Sigma rule: DPAPI Backup Keys And Certificate Export Activity IOC

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-0a431253f4a2, updated 2024-06-26T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
DPAPI Backup Keys And Certificate Export Activity IOC
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nounou Mbeiri, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2024-06-26
File
rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_susp_dpapi_backup_and_cert_export_ioc.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects file names with specific patterns seen generated and used by tools such as Mimikatz and DSInternals related to exported or stolen DPAPI backup keys and certificates.

Log source

product
windows
category
file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename|contains:
        - 'ntds_capi_'
        - 'ntds_legacy_'
        - 'ntds_unknown_'
    TargetFilename|endswith:
        - '.cer'
        - '.key'
        - '.pfx'
        - '.pvk'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.credential-access
  • attack.t1555
  • attack.t1552.004

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

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/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_susp_dpapi_backup_and_cert_export_ioc.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "DPAPI Backup Keys And Certificate Export Activity IOC" by Nounou Mbeiri, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_susp_dpapi_backup_and_cert_export_ioc.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: DPAPI Backup Keys And Certificate Export Activity IOC",
entity page, dataset version ref-0a431253f4a2, updated 2024-06-26T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/7892ec59-c5bb-496d-8968-e5d210ca3ac4 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 7892ec59-c5bb-496d-8968-e5d210ca3ac4, 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.