Potential Shim Database Persistence via Sdbinst.EXE

A Sigma rule for process creation on Windows, by Markus Neis.

medium 1 ATT&CK technique 1 program it names

What it looks for

its detection, as SigmaHQ writes it

detection:
  filter_optional_iis:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - ':\Program Files (x86)\IIS Express\iisexpressshim.sdb'
      - ':\Program Files\IIS Express\iisexpressshim.sdb'
    ParentImage|endswith: '\msiexec.exe'
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: '.sdb'
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\sdbinst.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'sdbinst.exe'
  condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

The rule’s detection, its selections and fields in order of name. The whole rule, with its references and false positives, is on SigmaHQ, by Markus Neis, under the Detection Rule License 1.1. CmdID evaluates it on a command line alone: a test on what a command line cannot show, such as the parent process or the user, is not met.

None of the everyday examples and documented commands on CmdID’s program pages trips it. To see whether a command line does, paste it into CmdID.

Programs and files it names

their pages here

sdbinst.exe

ATT&CK

the techniques it is tagged with

T1546.011Event Triggered Execution: Application Shimming

Potential Shim Database Persistence via Sdbinst.EXE

What it looks for

Programs and files it names

ATT&CK

Other rules for T1546.011 Event Triggered Execution: Application Shimming