Ngrok Tunneling Utility Execution for Command and Control

PremiumReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-05-07
Updated
2026-08-28

ATT&CK techniques

C2
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. Exfiltration

  13. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects execution of the ngrok tunneling utility, which adversaries use to expose internal services and establish covert command-and-control through a trusted relay. Huntress observed ngrok deployed on compromised servers to tunnel access past perimeter controls. While developers use ngrok legitimately, its presence on servers alongside exploitation activity indicates malicious tunneling.

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Ngrok Tunneling Utility Execution for Command and Control
Pivot detection · T1071.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.