Sigma rule: Outbound Network Connection To Public IP Via Winlogon

Rule

Title

Outbound Network Connection To Public IP Via Winlogon

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Christopher Peacock @securepeacock, SCYTHE @scythe_io

Date

2023-04-28

Modified

2024-03-12

File

rules/windows/network_connection/net_connection_win_winlogon_net_connections.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects a "winlogon.exe" process that initiate network communications with public IP addresses

Log source

product

windows

category

network_connection

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\winlogon.exe'
    Initiated: 'true'
filter_main_local_ranges:
    DestinationIp|cidr:
        - '127.0.0.0/8'
        - '10.0.0.0/8'
        - '172.16.0.0/12'
        - '192.168.0.0/16'
        - '169.254.0.0/16'
        - '::1/128'  # IPv6 loopback
        - 'fe80::/10'  # IPv6 link-local addresses
        - 'fc00::/7'  # IPv6 private addresses
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Communication to other corporate systems that use IP addresses from public address spaces

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.command-and-control
• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218.011

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218.011

References

• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/04/11/guidance-for-investigating-attacks-using-cve-2022-21894-the-blacklotus-campaign/

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/network_connection/net_connection_win_winlogon_net_connections.yml