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Windows UAC Bypass via msconfig Token Modification (msconfig.exe -5) Process Creation

Flags msconfig.exe invoked with -5 from a Temp pkgmgr.exe parent under elevated integrity levels, indicating a possible UAC bypass.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-08-30
Updated
2026-07-30
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

  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 Windows process creations where msconfig.exe is launched with the "-5" argument and the spawning process appears to come from a Temp package manager binary path. It further constrains matches to processes running with high, system, or S-1-16 elevated integrity levels, consistent with attempts to elevate privileges via a UAC bypass technique. The detection relies on process creation telemetry including integrity level, parent process image path, and full command line.

Reporting behind it

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Malicious DBatLoader DLL Sideloading via easinvoker.exe Loading netutils.dll (via image_load)
Suspicious dllhost.exe Spawned with CLSID and Anomalous Parent (via process_creation)
Malicious ms-settings DelegateExecute UAC Bypass Registry Change
Malicious User Account Control Bypass via Auto-Elevating Binary Hijack (via process_creation)
Suspicious Mock Trusted Directory with Trailing Space (via process_creation)
Windows UAC Bypass via msconfig Token Modification (msconfig.exe -5) Process Creation
Pivot detection · T1548.002 · 9 related

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