Windows logging cheat sheet
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The document is a comprehensive cheat sheet for setting up Windows logging and audit policies, specifically for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 or later. It outlines essential steps to enable and configure logging, including local log size adjustments, enabling DNS and DHCP logging, and utilizing utilities like auditpol and wevtutil for managing logs. Additionally, the document provides detailed instructions on gathering and harvesting log data for effective monitoring and security management.
![April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 4 of 6
WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later
GATHER::
1. AUDITPOL: Use this utility to view your current log settings
a. List all Policies categories: AuditPol /List /Subcategory:*
b. List what is SET: AuditPol /get /category:*
c. List what is SET for a subcategory:
AuditPol /get /category:"Object Access”
2. Reg.exe: Use this utility to query the registry
a. Changes to AppInit_Dlls - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows" /v
AppInit_Dlls
b. Changes to Services Keys - reg query "HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServices"
c. Changes to Machine Run Key - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun”
d. Changes to Machine RunOnce Key - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce”
e. Changes to User Run Key - reg query "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun”
f. Changes to User RunOnce Key - reg query "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce”
g.
3. SC.exe: Use this utility to query the services (sc /? For help)
a. List all services in any state – sc.exe query state= all (Note: ‘space’ after the = sign)
b. Look for a specific service – sc.exe query state= all | find /I “telnet”
c. After finding the ‘Display_Name’ then look for the ‘Service_Name’ to get the short name
GATHER::
1. WEvtUtil: Use this utility to query your logs
a. WevtUtil qe Security – query the Security Log for events
i. Lots of flags here so read help “WevtUtil -?”
ii. /c:5 = Read 5 events
iii. /rd:true = newest events first
iv. /f:text = format text, also can do XML
b. Success & Failed Logons - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4624 or EventID=4625)]]" /c:5 /rd:true
/f:text >Parsed%computername%_Logon_Events_Win7.log
c. User Account Change - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4738)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text
>ParsedR_%computername%_User_Account_Change_Win7.log
d. New Service Installed - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=7045)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text
>ParsedR_%computername%_New_Service_Installed_Win7.log
e. User Account Changes - wevtutil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4725 or EventID=4722 or EventID=4723 or
EventID=4724 or EventID=4726 or EventID=4767)]]" /c:10 /f:text
2. Filtering Log Results: Use this method to filter lines within the logs
a. Registry Changed – Find entries with ‘Object Name’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4657)]]" /c:5
/rd:true /f:text |find /i"Object Name"
b. File or Registry Changed – Find entries with ‘Object Name’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4663)]]"
/c:50 /rd:true /f:text |find /i "Object Name"
c. Files – Find new files with ‘Wbem’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4663)]]" /c:50 /rd:true /f:text
|find /i "wbem"](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/windowsloggingcheatsheetv1-150323221343-conversion-gate01/85/Windows-logging-cheat-sheet-4-320.jpg)
Windows logging cheat sheet
- 1. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 1 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later ENABLE:: 1. LOCAL LOG SIZE: Increase the size of your local logs. Don’t worry you have plenty of disk space, CPU is not an issue a. Application, Security & System to 32k or larger b. PowerShell logs too c. Whatever else you want as well 2. LOCAL SECURITY POLICY: Change Security Options – “Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings” to ENABLE. This sets the system to force use of the “Advanced Audit Policies” 3. GROUP POLICY: All settings mentioned should be set with Active Directory Group Policy in order to enforce these settings enterprise wide. There are cases where the Local Security Policy would be used. ENABLE:: 1. DNS LOGS: Enable DNS Logging. Capture what DNS queries are happening. “systemrootSystem32DnsDns.log” a. EventID = 2. DHCP LOGS: Add your DHCP Logs – “%windir%System32Dhcp.” This will allow you to detect rogue systems on your network that fall outside your naming convention. a. EventID = 10 – New IP address was leased DEFINITIONS:: ENABLE: Things you must do to enable logging to start collecting and keeping events. CONFIGURE: Configuration that is needed to refine what events you will collect. GATHER: Tools/Utilities that you can use locally on the system to set or gather log related information – AuditPol, WEvtUtil, Find, etc. HARVEST: Events that you would want to harvest into some centralized Event log management solution like syslog, SIEM, Splunk, etc. RESOURCES: Places to get information on EventID’s www.ultimatewindowssecurity.com/securitylog/encyclopedia/Default.aspx - Better descriptions of Event OD’s www.EventID.Net – Most of the Event ID’s Google! – But of course IIS Error Codes - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318380 - IIS Error Codes http://cryptome.org/2014/01/nsa-windows-event.pdf - Good Article http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd772712(v=ws.10).aspx – MS Adv Security Audit Policy Descriptions This “Windows Logging Cheat Sheet” is intended to help you get started setting up basic and necessary Windows Audit Policy and Logging. By no means is this list extensive; but it does include some very common items that should be enabled, configured, gathered and harvested for any Log Management Program. Start with these settings and add to it as you understand better what is in your logs and what you need.
- 2. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 2 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later Windows Audit Policy settings may be set by the Local Security Policy, Group Policy (preferred) or by command line using ‘AuditPol.exe’. Be sure to select “Configure the following audit events” box on items that say “No Audit” or the policy will not apply. Any that are left blank will break the GPO and auditing will not be applied. CONFIGURE:: 1. SYSTEM AUDIT POLICIES: In order to capture what you want and need the following Advanced Audit Policies must be set. You may expand these to your specific needs, but here is a place to start. List out the System audit policy Command: AuditPol /get /category:* Category/Subcategory Setting ------------------------------- ------------------------ Account Logon Credential Validation Success and Failure Kerberos Authentication Service No Auditing Kerberos Service Ticket Oper No Auditing Other Account Logon Events Success and Failure Account Management Application Group Management Success and Failure Computer Account Management Success and Failure Distribution Group Management Success and Failure Other Acct Management Events Success and Failure Security Group Management Success and Failure User Account Management Success and Failure Detailed Tracking DPAPI Activity No Auditing Process Creation Success and Failure Process Termination Success and Failure RPC Events Success and Failure DS Access Detailed Directory Service Repl No Auditing Directory Service Access No Auditing Directory Service Changes Success and Failure Directory Service Replication No Auditing Logon/Logoff Account Lockout Success IPsec Main Mode No Auditing IPsec Quick Mode No Auditing IPsec Extended Mode No Auditing Logoff Success Logon Success and Failure Network Policy Server Success and Failure Other Logon/Logoff Events Success and Failure Special Logon Success and Failure CONFIGURE:: SYSTEM AUDIT POLICIES: Continued To set an item: Auditpol /set /category:"Account Management" /success:enable /failure:enable Category/Subcategory Setting ------------------------------- ------------------------ Object Access Application Generated Success and Failure Certification Services Success and Failure Detailed File Share Success File Share Success and Failure File System Success Filtering Platform Connection Success (Win FW) Filtering Platform Packet Drop No Auditing Handle Manipulation No Auditing Kernel Object Success and Failure Other Object Access Events No Auditing Registry Success SAM No Auditing Policy Change Audit Policy Change Success and Failure Authentication Policy Change Success and Failure Authorization Policy Change Success and Failure Filtering Platform Policy Change Success (Win FW) MPSSVC Rule-Level Policy Change No Auditing Other Policy Change Events No Auditing Privilege Use Non Sensitive Privilege Use No Auditing Other Privilege Use Events No Auditing Sensitive Privilege Use Success and Failure System IPsec Driver Success and Failure Other System Events Failure Security State Change Success and Failure Security System Extension Success and Failure System Integrity Success and Failure Global Object Access Auditing – ignore for now
- 3. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 3 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later CONFIGURE:: 1. FILE AUDIT: Select directories you want to monitor file activity. Right-Click directory – Properties – Security – Advanced – Auditing – Edit – Add – EVERYONE – (check names), OK - a. Apply onto – THIS FOLDER ONLY (or what you want) b. Create file / write data – Successful c. Create folders / append data - Successful 2. DIRS TO AUDIT: a. Perflogs b. ProgramData c. Program Files d. Program Files (x86) e. Windows f. System g. System32 h. System32drivers i. System32Wbem j. UsersPublic* k. UsersXYZAppDataLocal l. UsersXYZAppDataLocallow m. UsersXYZAppDataRoaming n. WindowsWeb Whatever else you want to audit 3. To apply these audit settings it is a by system manual method or you can use PowerShell, subinacls(warning) 4. WEvtUtil: Use this utility to configure your log settings a. WevtUtil gl Security – List settings of the Security Log b. WevtUtil sl Security /ms:512000000 – Set the Security Log size to the number of bytes c. WevtUtil sl Security /rt:false – Overwrite as needed CONFIGURE:: 1. REGISTRY AUDIT: Select Registry Keys you want to monitor changes to. Right-Click a Key – Permissions – Advanced – Auditing – Add – EVERYONE – (check names), OK. a. Apply onto – THIS KEY ONLY (or what you want) b. Select ‘Set Value’, ‘Create Subkey’, ‘Create Link’, ‘Delete’, ‘Write DAC’ & ‘Write Owner’ to start c. Be careful setting auditing to ‘Keys and subkeys’ as this can generate a lot of data 2. KEYS TO AUDIT: a. HKCU & HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion i. Run ii. RunOnce b. HKLMSystemCurrentControlSet i. Services (noisy) c. HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows i. AppInit_Dlls value 3. REG.EXE: Use this utility to query what is in a Key or the data within a key or value a. Query a Key and all values - Reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun" b. Query a value of a Key - Reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun" /v malware
- 4. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 4 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later GATHER:: 1. AUDITPOL: Use this utility to view your current log settings a. List all Policies categories: AuditPol /List /Subcategory:* b. List what is SET: AuditPol /get /category:* c. List what is SET for a subcategory: AuditPol /get /category:"Object Access” 2. Reg.exe: Use this utility to query the registry a. Changes to AppInit_Dlls - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows" /v AppInit_Dlls b. Changes to Services Keys - reg query "HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServices" c. Changes to Machine Run Key - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun” d. Changes to Machine RunOnce Key - reg query "HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce” e. Changes to User Run Key - reg query "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun” f. Changes to User RunOnce Key - reg query "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce” g. 3. SC.exe: Use this utility to query the services (sc /? For help) a. List all services in any state – sc.exe query state= all (Note: ‘space’ after the = sign) b. Look for a specific service – sc.exe query state= all | find /I “telnet” c. After finding the ‘Display_Name’ then look for the ‘Service_Name’ to get the short name GATHER:: 1. WEvtUtil: Use this utility to query your logs a. WevtUtil qe Security – query the Security Log for events i. Lots of flags here so read help “WevtUtil -?” ii. /c:5 = Read 5 events iii. /rd:true = newest events first iv. /f:text = format text, also can do XML b. Success & Failed Logons - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4624 or EventID=4625)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text >Parsed%computername%_Logon_Events_Win7.log c. User Account Change - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4738)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text >ParsedR_%computername%_User_Account_Change_Win7.log d. New Service Installed - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=7045)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text >ParsedR_%computername%_New_Service_Installed_Win7.log e. User Account Changes - wevtutil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4725 or EventID=4722 or EventID=4723 or EventID=4724 or EventID=4726 or EventID=4767)]]" /c:10 /f:text 2. Filtering Log Results: Use this method to filter lines within the logs a. Registry Changed – Find entries with ‘Object Name’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4657)]]" /c:5 /rd:true /f:text |find /i"Object Name" b. File or Registry Changed – Find entries with ‘Object Name’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4663)]]" /c:50 /rd:true /f:text |find /i "Object Name" c. Files – Find new files with ‘Wbem’ - WevtUtil qe Security /q:"*[System[(EventID=4663)]]" /c:50 /rd:true /f:text |find /i "wbem"
- 5. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 5 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later HARVEST:: 1. SERVICES: Found in the SYSTEM log d. 7045 - Message=A service was installed in the system. e. 7040 - Message=The start type of the XYZ service was changed from auto start to disabled. f. 7000 - Message=The XYX service failed to start due to the following error: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. g. 7022 - Message=The XYZ service hung on starting. h. 7024 - Message=The XYZ service terminated with service-specific error %%2414. i. 7031 - Message=The XYZ service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s). The following corrective action will be taken in 60000 milliseconds: Restart the service. j. 7034 - Message=The XYZ service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s). k. 7035 – Service sent a request to Stop or Start l. 7036 – Service was Started or Stopped HARVEST:: 1. LOG CLEAR: Watch for log clear messages a. 104 – SYSTEM Log – The Application or System log was cleared b. 1102 – SECURITY Log – The audit log was cleared 2. TASKS: Watch for a Process to start and call other processes a. 4698 – SECURITY Log – New Task Created 3. DRIVER: Watch for an issue with a driver a. 40 – Issue with Driver 4. OS VERSION: What OS do machines have a. 6009 – Lists OS version, Service Pack and processor type HARVEST:: 1. PROCESSES: Watch for a Process to start and call other processes a. 4688 – SECURITY Log – New Process Name, look for Creator Process ID to link what process launched what 2. INSTALLER: Watch for the Windows Installer activity a. 1022 – Windows Installer updated the product b. 1033 – Windows Installer installed the product c. 1034 – Windows Installer removed the product 3. WINDOWS UPDATE: Watch for the Windows Update Agent activity. a. 18 = Ready, 19 = Installed, 20= Failure 4. WINDOWS TIME: Watch for the Windows Service synchronization. Make sure your sources are what they are supposed to be. a. 35 – Time Service sync status and source 5. APPLICATION ERROR: Watch for application crashes. a. 1000 – (Application Log) Application Fault HARVEST:: 1. ACCOUNTS: Monitor for attempts to change an account password a. 4724 – An attempt was made to reset an accounts password. b. 4735 – Local Group changed c. 4738 – User account password changed HARVEST:: 1. APPLOCKER: Watch for triggers to AppLocker events (8000- 8027) a. 8004 – Filename not allowed to run 2. SRP: Watch for triggers to Software Restriction Policies b. 865 – Access to <filename> has been restricted HARVEST:: 1. AUDIT POLICY: Watch for changes to the Audit Policy that are NOT “SYSTEM” a. 4719 – System audit policy was changed
- 6. April 2015 ver 1.3 MalwareArchaeology.com Page 6 of 6 WINDOWS LOGGING CHEAT SHEET - Win 7/Win 2008 or later HARVEST:: 1. NEW FILE ADDED: Watch for the creation of new files. Requires File auditing of the directory(s) that you want to monitor b. 4663 – Accesses: WriteData (or AddFile) c. GREAT for CryptoWare & Malware drops HARVEST:: 1. REGISTRY: Watch for the creation or modification of new registry keys and values a. 4657 – Accesses: WriteData (or AddFile) i. HKLM, HKCU & HKU – SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion 1. Run, RunOnce ii. HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows 1. Watch AppInit_Dlls iii. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionEMDMgmt 1. Watch Connection time of USB Devices iv. HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServices 1. Watch for NEW Services v. HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetEnumUSBSTOR 1. Watch for NEW USB devices HARVEST:: 2. FIREWALL: Windows Filtering Platform - Watch for Inbound and Outbound connections – Requires Windows Firewall to be enabled a. This is the noisiest of all Events. Generating easily 9,000 - 10,000 events per hour per system b. Storage is required to utilize this event c. 5156 – Message=The Windows Filtering Platform has permitted a connection. Look for: i. Direction:, Source Address:, Source Port:, Destination Address: & Destination Port: HARVEST:: 1. REGISTRY: Monitor certain Keys for Add, Changes and Deletes. Setting auditing on the Specific keys is required. a. 4657 – A Registry value was modified HARVEST:: 1. EMAIL / VPN: Monitor for failed and successful logins to your VPN and Webmail application. Consider emailing user if login is from a new IP not in your exclude list a. sc_status=401 – Failed OWA login b. "reason = Invalid password" – Failed VPN login - Cisco HARVEST:: 1. LOGON TYPE: Monitor for what type of logons occur a. 4624 - Message=An account was successfully logged on. i. Type 2 – Interactive – GUI ii. Type 3 – Network – Net Use iii. Type 4 – Batch iv. Type 5 – Service v. Type 7 – Unlock vi. Type 8 – Network Clear Text vii. Type 9 – New Credentials (RDP Tools) viii. Type 10 – Remote Interactive (RDP) ix. Type 11 – Cached Interactive (laptops) b. 4625 - Message = An account failed to log on. HARVEST:: 1. SYSTEM INTEGRITY: Watch for files with page images with bad hashes a. 6281 – Failed – “page hashes of an image file are not valid”