Sigma rule: SNAKE Malware WerFault Persistence File Creation

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-e97f92a3e9d3, updated 2023-05-18T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
SNAKE Malware WerFault Persistence File Creation
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-05-10
Modified
2023-05-18
File
rules-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/SNAKE/file_event_win_malware_snake_werfault_creation.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the creation of a file named "WerFault.exe" in the WinSxS directory by a non-system process, which can be indicative of potential SNAKE malware activity

Log source

product
windows
category
file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename|startswith: 'C:\Windows\WinSxS\'
    TargetFilename|endswith: '\WerFault.exe'
filter_main_system_location:
    Image|startswith:
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\'
        - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\'
        - 'C:\Windows\WinSxS\'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • detection.emerging-threats

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-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/SNAKE/file_event_win_malware_snake_werfault_creation.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "SNAKE Malware WerFault Persistence File Creation" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/SNAKE/file_event_win_malware_snake_werfault_creation.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: SNAKE Malware WerFault Persistence File Creation",
entity page, dataset version ref-e97f92a3e9d3, updated 2023-05-18T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/64827580-e4c3-4c64-97eb-c72325d45399 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 64827580-e4c3-4c64-97eb-c72325d45399, 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.