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

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1003.002Security Account Manager
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
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
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-quarkspwdump-exe-credential-dumping-via-command-line-flags-0685b176

title: "Windows: Detect QuarksPwDump.exe Credential Dumping via Command-Line Parameters"
id: 78065405-26df-457c-a9e9-251f1c5e66b8
status: test
description: 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.
references:
  - https://github.com/quarkslab/quarkspwdump
  - https://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/seedworm-apt-iran-middle-east
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_quarks_pwdump.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-09-05
modified: 2023-02-05
tags:
  - attack.credential-access
  - attack.t1003.002
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    Image|endswith: \QuarksPwDump.exe
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine:
      - " -dhl"
      - " --dump-hash-local"
      - " -dhdc"
      - " --dump-hash-domain-cached"
      - " --dump-bitlocker"
      - " -dhd "
      - " --dump-hash-domain "
      - --ntds-file
  condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 0685b176-c816-4837-8e7b-1216f346636b
    type: derived

Convert

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

SplunkSPL