Sigma rule: Execute From Alternate Data Streams

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-8a637420c0e1, updated 2022-10-09T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Execute From Alternate Data Streams
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
frack113
Date
2021-09-01
Modified
2022-10-09
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_alternate_data_streams.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution from an Alternate Data Stream (ADS). Adversaries may use NTFS file attributes to hide their malicious data in order to evade detection

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_stream:
    CommandLine|contains: 'txt:'
selection_tools_type:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'type '
        - ' > '
selection_tools_makecab:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'makecab '
        - '.cab'
selection_tools_reg:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'reg '
        - ' export '
selection_tools_regedit:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'regedit '
        - ' /E '
selection_tools_esentutl:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'esentutl '
        - ' /y '
        - ' /d '
        - ' /o '
condition: selection_stream and (1 of selection_tools_*)

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1564.004

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_alternate_data_streams.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Execute From Alternate Data Streams" by frack113 (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_alternate_data_streams.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: Execute From Alternate Data Streams",
entity page, dataset version ref-8a637420c0e1, updated 2022-10-09T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/7f43c430-5001-4f8b-aaa9-c3b88f18fa5c (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 7f43c430-5001-4f8b-aaa9-c3b88f18fa5c, 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.