Sigma rule: Arbitrary File Download Via PresentationHost.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-400f112bb609, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Arbitrary File Download Via PresentationHost.EXE
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-08-19
Modified
2023-11-09
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_presentationhost_download.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects usage of "PresentationHost" which is a utility that runs ".xbap" (Browser Applications) files to download arbitrary files

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\presentationhost.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'PresentationHost.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'http://'
        - 'https://'
        - 'ftp://'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1218

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_presentationhost_download.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Arbitrary File Download Via PresentationHost.EXE" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_presentationhost_download.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: Arbitrary File Download Via PresentationHost.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-400f112bb609, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/b124ddf4-778d-418e-907f-6dd3fc0d31cd (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule b124ddf4-778d-418e-907f-6dd3fc0d31cd, 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.