Sigma rule: PUA - SoftPerfect Netscan Execution

Rule

Title

PUA - SoftPerfect Netscan Execution

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

@d4ns4n_ (Wuerth-Phoenix)

Date

2024-04-25

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_pua_netscan.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects usage of SoftPerfect's "netscan.exe". An application for scanning networks.
It is actively used in-the-wild by threat actors to inspect and understand the network architecture of a victim.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith: '\netscan.exe'
    - Product: 'Network Scanner'
    - Description: 'Application for scanning networks'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate administrator activity

Tags

• attack.discovery
• attack.t1046

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1046

References

• https://www.protect.airbus.com/blog/uncovering-cyber-intruders-netscan/
• https://secjoes-reports.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Sockbot%2Bin%2BGoLand.pdf
• https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/black-basta-ransomware-attacks-deploy-custom-edr-evasion-tools-tied-to-fin7-threat-actor/
• https://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/yanluowang-ransomware-attacks-continue
• https://research.nccgroup.com/2022/07/13/climbing-mount-everest-black-byte-bytes-back/
• https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-exchange-servers-hacked-to-deploy-hive-ransomware/
• https://www.softperfect.com/products/networkscanner/

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_pua_netscan.yml