Suspicious ntdsutil.exe Use for AD Snapshot Mount or Activation (Windows Process Creation)
Alerts on ntdsutil.exe command lines that include snapshot mount and activation/instance fragments, indicating potential AD snapshot manipulation.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-09-14
- Updated
- 2026-07-30
ATT&CK techniques
Cred AccessRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags execution of ntdsutil.exe when the command line includes indicators consistent with mounting an AD snapshot and activating an instance (e.g., snapshot-related usage plus activation/instance fragments). Attackers may use ntdsutil.exe to gain access to directory data by manipulating snapshots, making this command-line pattern a useful credential-access indicator. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching the executable name/path and specific substrings within the process command line.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/cc731620(v=ws.11)
- symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.comhttps://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/espionage-asia-governments
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_ntdsutil_susp_usage.yml
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: Suspicious ntdsutil.exe Use for AD Snapshot Mount or Activation (Windows Process Creation)
id: 473a3c52-e906-428a-8a58-a9d0a2aa15eb
related:
- id: 2afafd61-6aae-4df4-baed-139fa1f4c345
type: derived
- id: a58353df-af43-4753-bad0-cd83ef35eef5
type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags execution of ntdsutil.exe when the command line includes indicators consistent with mounting an AD snapshot and activating an instance (e.g., snapshot-related usage plus activation/instance fragments). Attackers may use ntdsutil.exe to gain access to directory data by manipulating snapshots, making this command-line pattern a useful credential-access indicator. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching the executable name/path and specific substrings within the process command line.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/cc731620(v=ws.11)
- https://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/espionage-asia-governments
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_ntdsutil_susp_usage.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-09-14
tags:
- attack.credential-access
- attack.t1003.003
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: \ntdsutil.exe
- OriginalFileName: ntdsutil.exe
selection_cli:
- CommandLine|contains|all:
- snapshot
- "mount "
- CommandLine|contains|all:
- ac
- " i"
- " ntds"
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate usage to restore snapshots
- Legitimate admin activity
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1