New

The executive guide to generative AI

Read more
About usPartnersSupport|Login
IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.
« Process Activity via Compiled HTML File Process Injection - Detected - Elastic Endgame »
Elastic Docs ›Elastic Security Solution [8.4] ›Detections and alerts ›Prebuilt rule reference

Process Execution from an Unusual Directory

edit

Process Execution from an Unusual Directory

edit

Identifies process execution from suspicious default Windows directories. This is sometimes done by adversaries to hide malware in trusted paths.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*
  • logs-windows.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Defense Evasion

Version: 6 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.4.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

edit











Rule query
edit








process where event.type in ("start", "process_started", "info") and
/* add suspicious execution paths here */ process.executable : ("C:\\P
erfLogs\\*.exe","C:\\Users\\Public\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*.exe"
,"C:\\Intel\\*.exe","C:\\AMD\\Temp\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\AppReadiness\
\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\ServiceState\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\security\\*.
exe","C:\\Windows\\IdentityCRL\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Branding\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\csc\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\DigitalLocker\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\en-US\\*.exe","C:\\W
indows\\wlansvc\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Prefetch\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\F
onts\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\diagnostics\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\TAPI\\*
.exe","C:\\Windows\\INF\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\System32\\Speech\\*.exe"
,"C:\\windows\\tracing\\*.exe", "c:\\windows\\IME\\*.exe","c:\\Window
s\\Performance\\*.exe","c:\\windows\\intel\\*.exe","c:\\windows\\ms\\*
.exe","C:\\Windows\\dot3svc\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\panther\\*.exe","C
:\\Windows\\RemotePackages\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\OCR\\*.exe","C:\\Wind
ows\\appcompat\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\apppatch\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ad
dins\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\Setup\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Help\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\SKB\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Vss\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Web\
\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\servicing\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\CbsTemp\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\Logs\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\WaaS\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Sh
ellExperiences\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ShellComponents\\*.exe","C:\\Wind
ows\\PLA\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\Migration\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\debug
\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Cursors\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Containers\\*.exe
","C:\\Windows\\Boot\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\bcastdvr\\*.exe", "C:\\Win
dows\\assembly\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\TextInput\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\s
ecurity\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\schemas\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\SchCache\\
*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Resources\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\rescache\\*.exe
","C:\\Windows\\Provisioning\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\PrintDialog\\*.exe"
,"C:\\Windows\\PolicyDefinitions\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\media\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\Globalization\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\L2Schemas\\*.exe","C
:\\Windows\\LiveKernelReports\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ModemLogs\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\ImmersiveControlPanel\\*.exe") and not process.name : (
"SpeechUXWiz.exe","SystemSettings.exe","TrustedInstaller.exe","PrintDi
alog.exe","MpSigStub.exe","LMS.exe","mpam-*.exe") and not
process.executable :
("?:\\Intel\\Wireless\\WUSetupLauncher.exe",
"?:\\Intel\\Wireless\\Setup.exe", "?:\\Intel\\Move
Mouse.exe", "?:\\windows\\Panther\\DiagTrackRunner.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\servicing\\GC64\\tzupd.exe",
"?:\\Users\\Public\\res\\RemoteLite.exe",
"?:\\Users\\Public\\IBM\\ClientSolutions\\*.exe",
"?:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\syspin.exe",
"?:\\Users\\Public\\res\\FileWatcher.exe") /* uncomment once in
winlogbeat */ /* and not (process.code_signature.subject_name ==
"Microsoft Corporation" and process.code_signature.trusted == true) */











Threat mapping
edit




Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM














Rule version history
edit










Version 6 (8.4.0 release)








    

  • 

    Updated query, changed from:
    

    

    

    process where event.type in ("start", "process_started", "info") and
/* add suspicious execution paths here */ process.executable : ("C:\\P
erfLogs\\*.exe","C:\\Users\\Public\\*.exe","C:\\Users\\Default\\*.exe"
,"C:\\Windows\\Tasks\\*.exe","C:\\Intel\\*.exe","C:\\AMD\\Temp\\*.exe"
,"C:\\Windows\\AppReadiness\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\ServiceState\\*.exe
","C:\\Windows\\security\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\IdentityCRL\\*.exe","C:
\\Windows\\Branding\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\csc\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\DigitalLocker\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\en-US\\*.exe","C:\\W
indows\\wlansvc\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Prefetch\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\F
onts\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\diagnostics\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\TAPI\\*
.exe","C:\\Windows\\INF\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\System32\\Speech\\*.exe"
,"C:\\windows\\tracing\\*.exe", "c:\\windows\\IME\\*.exe","c:\\Window
s\\Performance\\*.exe","c:\\windows\\intel\\*.exe","c:\\windows\\ms\\*
.exe","C:\\Windows\\dot3svc\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ServiceProfiles\\*.e
xe", "C:\\Windows\\panther\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\RemotePackages\\*.ex
e","C:\\Windows\\OCR\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\appcompat\\*.exe","C:\\Wind
ows\\apppatch\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\addins\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\Set
up\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Help\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\SKB\\*.exe","C:\\W
indows\\Vss\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Web\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\servicing\
\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\CbsTemp\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\Logs\\*.exe","C:
\\Windows\\WaaS\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\twain_32\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\S
hellExperiences\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ShellComponents\\*.exe","C:\\Win
dows\\PLA\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\Migration\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\debu
g\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Cursors\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Containers\\*.ex
e","C:\\Windows\\Boot\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\bcastdvr\\*.exe", "C:\\Wi
ndows\\assembly\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\TextInput\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\
security\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\schemas\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\SchCache\
\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\Resources\\*.exe", "C:\\Windows\\rescache\\*.ex
e","C:\\Windows\\Provisioning\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\PrintDialog\\*.exe
","C:\\Windows\\PolicyDefinitions\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\media\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\Globalization\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\L2Schemas\\*.exe","C
:\\Windows\\LiveKernelReports\\*.exe","C:\\Windows\\ModemLogs\\*.exe",
"C:\\Windows\\ImmersiveControlPanel\\*.exe") and not process.name : (
"SpeechUXWiz.exe","SystemSettings.exe","TrustedInstaller.exe","PrintDi
alog.exe","MpSigStub.exe","LMS.exe","mpam-*.exe") /* uncomment once
in winlogbeat */ /* and not (process.code_signature.subject_name ==
"Microsoft Corporation" and process.code_signature.trusted == true) */
    

    

    • 









Version 4 (8.2.0 release)








    

  • 
Formatting only

    • 









Version 3 (7.12.0 release)








    

  • 
Formatting only

    • 









Version 2 (7.11.2 release)








    

  • 
Formatting only

    • 




















« Process Activity via Compiled HTML File


Process Injection - Detected - Elastic Endgame »




                  
                


                

                  
On this page

                    
                    

                      

                      

                        

                        
                        
Was this helpful?
Feedback