Sigma rule: Forfiles.EXE Child Process Masquerading

Rule

Title

Forfiles.EXE Child Process Masquerading

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Anish Bogati

Date

2024-01-05

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_forfiles_child_process_masquerading.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of "forfiles" from a non-default location, in order to potentially spawn a custom "cmd.exe" from the current working directory.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    # Notes:
    #   - The parent must not have CLI options
    #   - The Child Image must be named "cmd" as its hardcoded in the "forfiles" binary
    #   - The Child CLI will always contains "/c echo" as its hardcoded in the original "forfiles" binary
    ParentCommandLine|endswith:
        - '.exe'
        - '.exe"'
    Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    CommandLine|startswith: '/c echo "'
filter_main_parent_not_sys:
    ParentImage|contains:
        - ':\Windows\System32\'
        - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
    ParentImage|endswith: '\forfiles.exe'
    Image|contains:
        - ':\Windows\System32\'
        - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
    Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1036

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1036

References

• https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2023/12/31/1-little-known-secret-of-forfiles-exe/

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_forfiles_child_process_masquerading.yml