciousApp  
Path: C:\Temp\malicious.msi

2. Unexpected Manufacturer

  • Compare the Manufacturer Name to known vendors.

  • Example:

    • Legitimate software, such as Microsoft Teams, should display Microsoft Corporation.

3. Malware Uninstallation

  • Event ID 1034 logs an MSI product removal immediately after installation, suggesting potential malicious activity.

  • Example:

    Product: MaliciousApp  
Removal initiated shortly after installation.

4. Installation Error Logs

  • Non-zero status codes in Event ID 1033 may indicate tampered or misconfigured MSI files.

Defensive Measures

  1. Monitor MSI Installations on Critical Systems

    • Automate alerts for MSI-related events, particularly on servers or administrative workstations.

  2. Correlate with Network Activity

    • Look for MSI installations followed by suspicious outbound connections.

    • Attackers may download additional payloads post-installation.

  3. Threat Intelligence Validation

    • Validate MSI file URLs or hashes using threat intelligence platforms such as:

      • VirusTotal

      • AbuseIPDB

      • Shodan

Key Points

MSI event logs provide valuable insights into installation and uninstallation activities. By monitoring critical Event IDs (1040, 11707, 1033, 1034) and correlating them with other security data, analysts can detect and respond to potential misuse of MSI files for malicious purposes.

Integrating MSI monitoring into a SIEM system enhances real-time detection and incident response, contributing to a more robust security posture.

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Last updated 6 months ago