Windows File Access to Cryptocurrency Wallet Keystores by Uncommon Processes

Alerts on access to Ethereum/Bitcoin-style wallet files from non-standard processes on Windows.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Category: file_access
Author: X__Junior (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2024-07-29
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1003OS Credential Dumping
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags file access events where the accessed path matches common cryptocurrency wallet storage locations in the Windows user profile (e.g., Ethereum/Monero keystores and Bitcoin-derived wallet.dat files). Such activity can indicate attempts to steal or tamper with cryptocurrency credentials and keys from local wallet files. It relies on Windows file access telemetry (Kernel File ETW) capturing the FileName and the initiating process Image, with exclusions for System and common Windows/Defender binaries to reduce benign matches.

Reporting behind it

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Windows File Access to Cryptocurrency Wallet Keystores by Uncommon Processes

Pivot detection · T1003 · 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-file-access-to-crypto-wallet-files-by-uncommon-applications-f41b0311

title: Windows File Access to Cryptocurrency Wallet Keystores by Uncommon Processes
id: 70a05b97-910d-458f-9092-5b6880e27d7a
status: test
description: This rule flags file access events where the accessed path matches common cryptocurrency wallet storage locations in the Windows user profile (e.g., Ethereum/Monero keystores and Bitcoin-derived wallet.dat files). Such activity can indicate attempts to steal or tamper with cryptocurrency credentials and keys from local wallet files. It relies on Windows file access telemetry (Kernel File ETW) capturing the FileName and the initiating process Image, with exclusions for System and common Windows/Defender binaries to reduce benign matches.
references:
  - Internal Research
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/file/file_access/file_access_win_susp_crypto_currency_wallets.yml
author: X__Junior (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2024-07-29
tags:
  - attack.t1003
  - attack.credential-access
logsource:
  category: file_access
  product: windows
  definition: "Requirements: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-File ETW provider"
detection:
  selection:
    - FileName|contains:
        - \AppData\Roaming\Ethereum\keystore\
        - \AppData\Roaming\EthereumClassic\keystore\
        - \AppData\Roaming\monero\wallets\
    - FileName|endswith:
        - \AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\BitcoinABC\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\BitcoinSV\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\DashCore\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\DogeCoin\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\Litecoin\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\Ripple\wallet.dat
        - \AppData\Roaming\Zcash\wallet.dat
  filter_main_system:
    Image: System
  filter_main_generic:
    Image|startswith:
      - C:\Program Files (x86)\
      - C:\Program Files\
      - C:\Windows\system32\
      - C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
  filter_optional_defender:
    Image|startswith: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\
    Image|endswith:
      - \MpCopyAccelerator.exe
      - \MsMpEng.exe
  condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
  - Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Malware Software
  - Backup software
  - Legitimate software installed on partitions other than "C:\"
  - Searching software such as "everything.exe"
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: f41b0311-44f9-44f0-816d-dd45e39d4bc8
    type: derived

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