Windows: Identify RpcPing.exe -s RPC test that requests NTLM authentication

Detects RpcPing.exe RPC test usage with parameters indicating NTLM authentication attempts.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v1

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Julia Fomina, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2026-07-30

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 execution of RpcPing.exe with the -s option and additional parameters indicating NTLM authentication was involved. Attackers can use this behavior to trigger outbound authentication attempts and capture NTLM material. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, matching the RpcPing.exe binary name and specific command-line arguments (including NTLM and ncacn_np).

Reporting behind it

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Windows: Identify RpcPing.exe -s RPC test that requests NTLM authentication

Pivot detection · T1003 · 9 related

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

windows-identify-rpcping-exe-s-rpc-test-that-requests-ntlm-authentication-93671f99

title: "Windows: Identify RpcPing.exe -s RPC test that requests NTLM authentication"
id: 37340dbb-f419-4ae3-97ad-2ca927718469
status: test
description: This rule flags execution of RpcPing.exe with the -s option and additional parameters indicating NTLM authentication was involved. Attackers can use this behavior to trigger outbound authentication attempts and capture NTLM material. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, matching the RpcPing.exe binary name and specific command-line arguments (including NTLM and ncacn_np).
references:
  - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Rpcping/
  - https://twitter.com/vysecurity/status/974806438316072960
  - https://twitter.com/vysecurity/status/873181705024266241
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/hh875578(v=ws.11)
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rpcping_credential_capture.yml
author: Julia Fomina, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-09
modified: 2025-10-31
tags:
  - attack.credential-access
  - attack.t1003
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_main_img:
    - Image|endswith: \RpcPing.exe
    - OriginalFileName: \RpcPing.exe
  selection_main_flag:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: -s
  selection_cli_ntlm:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: -u
    CommandLine|contains: NTLM
  selection_cli_ncacn:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: -t
    CommandLine|contains: ncacn_np
  condition: all of selection_main_* and 1 of selection_cli_*
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 93671f99-04eb-4ab4-a161-70d446a84003
    type: derived

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