Sigma rule: Suspicious Active Directory Database Snapshot Via ADExplorer

Rule

Title

Suspicious Active Directory Database Snapshot Via ADExplorer

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2023-03-14

Modified

2025-07-09

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sysinternals_adexplorer_susp_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of Sysinternals ADExplorer with the "-snapshot" flag in order to save a local copy of the active directory database to a suspicious directory. This can be used by attackers to extract data for Bloodhound, usernames for password spraying or use the meta data for social engineering. The snapshot doesn't contain password hashes but there have been cases, where administrators put passwords in the comment field.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\ADExp.exe'
          - '\ADExplorer.exe'
          - '\ADExplorer64.exe'
          - '\ADExplorer64a.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'AdExp'
    - Description: 'Active Directory Editor'
    - Product: 'Sysinternals ADExplorer'
selection_flag:
    CommandLine|contains: 'snapshot'
selection_paths:
    CommandLine|contains:
        # TODO: Add more suspicious paths
        - '\Downloads\'
        - '\Users\Public\'
        - '\AppData\'
        - '\Windows\Temp\'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.discovery
• attack.t1087.002
• attack.t1069.002
• attack.t1482

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1069.002
• T1087.002
• T1482

Related rules

• 9212f354-7775-4e28-9c9f-8f0a4544e664 (derived)

References

• https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5743766-Global-Threat-Report-2019.html
• https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/sysinternals/downloads/adexplorer
• https://github.com/c3c/ADExplorerSnapshot.py/tree/f700904defac330802bbfedd1d8ffd9248f4ee24
• https://www.packetlabs.net/posts/scattered-spider-is-a-young-ransomware-gang-exploiting-large-corporations/
• https://www.nccgroup.com/us/research-blog/lapsus-recent-techniques-tactics-and-procedures/
• https://trustedsec.com/blog/adexplorer-on-engagements

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_sysinternals_adexplorer_susp_execution.yml