Windows Arbitrary File Download via GfxDownloadWrapper.exe URL Argument Execution

Flags GfxDownloadWrapper.exe executions that include http/https URLs for downloading files, excluding a known Intel gameplay API URL.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Victor Sergeev, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
- T1105Ingress Tool Transfer
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule matches process creation where GfxDownloadWrapper.exe is executed with a command line containing an HTTP or HTTPS URL. Such behavior can be used to retrieve external payloads or stages from attacker-controlled infrastructure. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the executable path and command-line contents.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1105 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious PowerShell Remote Download and Execution via Invoke-WebRequest

Suspicious File Download to Shared Memory Directory on Linux

Malicious axios NPM Supply Chain C2 Domain Resolution

Suspicious Curl Download From Sysinternals Live Service (via process_creation)

Suspicious Remote Script Transfer via Bitsadmin (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell Download Cradle via ClickFix Fake CAPTCHA (via process_creation)

Malicious Curl MSI Download to ProgramData via Process Creation

Suspicious CloudZ RAT Payload Download via curl to ProgramData

Suspicious Velociraptor Agent Deployment via msiexec From Cloud Storage

Windows Arbitrary File Download via GfxDownloadWrapper.exe URL Argument Execution

Pivot detection · T1105 · 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-gfxdownloadwrapper-exe-used-for-arbitrary-file-download-from-a-url-eee00933

title: Windows Arbitrary File Download via GfxDownloadWrapper.exe URL Argument Execution
id: 218e3dc1-f609-408e-915d-2d065bd313f7
status: test
description: This rule matches process creation where GfxDownloadWrapper.exe is executed with a command line containing an HTTP or HTTPS URL. Such behavior can be used to retrieve external payloads or stages from attacker-controlled infrastructure. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the executable path and command-line contents.
references:
  - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/HonorableMentions/GfxDownloadWrapper/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_gfxdownloadwrapper_arbitrary_file_download.yml
author: Victor Sergeev, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-09
modified: 2023-10-18
tags:
  - attack.command-and-control
  - attack.t1105
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith: \GfxDownloadWrapper.exe
    CommandLine|contains:
      - http://
      - https://
  filter_main_known_urls:
    CommandLine|contains: https://gameplayapi.intel.com/
  condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: eee00933-a761-4cd0-be70-c42fe91731e7
    type: derived

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

SplunkSPL