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Windows Mark Of The Web Bypass

The following analytic identifies a suspicious process that deletes the Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) data stream. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 23 to detect when a file's Zone.Identifier stream is removed. This activity is…

Description

The following analytic identifies a suspicious process that deletes the Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) data stream. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 23 to detect when a file's Zone.Identifier stream is removed. This activity is significant because it is a common technique used by malware, such as Ave Maria RAT, to bypass security restrictions on files downloaded from the internet. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow an attacker to execute potentially harmful files without triggering security warnings, leading to further compromise of the system.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
Windows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.

Known benign triggers

  • No false positives have been identified at this time.

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