File Download Using ProtocolHandler.exe — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: frack113. Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2021-07-13 / 2023-11-09.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 7e1199d4a40de87bb739ef4a36a267684097162dd57c6658cbc43076e0a9f000

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: File Download Using ProtocolHandler.exe
id: 104cdb48-a7a8-4ca7-a453-32942c6e5dcb
status: test
description: |
    Detects usage of "ProtocolHandler" to download files. Downloaded files will be located in the cache folder (for example - %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE)
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218/T1218.md
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/ProtocolHandler/
author: frack113
date: 2021-07-13
modified: 2023-11-09
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\protocolhandler.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'ProtocolHandler.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'ftp://'
            - 'http://'
            - 'https://'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unknown

Source references

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218/T1218.md
• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/ProtocolHandler/