StealC Persistence via LNK Dropped to Startup Folder by Non-Shell Process (via file_event)

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Priv Esc
- T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects creation of a shortcut in the user Startup folder by a process other than the Windows shell or Office click-to-run, the persistence behavior used by the StealC V2 Blender campaign to auto-run its LNK payloads at logon. Adversaries leverage Startup-folder shortcuts for simple logon persistence, making early detection critical for surfacing the foothold before the stealer runs on every session.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1547.001 — drag to rearrange

Xeno Stealer Persistence via Display Calibration Run Key

Suspicious Node.js Script Execution from AppData Roaming

Suspicious AutoAdminLogon Enabled via Winlogon Registry by RansomHub Ransomware

Suspicious PlugX Persistence via CanonPrinter Run Key (via registry_set)

PATCHCORD SHEETCORD Startup Folder VBScript Persistence (via file_event)

Uncommon Executable Written to Startup Folder by WinRAR via CVE-2025-8088 Path Traversal (via file_event)

Suspicious Storm-2561 Fake Pulse VPN Persistence via RunOnce Key (via registry_set)

Masquerading Konni Registry Run Key Launching Wscript JavaScript from ProgramData (via registry_set)

Suspicious Startup Folder Redirection via User Shell Folders by MuddyWater (via registry_set)

StealC Persistence via LNK Dropped to Startup Folder by Non-Shell Process (via file_event)

Pivot detection · T1547.001 · 9 related

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

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →