Sigma rule: Windows Default Domain GPO Modification via GPME

Rule

Title

Windows Default Domain GPO Modification via GPME

Status

experimental

Level

medium

Author

TropChaud

Date

2025-11-22

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mmc_default_domain_gpo_modification_via_gpme.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the use of the Group Policy Management Editor (GPME) to modify Default Domain or Default Domain Controllers Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
Adversaries may leverage GPME to make stealthy changes in these default GPOs to deploy malicious GPOs configurations across the domain without raising suspicion.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

# "C:\Windows\System32\gpme.msc" /s /gpobject:"LDAP://<REDACTED>/cn<REDACTED>,cnpolicies,cnsystem,DC<REDACTED>,DClocal"
selection_mmc:
    - Image|endswith: '\mmc.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'MMC.exe'
selection_gpme:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'gpme.msc'
        - 'gpobject:'
selection_default_gpos:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '31B2F340-016D-11D2-945F-00C04FB984F9' # Default Domain Policy GUID
        - '6AC1786C-016F-11D2-945F-00C04FB984F9' # Default Domain Controllers Policy GUID
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate use of GPME to modify GPOs

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.defense-impairment
• attack.t1484.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1484.001

Related rules

• e5ac86dd-2da1-454b-be74-05d26c769d7d (similar)

References

• https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/25/i/unmasking-the-gentlemen-ransomware.html
• https://adsecurity.org/?p=3377
• https://sdmsoftware.com/general-stuff/launching-the-new-gp-management-editor-from-the-command-line/
• https://www.pentestpartners.com/security-blog/living-off-the-land-gpo-style/

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_mmc_default_domain_gpo_modification_via_gpme.yml