Sigma rule: Potential Pass the Hash Activity

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-47acfb3711d0, updated 2023-12-15T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Pass the Hash Activity
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Ilias el Matani (rule), The Information Assurance Directorate at the NSA (method)
Date
2017-03-08
Modified
2023-12-15
File
rules-placeholder/windows/builtin/security/win_security_potential_pass_the_hash.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the attack technique pass the hash which is used to move laterally inside the network

Log source

product
windows
service
security
definition
The successful use of PtH for lateral movement between workstations would trigger event ID 4624, a failed logon attempt would trigger an event ID 4625

Detection

selection:
    EventID:
        - 4624
        - 4625
    LogonType: 3
    LogonProcessName: 'NtLmSsp'
    WorkstationName|expand: '%Workstations%'
    ComputerName|expand: '%Workstations%'
filter:
    TargetUserName: 'ANONYMOUS LOGON'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Administrator activity

Tags

  • attack.lateral-movement
  • attack.t1550.002
  • car.2016-04-004

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/rules-placeholder/windows/builtin/security/win_security_potential_pass_the_hash.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Pass the Hash Activity" by Ilias el Matani (rule), The Information Assurance Directorate at the NSA (method) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-placeholder/windows/builtin/security/win_security_potential_pass_the_hash.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: Potential Pass the Hash Activity",
entity page, dataset version ref-47acfb3711d0, updated 2023-12-15T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/f8d98d6c-7a07-4d74-b064-dd4a3c244528 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule f8d98d6c-7a07-4d74-b064-dd4a3c244528, 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.