Windows CVE-2019-1388 UAC Consent to Internet Explorer Execution as LOCAL_SYSTEM

Flags UAC consent.exe launching iexplore.exe running as SYSTEM, consistent with CVE-2019-1388 exploitation.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v5

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies exploitation behavior where a UAC consent binary spawns an Internet Explorer process with elevated SYSTEM integrity. Such activity matters because it can indicate a privilege-escalation attempt using the UAC consent flow to run code under LOCAL_SYSTEM. Telemetry relies on Windows process creation events, including parent process image, spawned process image, command-line content, and the process integrity level or user SID associated with SYSTEM.

Reporting behind it

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Windows CVE-2019-1388 UAC Consent to Internet Explorer Execution as LOCAL_SYSTEM

Pivot detection · T1068 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

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

windows-cve-2019-1388-privilege-escalation-via-uac-consent-spawning-internet-exp-02e0b2ea

title: Windows CVE-2019-1388 UAC Consent to Internet Explorer Execution as LOCAL_SYSTEM
id: b0eae416-5168-441e-8721-eff469f94377
status: stable
description: This rule identifies exploitation behavior where a UAC consent binary spawns an Internet Explorer process with elevated SYSTEM integrity. Such activity matters because it can indicate a privilege-escalation attempt using the UAC consent flow to run code under LOCAL_SYSTEM. Telemetry relies on Windows process creation events, including parent process image, spawned process image, command-line content, and the process integrity level or user SID associated with SYSTEM.
references:
  - https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-1388
  - https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2019/11/19/thanksgiving-treat-easy-as-pie-windows-7-secure-desktop-escalation-of-privilege
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2019/Exploits/CVE-2019-1388/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2019_1388.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2019-11-20
modified: 2024-12-01
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1068
  - cve.2019-1388
  - detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    ParentImage|endswith: \consent.exe
    Image|endswith: \iexplore.exe
    CommandLine|contains: " http"
  selection_rights:
    - IntegrityLevel:
        - System
        - S-1-16-16384
    - User|contains:
        - AUTHORI
        - AUTORI
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 02e0b2ea-a597-428e-b04a-af6a1a403e5c
    type: derived

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