Sigma rule: Potential Command Line Path Traversal Evasion Attempt

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-46b533e61366, updated 2023-03-29T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Command Line Path Traversal Evasion Attempt
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems)
Date
2021-10-26
Modified
2023-03-29
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_commandline_path_traversal_evasion.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential evasion or obfuscation attempts using bogus path traversal via the commandline

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_1:
    Image|contains: '\Windows\'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '\..\Windows\'
        - '\..\System32\'
        - '\..\..\'
selection_2:
    CommandLine|contains: '.exe\..\'
filter_optional_google_drive:
    CommandLine|contains: '\Google\Drive\googledrivesync.exe\..\'
filter_optional_citrix:
    CommandLine|contains: '\Citrix\Virtual Smart Card\Citrix.Authentication.VirtualSmartcard.Launcher.exe\..\'
condition: 1 of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Google Drive
  • Citrix

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1036

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

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_susp_commandline_path_traversal_evasion.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Command Line Path Traversal Evasion Attempt" by Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_commandline_path_traversal_evasion.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: Potential Command Line Path Traversal Evasion Attempt",
entity page, dataset version ref-46b533e61366, updated 2023-03-29T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/1327381e-6ab0-4f38-b583-4c1b8346a56b (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 1327381e-6ab0-4f38-b583-4c1b8346a56b, 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.