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SCR File Write Event — Sigma Rule

Sigma rule c048f047-7e2a-4888-b302-55f509d4a91d. SCR File Write Event — Sigma Rule. Detects the creation of screensaver files (.scr) outside of system folders. Attackers may execute an application as an ".SCR" file using "rundll32.exe desk.cpl,InstallScreenSaver" for example.

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Christopher Peacock @securepeacock, SCYTHE @scythe_io. Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2022-04-27 / 2023-08-23.

Original logsource
{
  "category": "file_event",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 7dfcab08c65b02c473687bcc258ead05ae36f172f36e9037d888cebf27eeed93

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.

Original Sigma rule YAML, scroll horizontally if needed
title: SCR File Write Event
id: c048f047-7e2a-4888-b302-55f509d4a91d
status: test
description: Detects the creation of screensaver files (.scr) outside of system folders. Attackers may execute an application as an ".SCR" file using "rundll32.exe desk.cpl,InstallScreenSaver" for example.
references:
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Libraries/Desk/
author: 'Christopher Peacock @securepeacock, SCYTHE @scythe_io'
date: 2022-04-27
modified: 2023-08-23
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218.011
logsource:
    category: file_event
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetFilename|endswith: '.scr'
    filter:
        TargetFilename|contains:
            - ':\$WINDOWS.~BT\NewOS\'
            - ':\Windows\System32\'
            - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
            - ':\Windows\WinSxS\'
            - ':\WUDownloadCache\' # Windows Update Download Cache
    condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
    - The installation of new screen savers by third party software
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

  • The installation of new screen savers by third party software

Source references

Connected ecosystem references

Exact source-tagged techniques

Telemetry review

Read the original logsource above, then inspect the linked detection workspaces for technique-level sensor context. No per-rule telemetry equivalence is inferred.

Pinned research references. No browser attack runner or production-validated detector is asserted. Imported procedures remain unvalidated; any bounded lab evidence has its own scope. ATT&CK / Atomic provenance · Detection provenance.