Finger.EXE Execution

Description

Detects execution of the "finger.exe" utility. Finger.EXE or "TCPIP Finger Command" is an old utility that is still present on modern Windows installation. It Displays information about users on a specified remote computer (typically a UNIX computer) that is running the finger service or daemon. Due to the old nature of this utility and the rareness of machines having the finger service. Any execution of "finger.exe" can be considered "suspicious" and worth investigating.

Query · sigma

selection:
- OriginalFileName: finger.exe
- Image|endswith: \finger.exe
condition: selection

Known false positives

  • Admin activity (unclear what they do nowadays with finger.exe)
Raw source Finger.EXE Execution · Sigma
Esc
Published by SigmaHQ/sigma ↗, licensed under Detection Rule License 1.1 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified. 
title: Finger.EXE Execution
id: af491bca-e752-4b44-9c86-df5680533dbc
related:
    - id: c082c2b0-525b-4dbc-9a26-a57dc4692074
      type: similar
    - id: 2fdaf50b-9fd5-449f-ba69-f17248119af6
      type: similar
status: test
description: |
    Detects execution of the "finger.exe" utility.
    Finger.EXE or "TCPIP Finger Command" is an old utility that is still present on modern Windows installation. It Displays information about users on a specified remote computer (typically a UNIX computer) that is running the finger service or daemon.
    Due to the old nature of this utility and the rareness of machines having the finger service. Any execution of "finger.exe" can be considered "suspicious" and worth investigating.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/bigmacjpg/status/1349727699863011328?s=12
    - https://app.any.run/tasks/40115012-a919-4208-bfed-41e82cb3dadf/
    - http://hyp3rlinx.altervista.org/advisories/Windows_TCPIP_Finger_Command_C2_Channel_and_Bypassing_Security_Software.txt
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), omkar72, oscd.community
date: 2021-02-24
modified: 2024-06-27
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1105
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        - OriginalFileName: 'finger.exe'
        - Image|endswith: '\finger.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Admin activity (unclear what they do nowadays with finger.exe)
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_finger_execution/info.yml

Detection rules belong to the projects that publish them and remain under their own licenses. This site indexes and links to them; it claims no rights in them.