Sigma rule: Suspicious Space Characters in TypedPaths Registry Path - FileFix

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-80ba6cdc2a76, updated 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Suspicious Space Characters in TypedPaths Registry Path - FileFix
Status
experimental
Level
high
Author
Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
Date
2025-11-04
File
rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_susp_typedpaths_space_characters.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the occurrence of numerous space characters in TypedPaths registry paths, which may indicate execution via phishing lures using file-fix techniques to hide malicious commands.

Log source

product
windows
category
registry_set

Detection

selection_key:
    TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths\url1'
    Details|contains: '#'
selection_space_variation:
    Details|contains:
        - '            ' # En Quad (U+2000)
        - '            ' # Em Quad (U+2001)
        - '            ' # En Space (U+2002)
        - '            ' # Em Space (U+2003)
        - '            ' # Three-Per-Em Space (U+2004)
        - '            ' # Four-Per-Em Space (U+2005)
        - '            ' # Six-Per-Em Space (U+2006)
        - '            ' # Figure Space (U+2007)
        - '            ' # Punctuation Space (U+2008)
        - '            ' # Thin Space (U+2009)
        - '            ' # Hair Space (U+200A)
        - '            ' # No-Break Space (U+00A0)
        - '            ' # Normal space
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1204.004
  • attack.t1027.010

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

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/registry/registry_set/registry_set_susp_typedpaths_space_characters.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Suspicious Space Characters in TypedPaths Registry Path - FileFix" by Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_susp_typedpaths_space_characters.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: Suspicious Space Characters in TypedPaths Registry Path - FileFix",
entity page, dataset version ref-80ba6cdc2a76, updated 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/8f2a5c3d-9e4b-4a7c-8d1f-2e5a6b9c3d7e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 8f2a5c3d-9e4b-4a7c-8d1f-2e5a6b9c3d7e, 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.