Archive File with Unusual Extension

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Identifies the creation of an archive file with an unusual extension. Attackers may attempt to evade detection by masquerading files using the file extension values used by image, audio, or document file types.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

  • Domain: Endpoint
  • OS: Windows
  • Use Case: Threat Detection
  • Tactic: Defense Evasion
  • Data Source: Elastic Defend
  • Rule Type: BBR

Version: 1

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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file where host.os.type == "windows" and event.action != "deletion" and

  /* common archive file headers - Rar, 7z, GZIP, MSCF, XZ, ZIP */
  file.Ext.header_bytes : ("52617221*", "377ABCAF271C*", "1F8B*", "4d534346*", "FD377A585A00*", "504B0304*", "504B0708*") and

  (
    /* common image file extensions */
    file.extension : ("jpg", "jpeg", "emf", "tiff", "gif", "png", "bmp", "ico", "fpx", "eps", "inf") or

    /* common audio and video file extensions */
    file.extension : ("mp3", "wav", "avi", "mpeg", "flv", "wma", "wmv", "mov", "mp4", "3gp") or

    /* common document file extensions */
    (file.extension : ("doc", "docx", "rtf", "ppt", "pptx", "xls", "xlsx") and

    /* exclude ZIP file header values for OPENXML documents */
    not file.Ext.header_bytes : ("504B0304*", "504B0708*"))
  ) and

  not (process.executable : "?:\\Windows\\System32\\inetsrv\\w3wp.exe" and file.path : "?:\\inetpub\\temp\\IIS Temporary Compressed Files\\*")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM