Sigma rule: Potential Credential Dumping Via WER

Rule

Title

Potential Credential Dumping Via WER

Status

test

Level

high

Author

@pbssubhash , Nasreddine Bencherchali

Date

2022-12-08

Modified

2022-12-09

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_werfault_lsass_shtinkering.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential credential dumping via Windows Error Reporting LSASS Shtinkering technique which uses the Windows Error Reporting to dump lsass

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\Werfault.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'WerFault.exe'
selection_cli:
    ParentUser|contains: # covers many language settings
        - 'AUTHORI'
        - 'AUTORI'
    User|contains:
        - 'AUTHORI'
        - 'AUTORI'
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        # Doc: WerFault.exe -u -p <target process> -ip <source process> -s <file mapping handle>
        # Example: C:\Windows\system32\Werfault.exe -u -p 744 -ip 1112 -s 244
        # If the source process is not equal to the target process and the target process is LSASS then this is an indication of this technique
        # Example: If the "-p" points the PID of "lsass.exe" and "-ip" points to a different process than "lsass.exe" then this is a sign of malicious activity
        - ' -u -p '
        - ' -ip '
        - ' -s '
filter_lsass:
    ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\lsass.exe'
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Windows Error Reporting might produce similar behavior. In that case, check the PID associated with the "-p" parameter in the CommandLine.

Tags

• attack.credential-access
• attack.t1003.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1003.001

References

• https://github.com/deepinstinct/Lsass-Shtinkering
• https://media.defcon.org/DEF%20CON%2030/DEF%20CON%2030%20presentations/Asaf%20Gilboa%20-%20LSASS%20Shtinkering%20Abusing%20Windows%20Error%20Reporting%20to%20Dump%20LSASS.pdf

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_werfault_lsass_shtinkering.yml