HackTool - PCHunter Execution — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali. Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2022-10-10 / 2024-11-23.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: c017c7f9b000c23c67c32d7c6a8d3ae7403983ad8e266b9d2b14cf79dd0a1a09

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: HackTool - PCHunter Execution
id: fca949cc-79ca-446e-8064-01aa7e52ece5
status: test
description: Detects suspicious use of PCHunter, a tool like Process Hacker to view and manipulate processes, kernel options and other low level stuff
references:
    - https://web.archive.org/web/20231210115125/http://www.xuetr.com/
    - https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/falcon-overwatch-report-finds-increase-in-ecrime/
    - https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2018/04/20/kernel-hacking-tool-you-might-have-never-heard-of-xuetr-pchunter/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali
date: 2022-10-10
modified: 2024-11-23
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.t1082
    - attack.t1057
    - attack.t1012
    - attack.t1083
    - attack.t1007
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_image:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\PCHunter64.exe'
            - '\PCHunter32.exe'
    selection_pe:
        - OriginalFileName: 'PCHunter.exe'
        - Description: 'Epoolsoft Windows Information View Tools'
    selection_hashes:
        Hashes|contains:
            - 'SHA1=5F1CBC3D99558307BC1250D084FA968521482025'
            - 'MD5=987B65CD9B9F4E9A1AFD8F8B48CF64A7'
            - 'SHA256=2B214BDDAAB130C274DE6204AF6DBA5AEEC7433DA99AA950022FA306421A6D32'
            - 'IMPHASH=444D210CEA1FF8112F256A4997EED7FF'
            - 'SHA1=3FB89787CB97D902780DA080545584D97FB1C2EB'
            - 'MD5=228DD0C2E6287547E26FFBD973A40F14'
            - 'SHA256=55F041BF4E78E9BFA6D4EE68BE40E496CE3A1353E1CA4306598589E19802522C'
            - 'IMPHASH=0479F44DF47CFA2EF1CCC4416A538663'
    condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://web.archive.org/web/20231210115125/http://www.xuetr.com/
• https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/falcon-overwatch-report-finds-increase-in-ecrime/
• https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2018/04/20/kernel-hacking-tool-you-might-have-never-heard-of-xuetr-pchunter/