Sigma rule: Process Execution From A Potentially Suspicious Folder

Rule

Title

Process Execution From A Potentially Suspicious Folder

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Tim Shelton

Date

2019-01-16

Modified

2024-07-12

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_execution_path.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects a potentially suspicious execution from an uncommon folder.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|contains:
        - ':\Perflogs\'
        - ':\Users\All Users\'
        - ':\Users\Default\'
        - ':\Users\NetworkService\'
        - ':\Windows\addins\'
        - ':\Windows\debug\'
        - ':\Windows\Fonts\'
        - ':\Windows\Help\'
        - ':\Windows\IME\'
        - ':\Windows\Media\'
        - ':\Windows\repair\'
        - ':\Windows\security\'
        - ':\Windows\System32\Tasks\'
        - ':\Windows\Tasks\'
        - '$Recycle.bin'
        - '\config\systemprofile\'
        - '\Intel\Logs\'
        - '\RSA\MachineKeys\'
filter_optional_ibm:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Users\Public\IBM\ClientSolutions\Start_Programs\'
filter_optional_citrix:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\Citrix\UpdaterBinaries\'
    Image|endswith: '\CitrixReceiverUpdater.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1036

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1036

References

• https://github.com/mbevilacqua/appcompatprocessor/blob/6c847937c5a836e2ce2fe2b915f213c345a3c389/AppCompatSearch.txt
• https://www.secureworks.com/research/bronze-butler-targets-japanese-businesses
• https://www.crowdstrike.com/resources/reports/2019-crowdstrike-global-threat-report/
• https://github.com/ThreatHuntingProject/ThreatHunting/blob/cb22598bb70651f88e0285abc8d835757d2cb596/hunts/suspicious_process_creation_via_windows_event_logs.md

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_execution_path.yml