Windows UAC Bypass via consent.exe and werfault.exe with comctl32.dll-related behavior

Alerts on consent.exe parent launching werfault.exe with high/system integrity levels, consistent with potential UAC bypass attempts.

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windows-uac-bypass-via-consent-exe-and-werfault-exe-with-comctl32-dll-related-be-1ca6bd18

title: Windows UAC Bypass via consent.exe and werfault.exe with comctl32.dll-related behavior
id: b00f11d7-e54d-4c8b-9c6f-7a307dcc2e24
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation where a parent process ending with '\consent.exe' launches a child ending with '\werfault.exe' under high/system integrity contexts. Such behavior can indicate an attempt to bypass UAC by leveraging consent flows and related common controls components. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically parent/child image paths and the reported integrity level of the executing process.
references:
  - https://github.com/hfiref0x/UACME
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_uac_bypass_consent_comctl32.yml
author: Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2021-08-23
modified: 2024-12-01
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1548.002
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: \consent.exe
    Image|endswith: \werfault.exe
    IntegrityLevel:
      - High
      - System
      - S-1-16-16384
      - S-1-16-12288
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 1ca6bd18-0ba0-44ca-851c-92ed89a61085
    type: derived

What it detects

This rule flags process creation where a parent process ending with '\consent.exe' launches a child ending with '\werfault.exe' under high/system integrity contexts. Such behavior can indicate an attempt to bypass UAC by leveraging consent flows and related common controls components. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically parent/child image paths and the reported integrity level of the executing process.

Known false positives

Unknown

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