AdFind Command Activity
This rule detects the Active Directory query tool, AdFind.exe. AdFind has legitimate purposes, but it is frequently leveraged by threat actors to perform post-exploitation Active Directory reconnaissance. The AdFind…
Description
This rule detects the Active Directory query tool, AdFind.exe. AdFind has legitimate purposes, but it is frequently leveraged by threat actors to perform post-exploitation Active Directory reconnaissance. The AdFind tool has been observed in Trickbot, Ryuk, Maze, and FIN6 campaigns. For Winlogbeat, this rule requires Sysmon.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 5 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
- T1016System Network Configuration Discovery45 detections cover this technique
- T1018Remote System Discovery64 detections cover this technique
- T1069Permission Groups Discovery39 detections cover this technique
- T1087Account Discovery91 detections cover this technique
- T1482Domain Trust Discovery43 detections cover this technique
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| www.joeware.net/freetools/tools/adfind/ | Only this detection cites it |
| cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/pick-six-intercepting-a-fin6-intrusion | Only this detection cites it |
| cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/tactics-techniques-procedures-associated-with-maze-ransomware-incidents | Only this detection cites it |
| thedfirreport.com/2020/05/08/adfind-recon/ | 3from 2 sources |
| usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/global/support-legal/documents/fin6-cybercrime-group-expands-threat-To-ecommerce-merchants.pdf | Only this detection cites it |
| web.archive.org/web/20260630164654/https://www.cybereason.com/blog/research/dropping-anchor-from-a-trickbot-infection-to-the-discovery-of-the-anchor-malware | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- eda499b8-a073-4e35-9733-22ec71f57f3a
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: CrowdstrikeData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Microsoft Defender XDRData Source: SentinelOneData Source: SysmonData Source: Windows Security Event LogsDomain: EndpointNoise: MediumOS: WindowsPerformance: NormalPlatform: WindowsResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: DiscoveryUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Oct 8, 2026
- Version
- 4