Windows WMI (wmic.exe) Sets User Password to Never Expire

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1047Windows Management Instrumentation
Persistence
- T1098Account Manipulation
Priv Esc
- T1098Account Manipulation
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags use of wmic.exe to change a user account property that disables password expiration (passwordexpires set to false). Attackers may use this to maintain persistent access without needing password resets, which can reduce friction for long-term compromise. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on the process executable name and specific command-line arguments indicating the password expiration setting change.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1098 — drag to rearrange

Malicious UAT-8302 Remote Process Execution via wmic

Malicious Remote Encryptor Execution via WMIC Process Call Create (Chaos Ransomware)

Malicious Impacket Wmiexec Remote Command Execution Pattern

Malicious Shadow Copy Deletion Via WMI

Malicious Cluster-Admin Role Binding Creation (via audit)

Malicious User Password Change Using Current Hash Password - ChangeNTLM - Mimikatz (via security)

Suspicious Account Password Set to Never Expire. (via security)

Malicious Modification of a Computer Account SPN (via security)

Suspicious Massive Group Membership Changes (via security)

Windows WMI (wmic.exe) Sets User Password to Never Expire

Pivot detection · T1098 · 9 related

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

windows-wmi-wmic-exe-sets-user-password-to-never-expire-7864a175

title: Windows WMI (wmic.exe) Sets User Password to Never Expire
id: 8c9734e7-00c0-4744-90bd-1e5dd0582ffe
status: experimental
description: This rule flags use of wmic.exe to change a user account property that disables password expiration (passwordexpires set to false). Attackers may use this to maintain persistent access without needing password resets, which can reduce friction for long-term compromise. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on the process executable name and specific command-line arguments indicating the password expiration setting change.
references:
  - https://www.huntress.com/blog/the-unwanted-guest
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wmi_password_never_expire.yml
author: Daniel Koifman (KoifSec), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-07-30
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.execution
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.t1047
  - attack.t1098
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: \wmic.exe
    - OriginalFileName: wmic.exe
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - useraccount
      - " set "
      - passwordexpires
      - "false"
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative activity
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 7864a175-3654-4824-9f0d-f0da18ab27c0
    type: derived

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