Sigma rule: XBAP Execution From Uncommon Locations Via PresentationHost.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-31e7729e48de, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
XBAP Execution From Uncommon Locations Via PresentationHost.EXE
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-07-01
Modified
2023-11-09
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_presentationhost_uncommon_location_exec.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of ".xbap" (Browser Applications) files via PresentationHost.EXE from an uncommon location. These files can be abused to run malicious ".xbap" files any bypass AWL

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\presentationhost.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'PresentationHost.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: '.xbap'
filter_main_generic:
    CommandLine|contains: # Filter out legitimate locations if you find them
        - ' C:\Windows\'
        - ' C:\Program Files'
condition: all of selection* and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate ".xbap" being executed via "PresentationHost"

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_uncommon_location_exec.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "XBAP Execution From Uncommon Locations 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_uncommon_location_exec.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: XBAP Execution From Uncommon Locations Via PresentationHost.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-31e7729e48de, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/d22e2925-cfd8-463f-96f6-89cec9d9bc5f (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule d22e2925-cfd8-463f-96f6-89cec9d9bc5f, 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.