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Windows: Detect QuarksPwDump.exe Credential Dumping via Command-Line Parameters

Flags QuarksPwDump.exe executions on Windows that attempt local/domain hash and related data dumping.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-09-05
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

  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 identifies execution of QuarksPwDump.exe on Windows when its command line includes one of several credential-dumping/hash extraction arguments. Such tooling is commonly used by attackers to obtain credential material from local and domain sources, including cached hashes and BitLocker-related data. The detection relies on process creation telemetry and matching the executable path ending with \QuarksPwDump.exe plus specific command-line switches.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1003.002 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Archiving of Registry Hives via WinRAR (UAT-8099)
Malicious Registry Hive Dump of SAM or SYSTEM via Reg Save (via process_creation)
Malicious Credential Hive Copy from Volume Shadow Copy
Malicious Secretdump Password Dumping via SMB Admin Share (via security)
Malicious Registry Hive Dump of SAM and SYSTEM via Reg Save (via process_creation)
Suspicious SAM Registry Hive Dump to Windows Temp by BianLian
Malicious SAM and SYSTEM Hive Dump via reg save (via process_creation)
Malicious Mimikatz Credential Access Module Invocation
Malicious SYSTEM Registry Hive Dump via reg.exe by Sandworm
Windows: Detect QuarksPwDump.exe Credential Dumping via Command-Line Parameters
Pivot detection · T1003.002 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No 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.