Windows SubInAcl Execution
The following analytic detects the execution of the SubInAcl utility. SubInAcl is a legacy Windows Resource Kit tool from the Windows 2003 era, used to manipulate security descriptors of securable objects. It…
Description
The following analytic detects the execution of the SubInAcl utility. SubInAcl is a legacy Windows Resource Kit tool from the Windows 2003 era, used to manipulate security descriptors of securable objects. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, specifically searching for any process execution involving "SubInAcl.exe" binary. This activity can be significant because the utility should be rarely found on modern Windows machines, which mean any execution could potentially be considered suspicious. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to blind defenses by tampering with EventLog ACLs or modifying the access to a previously denied resource.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- Windows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- crowdstrike_processrollup2sysmon_eventid_1windows_event_log_security_4688
Known benign triggers
- No false positives have been identified at this time. should be identified and understood.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
Outside the enterprise matrix
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1222/001/ | Only this detection cites it |
| github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/388942adbd9641f4dfdcf079d7efe9a75ec0ac43/atomics/T1222.001/T1222.001.yaml#L144 | 3 |
| www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/cybersecurity/cyber-threat-intelligence/cyber-year-in-retrospect/yir-cyber-threats-report-download.pdf | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 12491419-1a6f-4af4-afc3-4e2052f0610e
- Tagged by the source as
- Defense Evasion or Unauthorized Access Via SDDL TamperingEndpointendpointSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securityendpoint
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
- Version
- 2