Windows: Adplus.exe Execution with Memory Dump and Command Options
Alerts on Windows executions of Adplus.exe with memory-dump and inline command parameters.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-06-09
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
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 identifies execution of Adplus.exe when command-line arguments indicate process memory dumping and inline command execution. Attackers can abuse this Windows SDK binary (LOLBIN) to access sensitive process memory and run arbitrary commands through supported flags. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry including the image path and the full command line parameters.
Reporting behind it
- lolbas-project.github.iohttps://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Adplus/
- twitter.comhttps://twitter.com/nas_bench/status/1534916659676422152
- twitter.comhttps://twitter.com/nas_bench/status/1534915321856917506
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_adplus_memory_dump.yml
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Windows: Adplus.exe Execution with Memory Dump and Command Options"
id: b82efbd2-1ca7-481b-955d-6138fa02826c
status: test
description: This rule identifies execution of Adplus.exe when command-line arguments indicate process memory dumping and inline command execution. Attackers can abuse this Windows SDK binary (LOLBIN) to access sensitive process memory and run arbitrary commands through supported flags. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry including the image path and the full command line parameters.
references:
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Adplus/
- https://twitter.com/nas_bench/status/1534916659676422152
- https://twitter.com/nas_bench/status/1534915321856917506
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_adplus_memory_dump.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-06-09
modified: 2023-06-23
tags:
- attack.execution
- attack.credential-access
- attack.t1003.001
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: \adplus.exe
- OriginalFileName: Adplus.exe
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains:
- " -hang "
- " -pn "
- " -pmn "
- " -p "
- " -po "
- " -c "
- " -sc "
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate usage of Adplus for debugging purposes
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 2f869d59-7f6a-4931-992c-cce556ff2d53
type: derived