title: Forfiles.EXE Child Process Masquerading
id: f53714ec-5077-420e-ad20-907ff9bb2958
status: test
description: |
    Detects the execution of "forfiles" from a non-default location, in order to potentially spawn a custom "cmd.exe" from the current working directory.
references:
    - https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2023/12/31/1-little-known-secret-of-forfiles-exe/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Anish Bogati
date: 2024-01-05
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1036
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        # Notes:
        #   - The parent must not have CLI options
        #   - The Child Image must be named "cmd" as its hardcoded in the "forfiles" binary
        #   - The Child CLI will always contains "/c echo" as its hardcoded in the original "forfiles" binary
        ParentCommandLine|endswith:
            - '.exe'
            - '.exe"'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
        CommandLine|startswith: '/c echo "'
    filter_main_parent_not_sys:
        ParentImage|contains:
            - ':\Windows\System32\'
            - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
        ParentImage|endswith: '\forfiles.exe'
        Image|contains:
            - ':\Windows\System32\'
            - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

title: Forfiles Command Execution
id: 9aa5106d-bce3-4b13-86df-3a20f1d5cf0b
related:
    - id: a85cf4e3-56ee-4e79-adeb-789f8fb209a8
      type: obsolete
    - id: fa47597e-90e9-41cd-ab72-c3b74cfb0d02
      type: obsolete
status: test
description: |
    Detects the execution of "forfiles" with the "/c" flag.
    While this is an expected behavior of the tool, it can be abused in order to proxy execution through it with any binary.
    Can be used to bypass application whitelisting.
references:
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Forfiles/
    - https://pentestlab.blog/2020/07/06/indirect-command-execution/
author: Tim Rauch, Elastic, E.M. Anhaus (originally from Atomic Blue Detections, Endgame), oscd.community
date: 2022-06-14
modified: 2024-03-05
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\forfiles.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'forfiles.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains|windash: ' -c '
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use via a batch script or by an administrator.
level: medium