Suspicious MSBuild Execution as LOLBin from User-Writable Path (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1127.001MSBuild
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1127.001MSBuild
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects MSBuild.exe compiling or executing a project located in a user-writable directory rather than a development workspace. Macaw ransomware abuses MSBuild as a signed living-off-the-land binary to run inline C2 tasks and evade application controls. MSBuild driven from Temp or AppData outside of a build pipeline is a defense-evasion indicator.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1127.001 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious Local XML Compilation via MSBuild

Malicious Winlogon Shell Hijack Loading MSBuild

Proxy Execution via MSBuild Running Inline Task XML

MSBuild Executing Non-Project File or Remote Payload

Antivirus Check and Remote Loader Retrieval in LNK Command Chain

Suspicious MSBuild Execution From Office or Archive Extraction Context (via process_creation)

Suspicious MSBuild Execution from Writable Directory (via process_creation)

In-Memory MSBuild Proxy Execution of a Project From a User-Writable Path (via process_creation)

Suspicious MSBuild LOLBin Spawning Script Interpreter (via process_creation)

Suspicious MSBuild Execution as LOLBin from User-Writable Path (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1127.001 · 9 related

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

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