Sigma rule: Windows Shell/Scripting Application File Write to Suspicious Folder

Rule

Title

Windows Shell/Scripting Application File Write to Suspicious Folder

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-11-20

Modified

2023-03-29

File

rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_shell_write_susp_directory.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Windows shells and scripting applications that write files to suspicious folders

Log source

product

windows

category

file_event

Detection

selection_1:
    Image|endswith:
        - '\bash.exe'
        - '\cmd.exe'
        - '\cscript.exe'
        - '\msbuild.exe'  # https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/c76a39796972ecde44cb1da6df47f1b6562c9770/rules/windows/defense_evasion_execution_msbuild_started_by_office_app.toml
        - '\powershell.exe'
        - '\pwsh.exe'
        - '\sh.exe'
        - '\wscript.exe'
    TargetFilename|startswith:
        - 'C:\PerfLogs\'
        - 'C:\Users\Public\'
selection_2:
    Image|endswith:
        - '\certutil.exe'
        - '\forfiles.exe'
        - '\mshta.exe'
        # - '\rundll32.exe' # Potential FP
        - '\schtasks.exe'
        - '\scriptrunner.exe'
        - '\wmic.exe'  # https://app.any.run/tasks/c903e9c8-0350-440c-8688-3881b556b8e0/
    TargetFilename|contains:
        - 'C:\PerfLogs\'
        - 'C:\Users\Public\'
        - 'C:\Windows\Temp\'
condition: 1 of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.t1059

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1059

References

• Internal Research

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/file/file_event/file_event_win_shell_write_susp_directory.yml