huntrule

Windows Process Execution via WorkFolders.exe Launching control.exe

Alerts when WorkFolders.exe spawns a non-standard control.exe instance on Windows.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Maxime Thiebaut (@0xThiebaut) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-10-21
Updated
2026-07-30
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule flags process creation where WorkFolders.exe is the parent process and it spawns control.exe. An attacker could abuse this relationship to execute a system utility with a chosen control.exe instance, blending execution into legitimate Windows binaries. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, specifically parent and child process image paths, and matches when the child is a control.exe path that does not equal the standard C:\Windows\System32\control.exe.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Process Execution via WorkFolders.exe Launching control.exe
Pivot detection · T1218 · 9 related

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