Windows: Process execution from web server root folders (wwwroot, htdocs, wmpub)
Alerts on Windows processes executing from typical web server root folders, consistent with webshell or backdoor staging.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2019-01-16
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
PersistenceRecon
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 creation where the process image path contains common web server root directories such as \wwwroot\, \wmpub\, and \htdocs\. Executing from these locations is suspicious because attackers may drop and run webshells or other backdoors under the web root to achieve persistence or remote execution. Detection relies on process creation telemetry including Image and ParentImage paths to exclude likely benign service-launched tooling patterns.
Reporting behind it
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.
title: "Windows: Process execution from web server root folders (wwwroot, htdocs, wmpub)"
id: 3041c03a-d891-4c9a-bb41-355d70ba122e
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation where the process image path contains common web server root directories such as \wwwroot\, \wmpub\, and \htdocs\. Executing from these locations is suspicious because attackers may drop and run webshells or other backdoors under the web root to achieve persistence or remote execution. Detection relies on process creation telemetry including Image and ParentImage paths to exclude likely benign service-launched tooling patterns.
references:
- Internal Research
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_execution_path_webserver.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2019-01-16
modified: 2024-01-18
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1505.003
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|contains:
- \wwwroot\
- \wmpub\
- \htdocs\
filter_main_generic:
Image|contains:
- bin\
- \Tools\
- \SMSComponent\
ParentImage|endswith: \services.exe
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Various applications
- Tools that include ping or nslookup command invocations
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 35efb964-e6a5-47ad-bbcd-19661854018d
type: derived