Techniques › T1124 › AN0430
AN0430 Analytic 0430
Windows · attack.mitre.org · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2
<p>Untrusted or unusual process/script (cmd.exe, powershell.exe, w32tm.exe, net.exe, custom binaries) queries system time/timezone (e.g., w32tm /tz, net time \\host, Get-TimeZone, GetTickCount API) and (optionally) is followed within a short window by time-based scheduling or conditional execution (e.g., schtasks /create, at.exe, PowerShell Start-Sleep with large values).</p>
- Detects
- T1124 System Time Discovery
- Part of
- DET0151 Behavior-chain, platform-aware detection strategy for T1124 System Time Discovery
Log sources and channels
Exactly as MITRE states them in x_mitre_log_source_references. Where a channel is vague, it is vague in the source; kevmap does not tidy it.
| Log source | Channel | Data component |
|---|---|---|
| WinEventLog:Security | EventCode=4688 | DC0032 Process Creation |
| WinEventLog:Sysmon | EventCode=7 | DC0016 Module Load |
| WinEventLog:Sysmon | EventCode=10 | DC0035 Process Access |
| WinEventLog:Sysmon | EventCode=11 | DC0039 File Creation |
| WinEventLog:PowerShell | EventCode=4103, 4104, 4105, 4106 | DC0064 Command Execution |
| etw:Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Process | High-frequency or suspicious sequence of QueryPerformanceCounter/GetTickCount API calls from a non-standard process lineage | DC0021 OS API Execution |
| WinEventLog:TaskScheduler | EventCode=106 | DC0001 Scheduled Job Creation |
| WinEventLog:TaskScheduler | Task registration/execution shortly after a time discovery event | DC0005 Scheduled Job Metadata |
| EDR:Telemetry | Process lineage and API usage enrichment (GetSystemTime, GetTimeZoneInformation, NtQuerySystemTime) | DC0034 Process Metadata |
Mutable elements
Parameters MITRE marks as environment-specific. These are the knobs you are expected to tune; they are why an analytic is not a rule.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
TimeWindow | Correlation window (e.g., 5–15 minutes) between time discovery and follow-on scheduling/conditional actions. |
AllowedParents | Legitimate parent processes (e.g., corporate scripts, management agents) that frequently call time APIs. |
CommandlineKeywordList | Extend/restrict keyword list for time queries (e.g., custom PS functions, .NET calls). |
UserContextScope | Restrict to non-service, non-administrative, or newly created/rare users. |
ProcessPrevalenceThreshold | Frequency threshold to exclude common estate-wide benign usage. |