Elastic Security Detection Rules

Program Files Directory Masquerading

Last updated 13 days ago on 2026-02-19
Created 5 years ago on 2020-11-18

About

Identifies execution from a directory masquerading as the Windows Program Files directories. These paths are trusted and usually host trusted third party programs. An adversary may leverage masquerading, along with low privileges to bypass detections allowlisting those folders.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Windows Security Event LogsData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SysmonData Source: SentinelOneData Source: CrowdstrikeLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Defense Evasion (TA0005)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Masquerading (T1036)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

License
Elastic License v2(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
endgame-*logs-crowdstrike.fdr*logs-endpoint.events.process-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.forwarded*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*winlogbeat-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(external, opens in a new tab or window)

windows(external, opens in a new tab or window)

system(external, opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(external, opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(external, opens in a new tab or window)

crowdstrike(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Query
text code block:
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
  process.executable : (
    "C:\\*Program Files*\\*.exe",
    "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\*Program Files*\\*.exe"
  ) and
  not process.executable : (
        "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Users\\*.exe",
        "?:\\ProgramData\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\Downloaded Program Files\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\Temp\\.opera\\????????????\\CProgram?FilesOpera*\\*.exe",
        "?:\\Windows\\Temp\\.opera\\????????????\\CProgram?Files?(x86)Opera*\\*.exe",

        /* NT Object Paths */
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\Program Files\\*.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\Users\\*.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\ProgramData\\*.exe",
        "\\Device\\HarddiskVolume*\\Windows\\Downloaded Program Files\\*.exe"
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Program Files Directory Masquerading in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(external, opens in a new tab or window).