Execution from Unusual Directory - Command Line
Identifies process execution from suspicious default Windows directories. This may be abused by adversaries to hide malware in trusted paths.
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 3 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.
- T1036Masquerading152 detections cover this technique
- T1218System Binary Proxy Execution251 detections cover this technique
- T1218.003CMSTP21 detections cover this technique
- T1218.004InstallUtil15 detections cover this technique
- T1218.005Mshta49 detections cover this technique
- T1218.009Regsvcs/Regasm18 detections cover this technique
- T1218.010Regsvr3244 detections cover this technique
- T1218.011Rundll3280 detections cover this technique
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/elastic-protects-against-data-wiper-malware-targeting-ukraine-hermeticwiper | 10 |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/hunting-for-lateral-movement-using-event-query-language | 11 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- cff92c41-2225-4763-b4ce-6f71e5bda5e6
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Microsoft Defender XDRData Source: SentinelOneData Source: SysmonData Source: Windows Security Event LogsDomain: EndpointNoise: MediumOS: WindowsPerformance: NormalPlatform: WindowsProfile: RecommendedResources: Investigation GuideResources: OsqueryRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: Defense EvasionTactic: ExecutionThreat: Living off the LandUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3