huntrule

Windows Security: Network Access to protected_storage (IPC)

Flags Windows network share access to protected_storage through IPC from Security event 5145.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
security
Author
Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2019-08-10
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Lateral Movement

  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 Windows Security event 5145 where a client accesses the protected_storage resource via an IPC share path. Attackers may use protected storage access to facilitate credential and key material theft or lateral movement by reaching sensitive backups on domain systems. The detection relies on event-based SMB/Share access telemetry, including ShareName content containing IPC and the RelativeTargetName matching protected_storage.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1021.002 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Ransomware Fan-Out Deployment via PsExec Spread (Qilin)
Suspicious Impacket smbexec Command Execution Pattern
Malicious Impacket Wmiexec Remote Command Execution Pattern
Suspicious Remote Admin Share Execution via Conhost
Malicious Network Share Manipulation via Commandline (via process_creation)
Suspicious Number of Oustanding SMB Requests Increased (via process_creation)
Suspicious SMB Insecure Guest Authentication Activated - Native (via security)
Suspicious PSexec Execution Over SMB Share (via security)
Suspicious Permissions Modification on a Network Share (via security)
Windows Security: Network Access to protected_storage (IPC)
Pivot detection · T1021.002 · 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.