Sigma rule: Use NTFS Short Name in Image

Rule

Title

Use NTFS Short Name in Image

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-08-06

Modified

2023-07-20

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_ntfs_short_name_use_image.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detect use of the Windows 8.3 short name. Which could be used as a method to avoid Image based detection

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|contains:
        - '~1.bat'
        - '~1.dll'
        - '~1.exe'
        - '~1.hta'
        - '~1.js'
        - '~1.msi'
        - '~1.ps1'
        - '~1.tmp'
        - '~1.vbe'
        - '~1.vbs'
        - '~2.bat'
        - '~2.dll'
        - '~2.exe'
        - '~2.hta'
        - '~2.js'
        - '~2.msi'
        - '~2.ps1'
        - '~2.tmp'
        - '~2.vbe'
        - '~2.vbs'
filter_main_generic_parent:
    ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\explorer.exe'
filter_optional_webex:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\WebEx\WebexHost.exe'
filter_optional_thor:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\thor\thor64.exe'
filter_optional_winzip:
    Image: 'C:\PROGRA~1\WinZip\WZPREL~1.EXE'
filter_optional_vcred:
    Image|endswith: '\VCREDI~1.EXE'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Software Installers

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1564.004

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1564.004

Related rules

• dd6b39d9-d9be-4a3b-8fe0-fe3c6a5c1795 (similar)

References

• https://www.acunetix.com/blog/articles/windows-short-8-3-filenames-web-security-problem/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-2000-server/cc959352(v=technet.10)
• https://twitter.com/jonasLyk/status/1555914501802921984

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_ntfs_short_name_use_image.yml