Windows Security: Suspicious Local Account Created with ANONYMOUS LOGON SamAccountName

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1136.001Local Account
- T1136.002Domain Account
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows Security EventID 4720 when a new local account is created with a SamAccountName containing both "ANONYMOUS" and "LOGON". Attackers may attempt to mimic or blend into system-like naming to support persistence or evasion. Detection relies on account creation telemetry from Windows Security logs, specifically the new account name field in EventID 4720.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Security: Suspicious Local Account Created with ANONYMOUS LOGON SamAccountName

Pivot detection · T1136.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v2

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-security-suspicious-local-account-creation-with-anonymous-logon-account--1bbf25b9

title: "Windows Security: Suspicious Local Account Created with ANONYMOUS LOGON SamAccountName"
id: 481553c6-0952-40e1-97af-0645c7ece9f6
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows Security EventID 4720 when a new local account is created with a SamAccountName containing both "ANONYMOUS" and "LOGON". Attackers may attempt to mimic or blend into system-like naming to support persistence or evasion. Detection relies on account creation telemetry from Windows Security logs, specifically the new account name field in EventID 4720.
references:
  - https://twitter.com/SBousseaden/status/1189469425482829824
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_susp_local_anon_logon_created.yml
author: James Pemberton / @4A616D6573, Huntrule Team
date: 2019-10-31
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.t1136.001
  - attack.t1136.002
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: security
detection:
  selection:
    EventID: 4720
    SamAccountName|contains|all:
      - ANONYMOUS
      - LOGON
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 1bbf25b9-8038-4154-a50b-118f2a32be27
    type: derived

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