Potential Persistence Via Notepad++ Plugins

 1title: Potential Persistence Via Notepad++ Plugins
 2id: 54127bd4-f541-4ac3-afdb-ea073f63f692
 3status: test
 4description: Detects creation of new ".dll" files inside the plugins directory of a notepad++ installation by a process other than "gup.exe". Which could indicates possible persistence
 5references:
 6    - https://pentestlab.blog/2022/02/14/persistence-notepad-plugins/
 7author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
 8date: 2022-06-10
 9modified: 2023-01-05
10tags:
11    - attack.persistence
12logsource:
13    product: windows
14    category: file_event
15detection:
16    selection:
17        TargetFilename|contains: '\Notepad++\plugins\'
18        TargetFilename|endswith: '.dll'
19    filter_gup:
20        Image|endswith: '\Notepad++\updater\gup.exe'
21    filter_install:
22        # This filter is for Sigma dataset you could remove it or change when using the rule in your own env
23        Image|startswith: 'C:\Users\'
24        Image|contains: '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
25        Image|endswith:
26            - '\target.exe'
27            - 'Installer.x64.exe'
28    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_*
29falsepositives:
30    - Possible FPs during first installation of Notepad++
31    - Legitimate use of custom plugins by users in order to enhance notepad++ functionalities
32level: medium