Sigma rule: Process Explorer Driver Creation By Non-Sysinternals Binary

Rule

Title

Process Explorer Driver Creation By Non-Sysinternals Binary

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)

Date

2023-05-05

Modified

2026-06-29

File

rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_sysinternals_procexp_driver_susp_creation.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects creation of the Process Explorer drivers by processes other than Process Explorer (procexp) itself.
Hack tools or malware may use the Process Explorer driver to elevate privileges, drops it to disk for a few moments, runs a service using that driver and removes it afterwards.

Log source

product

windows

category

file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename|contains: '\PROCEXP'
    TargetFilename|endswith: '.sys'
filter_main_process_explorer:
    Image|endswith:
        - '\procexp.exe'
        - '\procexp64.exe'
        - '\procexp64a.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Some false positives may occur with legitimate renamed process explorer binaries

Tags

• attack.persistence
• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.t1068

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1068

References

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer
• https://github.com/Yaxser/Backstab
• https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/stopping-vulnerable-driver-attacks
• https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2023/04/19/aukill-edr-killer-malware-abuses-process-explorer-driver/

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/file/file_event/file_event_win_sysinternals_procexp_driver_susp_creation.yml