Malicious Masquerading via IEXPLORE.EXE OriginalFileName on Unexpected Image (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1036.005Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a process carrying the OriginalFileName IEXPLORE.EXE while running from an image other than the legitimate Internet Explorer binary, a masquerading pattern surfaced in Group-IB Hunting Rituals analysis of Autodrive.exe. Adversaries copy the Internet Explorer version resource onto renamed or relocated binaries to blend in, so a mismatch between the original filename and the actual image path indicates masquerading.

Reporting behind it

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Malicious Masquerading via IEXPLORE.EXE OriginalFileName on Unexpected Image (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1036.005 · 9 related

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