title: System File Execution Location Anomaly
author: Florian Roth, Patrick Bareiss, Anton Kutepov, oscd.community
date: 2017/11/27
description: Detects a Windows program executable started in a suspicious folder
detection:
  SELECTION_1:
    EventID: 1
  SELECTION_2:
    Image:
    - '*\svchost.exe'
    - '*\rundll32.exe'
    - '*\services.exe'
    - '*\powershell.exe'
    - '*\regsvr32.exe'
    - '*\spoolsv.exe'
    - '*\lsass.exe'
    - '*\smss.exe'
    - '*\csrss.exe'
    - '*\conhost.exe'
    - '*\wininit.exe'
    - '*\lsm.exe'
    - '*\winlogon.exe'
    - '*\explorer.exe'
    - '*\taskhost.exe'
    - '*\Taskmgr.exe'
    - '*\sihost.exe'
    - '*\RuntimeBroker.exe'
    - '*\smartscreen.exe'
    - '*\dllhost.exe'
    - '*\audiodg.exe'
    - '*\wlanext.exe'
  SELECTION_3:
    Image:
    - C:\Windows\System32\\*
    - C:\Windows\system32\\*
    - C:\Windows\SysWow64\\*
    - C:\Windows\SysWOW64\\*
    - C:\Windows\winsxs\\*
    - C:\Windows\WinSxS\\*
    - C:\avast! sandbox*
  SELECTION_4:
    Image: '*\SystemRoot\System32\\*'
  SELECTION_5:
    Image: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
  condition: (SELECTION_1 and SELECTION_2 and  not (SELECTION_3 or SELECTION_4 or
    SELECTION_5))
falsepositives:
- Exotic software
fields:
- ComputerName
- User
- Image
id: e4a6b256-3e47-40fc-89d2-7a477edd6915
level: high
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
modified: 2021/03/02
references:
- https://twitter.com/GelosSnake/status/934900723426439170
status: experimental
tags:
- attack.defense_evasion
- attack.t1036
ruletype: SIGMA