Windows Executable Dropping Archive Files via Common LOLBINs and Office Apps

Alerts when Office or other specified Windows binaries create archive files like .zip/.rar/.7z/.diagcab/.appx on disk.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: file_event
Author: frack113, Florian Roth (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-08-21
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1218System Binary Proxy Execution
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows processes whose executable path matches common Office applications, certificate-related utilities, and other living-off-the-land binaries, when they write archive-formatted files to disk. Archive drops are a common attacker technique for packaging payloads for persistence, staging, or later execution, making unexpected .zip/.rar/.7z/.diagcab/.appx creation suspicious. It relies on file event telemetry that records the creating process image and the target filename extension.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Executable Dropping Archive Files via Common LOLBINs and Office Apps

Pivot detection · T1218 · 9 related

Changelog

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-executable-process-dropping-archive-files-zip-rar-7z-cab-appx-654fcc6d

title: Windows Executable Dropping Archive Files via Common LOLBINs and Office Apps
id: e9cba057-ff98-41e2-966c-bf2db0c3d198
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows processes whose executable path matches common Office applications, certificate-related utilities, and other living-off-the-land binaries, when they write archive-formatted files to disk. Archive drops are a common attacker technique for packaging payloads for persistence, staging, or later execution, making unexpected .zip/.rar/.7z/.diagcab/.appx creation suspicious. It relies on file event telemetry that records the creating process image and the target filename extension.
references:
  - https://github.com/Neo23x0/sysmon-config/blob/3f808d9c022c507aae21a9346afba4a59dd533b9/sysmonconfig-export-block.xml#L1326
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_susp_legitimate_app_dropping_archive.yml
author: frack113, Florian Roth, Huntrule Team
date: 2022-08-21
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1218
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: file_event
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith:
      - \winword.exe
      - \excel.exe
      - \powerpnt.exe
      - \msaccess.exe
      - \mspub.exe
      - \eqnedt32.exe
      - \visio.exe
      - \wordpad.exe
      - \wordview.exe
      - \certutil.exe
      - \certoc.exe
      - \CertReq.exe
      - \Desktopimgdownldr.exe
      - \esentutl.exe
      - \finger.exe
      - \notepad.exe
      - \AcroRd32.exe
      - \RdrCEF.exe
      - \mshta.exe
      - \hh.exe
    TargetFilename|endswith:
      - .zip
      - .rar
      - .7z
      - .diagcab
      - .appx
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 654fcc6d-840d-4844-9b07-2c3300e54a26
    type: derived

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