Sigma rule: Set Suspicious Files as System Files Using Attrib.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-63b9e5aee277, updated 2023-03-14T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Set Suspicious Files as System Files Using Attrib.EXE
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-06-28
Modified
2023-03-14
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_attrib_system_susp_paths.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the usage of attrib with the "+s" option to set scripts or executables located in suspicious locations as system files to hide them from users and make them unable to be deleted with simple rights. The rule limits the search to specific extensions and directories to avoid FPs

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\attrib.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'ATTRIB.EXE'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: ' +s'
selection_paths:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' %' # Custom Environment variable
        - '\Users\Public\'
        - '\AppData\Local\'
        - '\ProgramData\'
        - '\Downloads\'
        - '\Windows\Temp\'
selection_ext:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '.bat'
        - '.dll'
        - '.exe'
        - '.hta'
        - '.ps1'
        - '.vbe'
        - '.vbs'
filter_optional_installer:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '\Windows\TEMP\'
        - '.exe'
condition: all of selection* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1564.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

References

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_attrib_system_susp_paths.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Set Suspicious Files as System Files Using Attrib.EXE" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_attrib_system_susp_paths.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: Set Suspicious Files as System Files Using Attrib.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-63b9e5aee277, updated 2023-03-14T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/efec536f-72e8-4656-8960-5e85d091345b (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule efec536f-72e8-4656-8960-5e85d091345b, 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.