Detection rules › Sigma

Arbitrary Binary Execution Using GUP Utility

Status
test
Severity
medium
Log source
product windows, category process_creation
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects execution of the Notepad++ updater (gup) to launch other commands or executables

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
ExecutionNo specific technique

Event coverage

Rule body yaml

title: Arbitrary Binary Execution Using GUP Utility
id: d65aee4d-2292-4cea-b832-83accd6cfa43
status: test
description: Detects execution of the Notepad++ updater (gup) to launch other commands or executables
references:
    - https://twitter.com/nas_bench/status/1535322445439180803
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-06-10
modified: 2023-03-02
tags:
    - attack.execution
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\gup.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
    filter:
        Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
        CommandLine|contains: '\Notepad++\notepad++.exe'
    filter_parent:
        ParentImage|contains: '\Notepad++\updater\'
    filter_null:
        CommandLine: null
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter*
falsepositives:
    - Other parent binaries using GUP not currently identified
level: medium

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection and not 1 of filter*

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\gup.exe'
    Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'

Stage 2: not filter*

filter:
    Image|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: '\Notepad++\notepad++.exe'
filter_parent:
    ParentImage|contains: '\Notepad++\updater\'
filter_null:
    CommandLine: null

Exclusions

Top-level NOT(...) conjuncts: predicates this rule actively suppresses.

FieldKindExcluded values
CommandLinematch\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Imageends_with\explorer.exe
CommandLineis_null(no value, null check)
ParentImagematch\Notepad++\updater\

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
Imageends_with
  • \explorer.exe corpus 14 (sigma 14)
ParentImageends_with
  • \gup.exe corpus 2 (sigma 2)