Windows: Uncommon Process Access to Chromium User Data Cookies and History
Alerts on uncommon executables reading Chromium cookies/history/web data on Windows, excluding common system and installer paths.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- file_access
- Author
- X__Junior (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2024-07-29
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Cred AccessRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags file access events where an unusual process reads Chromium browser sensitive user data files, including Cookies, History, Network Cookies, and Web Data. Such access can indicate attempts to steal or recover sensitive browser artifacts used for credential and session information. The detection relies on Windows file access telemetry (Kernel File ETW) that includes the accessed file path and the initiating process image.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Windows: Uncommon Process Access to Chromium User Data Cookies and History"
id: 57caa2f3-9fcf-410a-a66f-3707ca18e928
status: test
description: This rule flags file access events where an unusual process reads Chromium browser sensitive user data files, including Cookies, History, Network Cookies, and Web Data. Such access can indicate attempts to steal or recover sensitive browser artifacts used for credential and session information. The detection relies on Windows file access telemetry (Kernel File ETW) that includes the accessed file path and the initiating process image.
references:
- Internal Research
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/file/file_access/file_access_win_browsers_chromium_sensitive_files.yml
author: X__Junior (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2024-07-29
tags:
- attack.t1003
- attack.credential-access
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
category: file_access
product: windows
definition: "Requirements: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-File ETW provider"
detection:
selection:
FileName|contains:
- \User Data\Default\Cookies
- \User Data\Default\History
- \User Data\Default\Network\Cookies
- \User Data\Default\Web Data
filter_main_system:
Image: System
filter_main_generic:
Image|startswith:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\
- C:\Program Files\
- C:\Windows\system32\
- C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
filter_optional_defender:
Image|startswith: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\
Image|endswith:
- \MpCopyAccelerator.exe
- \MsMpEng.exe
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
- Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Malware Software
- Backup software
- Legitimate software installed on partitions other than "C:\"
- Searching software such as "everything.exe"
level: low
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: c5f37810-a85f-4186-81e9-33f23abb4141
type: derived