File Download Using ProtocolHandler.exe

 1title: File Download Using ProtocolHandler.exe
 2id: 104cdb48-a7a8-4ca7-a453-32942c6e5dcb
 3status: test
 4description: |
 5        Detects usage of "ProtocolHandler" to download files. Downloaded files will be located in the cache folder (for example - %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\IE)
 6references:
 7    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218/T1218.md
 8    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/ProtocolHandler/
 9author: frack113
10date: 2021-07-13
11modified: 2023-11-09
12tags:
13    - attack.defense-evasion
14    - attack.t1218
15logsource:
16    category: process_creation
17    product: windows
18detection:
19    selection_img:
20        - Image|endswith: '\protocolhandler.exe'
21        - OriginalFileName: 'ProtocolHandler.exe'
22    selection_cli:
23        CommandLine|contains:
24            - 'ftp://'
25            - 'http://'
26            - 'https://'
27    condition: all of selection_*
28falsepositives:
29    - Unknown
30level: medium

References

• atomic-red-team/atomics/T1218/T1218.md at f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9 · redcanaryco/atomic-red-team

  

  Small and highly portable detection tests based on MITRE's ATT&CK. - redcanaryco/atomic-red-team

  
  Read More

• Protocolhandler on LOLBAS

  

  ProtocolHandler.exe is a living-of-the-land file containing unexpected functionality that can be abused by attackers; this page lists all its use cases.

  
  Read More

Related rules

• Abusing Print Executable
• AddinUtil.EXE Execution From Uncommon Directory
• AgentExecutor PowerShell Execution
• Arbitrary DLL or Csproj Code Execution Via Dotnet.EXE
• Arbitrary File Download Via MSOHTMED.EXE