Sigma rule: Renamed AutoHotkey.EXE Execution

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-04a5a5769c36, updated 2023-02-07T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Renamed AutoHotkey.EXE Execution
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali
Date
2023-02-07
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_autohotkey.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of a renamed autohotkey.exe binary based on PE metadata fields

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Product|contains: 'AutoHotkey'
    - Description|contains: 'AutoHotkey'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'AutoHotkey.exe'
          - 'AutoHotkey.rc'
filter:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\AutoHotkey.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkey32.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkey32_UIA.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkey64.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkey64_UIA.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyA32.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyA32_UIA.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyU32.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyU32_UIA.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyU64.exe'
          - '\AutoHotkeyU64_UIA.exe'
    - Image|contains: '\AutoHotkey'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_autohotkey.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Renamed AutoHotkey.EXE Execution" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_autohotkey.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Renamed AutoHotkey.EXE Execution",
entity page, dataset version ref-04a5a5769c36, updated 2023-02-07T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/0f16d9cf-0616-45c8-8fad-becc11b5a41c (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 0f16d9cf-0616-45c8-8fad-becc11b5a41c, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.