Sigma rule: Renamed PAExec Execution

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-520688169b56, updated 2024-11-23T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Renamed PAExec Execution
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jason Lynch
Date
2021-05-22
Modified
2024-11-23
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_paexec.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of renamed version of PAExec. Often used by attackers

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Description: 'PAExec Application'
    - OriginalFileName: 'PAExec.exe'
    - Product|contains: 'PAExec'
    - Hashes|contains:
          - IMPHASH=11D40A7B7876288F919AB819CC2D9802
          - IMPHASH=6444f8a34e99b8f7d9647de66aabe516
          - IMPHASH=dfd6aa3f7b2b1035b76b718f1ddc689f
          - IMPHASH=1a6cca4d5460b1710a12dea39e4a592c
filter_main_known_location:
    - Image|endswith: '\paexec.exe'
    - Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\PAExec-'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Weird admins that rename their tools
  • Software companies that bundle PAExec with their software and rename it, so that it is less embarrassing
  • When executed with the "-s" flag. PAExec will copy itself to the "C:\Windows\" directory with a different name. Usually like this "PAExec-[XXXXX]-[ComputerName]"

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1202

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_paexec.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Renamed PAExec Execution" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jason Lynch (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_renamed_paexec.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: Renamed PAExec Execution",
entity page, dataset version ref-520688169b56, updated 2024-11-23T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/c4e49831-1496-40cf-8ce1-b53f942b02f9 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule c4e49831-1496-40cf-8ce1-b53f942b02f9, 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.