Unusual Windows User Privilege Elevation Activity
A machine learning job detected an unusual user context switch, using the runas command or similar techniques, which can indicate account takeover or privilege escalation using compromised accounts. Privilege…
Description
A machine learning job detected an unusual user context switch, using the runas command or similar techniques, which can indicate account takeover or privilege escalation using compromised accounts. Privilege elevation using tools like runas are more commonly used by domain and network administrators than by regular Windows users.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
Known benign triggers
- Uncommon user privilege elevation activity can be due to an administrator, help desk technician, or a user performing manual troubleshooting or reconfiguration.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/prebuilt-ml-jobs.html | 103 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 1781d055-5c66-4adf-9d82-fc0fa58449c8
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Windows Security Event LogsDomain: EndpointOS: WindowsPlatform: WindowsResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Machine LearningRule Type: MLTactic: Privilege EscalationUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 2