Windows Process Creation Matching TrustedPath UAC Bypass Directory Mocking Strings

Alerts on Windows processes referencing System32/SysWOW64 paths consistent with TrustedPath UAC bypass directory mocking.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v1

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2021-08-27
Updated: 2026-07-30

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Defense Evasion
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows process creation events whose command line or image field contains the system directory paths associated with TrustedPath UAC bypass techniques (C:\Windows\System32\ and C:\Windows\SysWOW64\). Such behavior can indicate an attempt to interfere with how elevated components resolve trusted locations to gain privilege without proper authorization. It relies on process creation telemetry and string matching on the observed process Image field.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1548.002 — drag to rearrange

Malicious FodHelper UAC Bypass via ms-settings Shell Command Hijack (via registry_set)

Suspicious Banana RAT UAC Skip Environment Variable in PowerShell

Malicious UAC Bypass via sdclt Handler Hijack (via registry_set)

Malicious UAC Bypass via ms-settings Handler Hijack (via registry_set)

Malicious DBatLoader DLL Sideloading via easinvoker.exe Loading netutils.dll (via image_load)

Suspicious dllhost.exe Spawned with CLSID and Anomalous Parent (via process_creation)

Malicious ms-settings DelegateExecute UAC Bypass Registry Change

Malicious User Account Control Bypass via Auto-Elevating Binary Hijack (via process_creation)

Suspicious Mock Trusted Directory with Trailing Space (via process_creation)

Windows Process Creation Matching TrustedPath UAC Bypass Directory Mocking Strings

Pivot detection · T1548.002 · 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-process-creation-matching-trustedpath-uac-bypass-directory-mocking-strin-4ac47ed3

title: Windows Process Creation Matching TrustedPath UAC Bypass Directory Mocking Strings
id: e72ad523-14a6-4b22-a5a5-30345f9f038c
related:
  - id: 0cbe38c0-270c-41d9-ab79-6e5a9a669290
    type: similar
  - id: 4ac47ed3-44c2-4b1f-9d51-bf46e8914126
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation events whose command line or image field contains the system directory paths associated with TrustedPath UAC bypass techniques (C:\Windows\System32\ and C:\Windows\SysWOW64\). Such behavior can indicate an attempt to interfere with how elevated components resolve trusted locations to gain privilege without proper authorization. It relies on process creation telemetry and string matching on the observed process Image field.
references:
  - https://medium.com/tenable-techblog/uac-bypass-by-mocking-trusted-directories-24a96675f6e
  - https://www.wietzebeukema.nl/blog/hijacking-dlls-in-windows
  - https://github.com/netero1010/TrustedPath-UACBypass-BOF
  - https://x.com/Wietze/status/1933495426952421843
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_uac_bypass_trustedpath.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2021-08-27
modified: 2025-06-17
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1548.002
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|contains:
      - C:\Windows \System32\
      - C:\Windows \SysWOW64\
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

SplunkSPL