Sigma rule: WinRAR Execution in Non-Standard Folder

Rule

Title

WinRAR Execution in Non-Standard Folder

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Tigzy

Date

2021-11-17

Modified

2025-07-16

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_winrar_uncommon_folder_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects a suspicious WinRAR execution in a folder which is not the default installation folder

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\rar.exe'
          - '\winrar.exe'
    - Description:
          - 'Command line RAR'
          - 'WinRAR'
filter_main_unrar:
    # Note: we filter unrar as it has the same description as the other utilities, and we're only interested in compression
    Image|endswith: '\UnRAR.exe'
filter_main_path:
    Image|contains:
        - ':\Program Files (x86)\WinRAR\'
        - ':\Program Files\WinRAR\'
filter_optional_temp:
    # Note: in some occasion installers were seen dropping "rar" in TEMP
    Image|contains: ':\Windows\Temp\'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate use of WinRAR in a folder of a software that bundles WinRAR

Tags

• attack.collection
• attack.t1560.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1560.001

References

• https://twitter.com/cyb3rops/status/1460978167628406785

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_winrar_uncommon_folder_execution.yml