Sigma rule: Arbitrary Binary Execution Using GUP Utility

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-fe8dcb7bd880, updated 2023-03-02T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Arbitrary Binary Execution Using GUP Utility
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-06-10
Modified
2023-03-02
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_gup_arbitrary_binary_execution.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of the Notepad++ updater (gup) to launch other commands or executables

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\gup.exe'
    Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
filter:
    Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: '\Notepad++\notepad++.exe'
filter_parent:
    ParentImage|contains: '\Notepad++\updater\'
filter_null:
    CommandLine: null
condition: selection and not 1 of filter*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Other parent binaries using GUP not currently identified

Tags

  • attack.execution

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_gup_arbitrary_binary_execution.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Arbitrary Binary Execution Using GUP Utility" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_gup_arbitrary_binary_execution.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 Binary Execution Using GUP Utility",
entity page, dataset version ref-fe8dcb7bd880, updated 2023-03-02T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/d65aee4d-2292-4cea-b832-83accd6cfa43 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule d65aee4d-2292-4cea-b832-83accd6cfa43, 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.