Sigma rule: New Custom Shim Database Created

Rule

Title

New Custom Shim Database Created

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-12-29

Modified

2023-12-06

File

rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_creation_new_shim_database.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Adversaries may establish persistence and/or elevate privileges by executing malicious content triggered by application shims.
The Microsoft Windows Application Compatibility Infrastructure/Framework (Application Shim) was created to allow for backward compatibility of software as the operating system codebase changes over time.

Log source

product

windows

category

file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename|contains:
        - ':\Windows\apppatch\Custom\'
        - ':\Windows\apppatch\CustomSDB\'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate custom SHIM installations will also trigger this rule

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.persistence
• attack.t1547.009

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1547.009

References

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1546.011/T1546.011.md#atomic-test-2---new-shim-database-files-created-in-the-default-shim-database-directory
• https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/fin7-shim-databases-persistence
• https://liberty-shell.com/sec/2020/02/25/shim-persistence/
• https://andreafortuna.org/2018/11/12/process-injection-and-persistence-using-application-shimming/

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_creation_new_shim_database.yml