Windows: InfDefaultInstall.exe .inf Execution

Flags Windows process executions of InfDefaultInstall.exe that include an .inf argument in the command line.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2021-07-13
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

Flags process creation where the command line contains both "InfDefaultInstall.exe " and ".inf". This targets a Windows binary execution pattern where an INF file is used to drive behavior, which attackers can leverage for stealthy execution via a trusted component. Detection relies on process creation telemetry with full command-line strings.

Reporting behind it

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Windows: InfDefaultInstall.exe .inf Execution

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-infdefaultinstall-exe-inf-execution-via-process-command-line-ce7cf472

title: "Windows: InfDefaultInstall.exe .inf Execution"
id: 10ae70a8-b5b1-48f1-b34d-ffeedc65eb60
status: test
description: Flags process creation where the command line contains both "InfDefaultInstall.exe " and ".inf". This targets a Windows binary execution pattern where an INF file is used to drive behavior, which attackers can leverage for stealthy execution via a trusted component. Detection relies on process creation telemetry with full command-line strings.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218/T1218.md#atomic-test-4---infdefaultinstallexe-inf-execution
  - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Infdefaultinstall/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_infdefaultinstall_execute_sct_scripts.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-07-13
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1218
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - "InfDefaultInstall.exe "
      - ".inf"
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: ce7cf472-6fcc-490a-9481-3786840b5d9b
    type: derived

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