Sigma rule: Mint Sandstorm - Log4J Wstomcat Process Execution

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-3baf544b3b29, updated 2023-11-29T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title: Mint Sandstorm - Log4J Wstomcat Process Execution
Status: test
Level: high
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), MSTIC (idea)
Date: 2023-04-20
Modified: 2023-11-29
File: rules-emerging-threats/2023/TA/Mint-Sandstorm/proc_creation_win_apt_mint_sandstorm_log4j_wstomcat_execution.yml
Commit: ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Log4J Wstomcat process execution as seen in Mint Sandstorm activity

Log source

product: windows
category: process_creation

Detection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\ws_tomcatservice.exe'
filter_main_repadmin:
    Image|endswith: '\repadmin.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

Unknown

References

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/04/18/nation-state-threat-actor-mint-sandstorm-refines-tradecraft-to-attack-high-value-targets/

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/TA/Mint-Sandstorm/proc_creation_win_apt_mint_sandstorm_log4j_wstomcat_execution.yml

Sources and licences

SigmaHQ
"Mint Sandstorm - Log4J Wstomcat Process Execution" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), MSTIC (idea) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2023/TA/Mint-Sandstorm/proc_creation_win_apt_mint_sandstorm_log4j_wstomcat_execution.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: Mint Sandstorm - Log4J Wstomcat Process Execution",
entity page, dataset version ref-3baf544b3b29, updated 2023-11-29T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/7c97c625-0350-4f0a-8943-f6cadc88125e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 7c97c625-0350-4f0a-8943-f6cadc88125e, 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.