Sigma rule: Findstr Launching .lnk File

Rule

Title

Findstr Launching .lnk File

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Trent Liffick

Date

2020-05-01

Modified

2024-01-15

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_findstr_lnk.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects usage of findstr to identify and execute a lnk file as seen within the HHS redirect attack

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\find.exe'
          - '\findstr.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'FIND.EXE'
          - 'FINDSTR.EXE'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '.lnk'
        - '.lnk"'
        - ".lnk'"
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1036
• attack.t1202
• attack.t1027.003

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1027.003
• T1036
• T1202

References

• https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hhsgov-open-redirect-used-by-coronavirus-phishing-to-spread-malware/

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_findstr_lnk.yml