Msiexec Quiet Installation

title: Msiexec Quiet Installation
id: 79a87aa6-e4bd-42fc-a5bb-5e6fbdcd62f5
status: test
description: |
    Adversaries may abuse msiexec.exe to proxy execution of malicious payloads.
    Msiexec.exe is the command-line utility for the Windows Installer and is thus commonly associated with executing installation packages (.msi)
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/msiexec
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218.007/T1218.007.md
    - https://twitter.com/_st0pp3r_/status/1583914244344799235
author: frack113
date: 2022-01-16
modified: 2026-07-28
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218.007
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\msiexec.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'msiexec.exe'
    selection_cli:
        # Note that there is no space before and after the arguments because it's possible to write a commandline as such
        # Example: msiexec -q/i [MSI Package]
        CommandLine|contains|windash:
            - '-i'
            - '-package'
            - '-a'
            - '-j'
    selection_quiet:
        CommandLine|contains|windash: '-q'
    filter_main_system_temp:
        ParentImage|startswith: 'C:\Windows\Temp\'
    filter_main_ccm:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\CCM\Ccm32BitLauncher.exe'
        IntegrityLevel:
            - 'System'
            - 'S-1-16-16384'
    filter_optional_user_temp:
        # The %temp% is a very common location for installers
        ParentImage|startswith: 'C:\Users\'
        ParentImage|contains: '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
    filter_optional_wsl:
        # C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe /quiet /i "C:\Users\xodih\AppData\Local\Temp\wsl.2.6.3.0.arm64 (2).msi" SKIPVALIDATION=1 /L*V C:\Users\xodih\AppData\Local\Temp\wsl-install-logs.txt
        ParentImage|endswith: 'C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe'
        Image|endswith: 'C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - WindowsApps installing updates via the quiet flag
level: medium