Sigma rule: Potential Suspicious Browser Launch From Document Reader Process

Rule

Title

Potential Suspicious Browser Launch From Document Reader Process

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Joseph Kamau

Date

2024-05-27

Modified

2025-10-07

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_browser_launch_from_document_reader_process.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects when a browser process or browser tab is launched from an application that handles document files such as Adobe, Microsoft Office, etc. And connects to a web application over http(s), this could indicate a possible phishing attempt.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    ParentImage|contains:
        - 'Acrobat Reader'
        - 'Microsoft Office'
        - 'PDF Reader'
    Image|endswith:
        - '\brave.exe'
        - '\chrome.exe'
        - '\firefox.exe'
        - '\msedge.exe'
        - '\opera.exe'
        - '\maxthon.exe'
        - '\seamonkey.exe'
        - '\vivaldi.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: 'http'
filter_main_microsoft_help:
    CommandLine|contains: 'https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/'
filter_optional_foxit:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'http://ad.foxitsoftware.com/adlog.php?'
        - 'https://globe-map.foxitservice.com/go.php?do=redirect'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unlikely in most cases, further investigation should be done in the commandline of the browser process to determine the context of the URL accessed.

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.t1204.002

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1204.002

References

• https://app.any.run/tasks/69c5abaa-92ad-45ba-8c53-c11e23e05d04/
• https://app.any.run/tasks/64043a79-165f-4052-bcba-e6e49f847ec1/

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_susp_browser_launch_from_document_reader_process.yml