AppX Package Installation Attempts Via AppInstaller.EXE — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: frack113. Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2021-11-24 / 2023-11-09.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 22f52593712b946698d4a34dd9e7d33d71aaa3a0a55daee14bb319ace12623be

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: AppX Package Installation Attempts Via AppInstaller.EXE
id: 7cff77e1-9663-46a3-8260-17f2e1aa9d0a
related:
    - id: 180c7c5c-d64b-4a63-86e9-68910451bc8b
      type: derived
status: test
description: |
    Detects DNS queries made by "AppInstaller.EXE". The AppInstaller is the default handler for the "ms-appinstaller" URI. It attempts to load/install a package from the referenced URL
references:
    - https://twitter.com/notwhickey/status/1333900137232523264
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/AppInstaller/
author: frack113
date: 2021-11-24
modified: 2023-11-09
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1105
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: dns_query
detection:
    selection:
        Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_'
        Image|endswith: '\AppInstaller.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unknown

Source references

• https://twitter.com/notwhickey/status/1333900137232523264
• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/AppInstaller/