Password Set to Never Expire via WMI — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Daniel Koifman (KoifSec). Source status: experimental; severity: medium. Source dates: 2025-07-30 / not supplied.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 62d5fd1f2a2e283ceb7cc343aad509f0861efe57fea05e22b472814ed493f881

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: Password Set to Never Expire via WMI
id: 7864a175-3654-4824-9f0d-f0da18ab27c0
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects the use of wmic.exe to modify user account settings and explicitly disable password expiration.
references:
    - https://www.huntress.com/blog/the-unwanted-guest
author: "Daniel Koifman (KoifSec)"
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:   # Example command simulated:  wmic  useraccount where name='guest' set passwordexpires=false
        - 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

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate administrative activity

Source references

• https://www.huntress.com/blog/the-unwanted-guest