PUA - Sysinternals Tools Execution - Registry — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2022-08-24 / 2025-10-26.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: cd5badecc8f13827bdeecc58e5d46976cf2afe18d80876f538c7487f66228cd1

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: PUA - Sysinternals Tools Execution - Registry
id: c7da8edc-49ae-45a2-9e61-9fd860e4e73d
related:
    - id: 25ffa65d-76d8-4da5-a832-3f2b0136e133
      type: derived
    - id: 9841b233-8df8-4ad7-9133-b0b4402a9014
      type: obsolete
status: test
description: Detects the execution of some potentially unwanted tools such as PsExec, Procdump, etc. (part of the Sysinternals suite) via the creation of the "accepteula" registry key.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/Moti_B/status/1008587936735035392
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-08-24
modified: 2025-10-26
tags:
    - attack.resource-development
    - attack.t1588.002
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: registry_set
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Active Directory Explorer'
            - '\Handle'
            - '\LiveKd'
            - '\Process Explorer'
            - '\ProcDump'
            - '\PsExec'
            - '\PsLoglist'
            - '\PsPasswd'
            - '\SDelete'
            - '\Sysinternals' # Global level https://twitter.com/leonzandman/status/1561736801953382400
        TargetObject|endswith: '\EulaAccepted'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of SysInternals tools. Filter the legitimate paths used in your environment
level: medium
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_pua_sysinternals_susp_execution_via_eula/info.yml

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate use of SysInternals tools. Filter the legitimate paths used in your environment

Source references

• https://twitter.com/Moti_B/status/1008587936735035392