Sigma rule: Self Extracting Package Creation Via Iexpress.EXE From Potentially Suspicious Location

Rule

Title

Self Extracting Package Creation Via Iexpress.EXE From Potentially Suspicious Location

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Joseliyo Sanchez, @Joseliyo_Jstnk, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2024-02-05

Modified

2024-06-04

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_iexpress_susp_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the use of iexpress.exe to create binaries via Self Extraction Directive (SED) files located in potentially suspicious locations.
This behavior has been observed in-the-wild by different threat actors.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

# VT Query: behavior_processes:"iexpress.exe" and behavior_processes:"/n /q /m" and behavior_processes:"*.sed*" and p:5+
selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\iexpress.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'IEXPRESS.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: ' /n '
selection_paths:
    CommandLine|contains:
        # Note: Add more uncommon paths that fit your organizational needs.
        - ':\ProgramData\'
        - ':\Temp\'
        - ':\Windows\System32\Tasks\'
        - ':\Windows\Tasks\'
        - ':\Windows\Temp\'
        - '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Administrators building packages using iexpress.exe

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218

References

• https://strontic.github.io/xcyclopedia/library/iexpress.exe-D594B2A33EFAFD0EABF09E3FDC05FCEA.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IExpress
• https://decoded.avast.io/janvojtesek/raspberry-robins-roshtyak-a-little-lesson-in-trickery/
• https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/602f4ae507fa8de57ada079adff25a6c2a899bd25cd092d0af7e62cdb619c93c/behavior

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_iexpress_susp_execution.yml