Windows: wordpad.exe Initiated Network Connections on Uncommon Ports
Alerts when wordpad.exe initiates outbound connections on destination ports outside common C2-related ports.
FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
- Product
- windows
- Category
- network_connection
- Author
- X__Junior (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2023-07-12
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
What it detects
Identifies network connections initiated by wordpad.exe to destination ports not in a defined set of commonly used ports. This matters because unusual outbound port usage by a GUI text editor process can indicate hidden command-and-control behavior or other malicious activity. The rule relies on Windows network connection telemetry that includes the initiating process identity and destination port.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v2- 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.
windows-wordpad-exe-makes-outbound-network-connections-to-uncommon-ports-786cdae8
title: "Windows: wordpad.exe Initiated Network Connections on Uncommon Ports"
id: fe8d330f-04b9-46cd-b77a-2548db1a46f9
status: test
description: Identifies network connections initiated by wordpad.exe to destination ports not in a defined set of commonly used ports. This matters because unusual outbound port usage by a GUI text editor process can indicate hidden command-and-control behavior or other malicious activity. The rule relies on Windows network connection telemetry that includes the initiating process identity and destination port.
references:
- https://blogs.blackberry.com/en/2023/07/romcom-targets-ukraine-nato-membership-talks-at-nato-summit
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/network_connection/net_connection_win_wordpad_uncommon_ports.yml
author: X__Junior (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-07-12
modified: 2023-12-15
tags:
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.stealth
logsource:
category: network_connection
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Initiated: "true"
Image|endswith: \wordpad.exe
filter_main_ports:
DestinationPort:
- 80
- 139
- 443
- 445
- 465
- 587
- 993
- 995
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Other ports can be used, apply additional filters accordingly
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 786cdae8-fefb-4eb2-9227-04e34060db01
type: derived