sigmamediumHunting

File Download From Browser Process Via Inline URL

Detects execution of a browser process with a URL argument pointing to a file with a potentially interesting extension. This can be abused to download arbitrary files or to hide from the user for example by launching the browser in a minimized state.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1105

command-and-control

Detection Query

selection_img:
  Image|endswith:
    - \brave.exe
    - \chrome.exe
    - \msedge.exe
    - \opera.exe
    - \vivaldi.exe
selection_http:
  CommandLine|contains: http
selection_extensions:
  - CommandLine|endswith:
      - .7z
      - .dat
      - .dll
      - .exe
      - .hta
      - .ps1
      - .psm1
      - .txt
      - .vbe
      - .vbs
      - .zip
  - CommandLine|contains:
      - .7z"
      - .dat"
      - .dll"
      - .hta"
      - .ps1"
      - .psm1"
      - .txt"
      - .vbe"
      - .vbs"
      - .zip"
condition: all of selection_*

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Created

2022-01-11

Data Sources

windowsProcess Creation Events

Platforms

windows

References

Tags

attack.command-and-controlattack.t1105

Raw Content

title: File Download From Browser Process Via Inline URL
id: 94771a71-ba41-4b6e-a757-b531372eaab6
status: test
description: Detects execution of a browser process with a URL argument pointing to a file with a potentially interesting extension. This can be abused to download arbitrary files or to hide from the user for example by launching the browser in a minimized state.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/mrd0x/status/1478116126005641220
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Msedge/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-01-11
modified: 2025-10-27
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1105
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\brave.exe'
            - '\chrome.exe'
            - '\msedge.exe'
            - '\opera.exe'
            - '\vivaldi.exe'
    selection_http:
        CommandLine|contains: 'http'
    selection_extensions:
        - CommandLine|endswith:
              - '.7z'
              - '.dat'
              - '.dll'
              - '.exe'
              - '.hta'
              - '.ps1'
              - '.psm1'
              - '.txt'
              - '.vbe'
              - '.vbs'
              - '.zip'
        - CommandLine|contains:
              - '.7z"'
              - '.dat"'
              - '.dll"'
              - '.hta"'
              - '.ps1"'
              - '.psm1"'
              - '.txt"'
              - '.vbe"'
              - '.vbs"'
              - '.zip"'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_browsers_inline_file_download/info.yml