Windows Process Creation: DumpStack.log Used to Evade Microsoft Defender

Alerts on Windows processes launched with DumpStack.log in the image name and command-line output argument.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-01-06
Updated
2026-07-30
title: "Windows Process Creation: DumpStack.log Used to Evade Microsoft Defender"
id: 9304fdd7-06c8-41b4-b0ea-90159b417920
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process executions where the launched image filename ends with DumpStack.log and where the command line includes the argument ' -o DumpStack.log'. Attackers may use this filename to evade Microsoft Defender behavior during execution. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the process image path and the full command line.
references:
  - https://twitter.com/mrd0x/status/1479094189048713219
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_dumpstack_log_evasion.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-01-06
modified: 2022-06-17
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith: \DumpStack.log
  selection_download:
    CommandLine|contains: " -o DumpStack.log"
  condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 4f647cfa-b598-4e12-ad69-c68dd16caef8
    type: derived