Sigma rule: Hacktool Execution - PE Metadata

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-5b94e08ad0ea, updated 2024-01-15T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Hacktool Execution - PE Metadata
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-04-27
Modified
2024-01-15
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_execution_via_pe_metadata.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of different Windows based hacktools via PE metadata (company, product, etc.) even if the files have been renamed

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Company: 'Cube0x0' # Detects the use of tools created by a well-known hacktool producer named "Cube0x0", which includes his handle in all binaries as company information in the PE headers (SharpPrintNightmare, KrbRelay, SharpMapExec, etc.)
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.credential-access
  • attack.resource-development
  • attack.t1588.002
  • attack.t1003

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_hktl_execution_via_pe_metadata.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Hacktool Execution - PE Metadata" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_execution_via_pe_metadata.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: Hacktool Execution - PE Metadata",
entity page, dataset version ref-5b94e08ad0ea, updated 2024-01-15T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/37c1333a-a0db-48be-b64b-7393b2386e3b (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 37c1333a-a0db-48be-b64b-7393b2386e3b, 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.