Sigma rule: Correct Execution of Nltest.exe

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-d6c78b987a65, updated 2023-02-02T00:00:00.000Z.

SigmaHQ marks this rule as deprecated.

Rule

Title
Correct Execution of Nltest.exe
Status
deprecated
Level
high
Author
Arun Chauhan
Date
2021/10/04
Modified
2023/02/02
File
deprecated/windows/win_security_lolbas_execution_of_nltest.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

The attacker might use LOLBAS nltest.exe for discovery of domain controllers, domain trusts, parent domain and the current user permissions.

Log source

product
windows
service
security

Detection

selection:
    EventID: 4689
    ProcessName|endswith: 'nltest.exe'
    Status: '0x0'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Red team activity
  • Rare legitimate use by an administrator

Tags

  • attack.discovery
  • attack.t1482
  • attack.t1018
  • attack.t1016

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/deprecated/windows/win_security_lolbas_execution_of_nltest.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Correct Execution of Nltest.exe" by Arun Chauhan (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/deprecated/windows/win_security_lolbas_execution_of_nltest.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: Correct Execution of Nltest.exe",
entity page, dataset version ref-d6c78b987a65, updated 2023-02-02T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/eeb66bbb-3dde-4582-815a-584aee9fe6d1 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule eeb66bbb-3dde-4582-815a-584aee9fe6d1, 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.