Sigma rule: Sensitive File Dump Via Wbadmin.EXE

Rule

Title

Sensitive File Dump Via Wbadmin.EXE

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), frack113

Date

2024-05-10

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wbadmin_dump_sensitive_files.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the dump of highly sensitive files such as "NTDS.DIT" and "SECURITY" hive.
Attackers can leverage the "wbadmin" utility in order to dump sensitive files that might contain credential or sensitive information.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\wbadmin.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'WBADMIN.EXE'
selection_backup:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'start'
        - 'backup'
selection_path:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '\config\SAM'
        - '\config\SECURITY'
        - '\config\SYSTEM'
        - '\Windows\NTDS\NTDS.dit'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate backup operation by authorized administrators. Matches must be investigated and allowed on a case by case basis.

Tags

• attack.credential-access
• attack.t1003.003

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1003.003

References

• https://github.com/LOLBAS-Project/LOLBAS/blob/2cc01b01132b5c304027a658c698ae09dd6a92bf/yml/OSBinaries/Wbadmin.yml
• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Wbadmin/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wbadmin-start-recovery
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wbadmin-start-backup

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_wbadmin_dump_sensitive_files.yml