Windows Process Creation: File/Folder Permission Changes via cacls/icacls/net attrib/takeown
Alerts when Windows permission/ownership changes are attempted using ACL and ownership tools with grant/inheritance-related command-line flags.
FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v5
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Jakob Weinzettl, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2019-10-23
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags Windows process executions that modify file or folder access controls, owners, or related inheritance settings. Attackers can use these permission and ownership changes to impair defenses, maintain persistence, or gain access to resources by granting or resetting ACLs. It relies on process creation telemetry, matching command-line arguments for tools commonly used to change permissions (cacls/icacls/net/attrib/takeown) and excluding specific known benign command patterns.
Reporting behind it
- github.comhttps://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1222.001/T1222.001.md
- docs.microsoft.comhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/hh750728(v=ws.11)
- github.comhttps://github.com/swagkarna/Defeat-Defender-V1.2.0/tree/ae4059c4276da6f6303b8f53cdff085ecae88a91
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_file_permission_modifications.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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-process-based-detection-of-file-and-folder-permission-changes-via-acl-to-37ae075c
title: "Windows Process Creation: File/Folder Permission Changes via cacls/icacls/net attrib/takeown"
id: 46c583ca-5da6-4594-991d-aa2096cf71be
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process executions that modify file or folder access controls, owners, or related inheritance settings. Attackers can use these permission and ownership changes to impair defenses, maintain persistence, or gain access to resources by granting or resetting ACLs. It relies on process creation telemetry, matching command-line arguments for tools commonly used to change permissions (cacls/icacls/net/attrib/takeown) and excluding specific known benign command patterns.
references:
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1222.001/T1222.001.md
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/hh750728(v=ws.11)
- https://github.com/swagkarna/Defeat-Defender-V1.2.0/tree/ae4059c4276da6f6303b8f53cdff085ecae88a91
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_file_permission_modifications.yml
author: Jakob Weinzettl, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2019-10-23
modified: 2023-11-21
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1222.001
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_1:
Image|endswith:
- \cacls.exe
- \icacls.exe
- \net.exe
- \net1.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- /grant
- /setowner
- /inheritance:r
selection_2:
Image|endswith: \attrib.exe
CommandLine|contains: -r
selection_3:
Image|endswith: \takeown.exe
filter_optional_dynatrace_1:
CommandLine|endswith: ICACLS C:\ProgramData\dynatrace\gateway\config\connectivity.history /reset
filter_optional_dynatrace_2:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- "ICACLS C:\\ProgramData\\dynatrace\\gateway\\config\\config.properties /grant :r "
- S-1-5-19:F
filter_optional_vscode:
CommandLine|contains:
- \AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code
- :\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code
filter_optional_avira:
CommandLine|contains:
- :\Program Files (x86)\Avira
- :\Program Files\Avira
condition: 1 of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
- Users interacting with the files on their own (unlikely unless privileged users).
- Dynatrace app
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 37ae075c-271b-459b-8d7b-55ad5f993dd8
type: derived