Windows LocalPotato.exe Execution for Local Privilege Escalation

Detects LocalPotato.exe process execution on Windows using image path, typical CLI parameters, and known imphash values.

FreeUnreviewedSigmahighv1

windows-localpotato-exe-execution-for-local-privilege-escalation-6bd75993

title: Windows LocalPotato.exe Execution for Local Privilege Escalation
id: 9062e077-e7a0-495c-a627-41af62405443
status: test
description: This rule flags execution of LocalPotato by matching the process image path ending in \LocalPotato.exe and correlating it with default command-line usage patterns. It also requires additional PE metadata context via known imphash values to reduce false positives. This matters because attackers can use LocalPotato to attempt local privilege escalation, and the telemetry relies on Windows process creation events including Image, CommandLine, and Hashes.
references:
  - https://www.localpotato.com/localpotato_html/LocalPotato.html
  - https://github.com/decoder-it/LocalPotato
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_localpotato.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-02-14
modified: 2024-11-23
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - cve.2023-21746
  - attack.stealth
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    Image|endswith: \LocalPotato.exe
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - .exe -i C:\
      - -o Windows\
  selection_hash_plain:
    Hashes|contains:
      - IMPHASH=E1742EE971D6549E8D4D81115F88F1FC
      - IMPHASH=DD82066EFBA94D7556EF582F247C8BB5
  condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 6bd75993-9888-4f91-9404-e1e4e4e34b77
    type: derived

What it detects

This rule flags execution of LocalPotato by matching the process image path ending in \LocalPotato.exe and correlating it with default command-line usage patterns. It also requires additional PE metadata context via known imphash values to reduce false positives. This matters because attackers can use LocalPotato to attempt local privilege escalation, and the telemetry relies on Windows process creation events including Image, CommandLine, and Hashes.

Known false positives

Unlikely

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