icacls.exe

  • File Path: C:\windows\system32\icacls.exe

Hashes

Type Hash
MD5 1E66AE4CBB934C7EDF1CC4FB3E1EB084
SHA1 1E9932F74BF0F6C0A68731CFD5D2B45432D0810E
SHA256 0DBEE1F682DB7A4E279261A3E24ACBB5CFA789196B85CCDE54A32B04B0465F63
SHA384 3F36CBCDD33B0AD7739C1830B3A8406B91B20AFC0E48416832A6983A9E78DA1E9132A0047FA82F47DAE4396FD748E0DC
SHA512 C03E2C6970D2A9745C9F8DD8AE24353D7FA67F48B4069B2935E2D87D185E050D4C53BB0F2F7412A5DEFC4D69AECDAFC374D48525B005A111AC1A523A6407E82F
SSDEEP 768:o4vGKXcHYhSCIbfe4BE5NnyP+vNiUGzDpoTBB6ElbyqiR+126C71Eq4Ha82aEu4h:pvfX432NmDuuEZyqiRh1X/Ds4A1K9

Signature

  • Status: The file C:\windows\system32\icacls.exe is not digitally signed. You cannot run this script on the current system. For more information about running scripts and setting execution policy, see about_Execution_Policies at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170
  • Serial: ``
  • Thumbprint: ``
  • Issuer:
  • Subject:

File Metadata

  • Original Filename: iCACLS.EXE.MUI
  • Product Name: Microsoft Windows Operating System
  • Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
  • File Version: 6.3.9600.16384 (winblue_rtm.130821-1623)
  • Product Version: 6.3.9600.16384
  • Language: English (United States)
  • Legal Copyright: Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Possible Misuse

The following table contains possible examples of icacls.exe being misused. While icacls.exe is not inherently malicious, its legitimate functionality can be abused for malicious purposes.

Source Source File Example License
sigma proc_creation_win_file_permission_modifications.yml - '\icacls.exe' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_file_permission_modifications.yml CommandLine\|endswith: 'ICACLS C:\ProgramData\dynatrace\gateway\config\connectivity.history /reset' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_file_permission_modifications.yml - 'ICACLS C:\ProgramData\dynatrace\gateway\config\config.properties /grant :r ' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_malware_wannacry.yml - 'icacls' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_multiple_suspicious_cli.yml - icacls.exe DRL 1.0
malware-ioc oceanlotus-macOS.misp.event.json "https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/windows-server\/administration\/windows-commands\/icacls", © ESET 2014-2018
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md Adversaries can interact with the DACLs using built-in Windows commands, such as icacls, cacls, takeown, and attrib, which can grant adversaries higher permissions on specific files and folders. Further, PowerShell provides cmdlets that can be used to retrieve or modify file and directory DACLs. Specific file and directory modifications may be a required step for many techniques, such as establishing Persistence via Accessibility Features, Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts, or tainting/hijacking other instrumental binary/configuration files via Hijack Execution Flow.</blockquote> MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md icacls.exe #{file_or_folder} /grant #{user_or_group}:F MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md icacls “C:*” /grant Everyone:F /T /C /Q MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md icacls “#{path}” /grant Everyone:F /T /C /Q MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md icacls ‘#{path}’ /restore #{file_path} /q >nul 2>&1 MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1222.001.md icacls #{path} /save #{file_path} /t /q >nul 2>&1 MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1546.008.md icacls C:\Windows\System32\sethc.exe /grant Administrators:F /t MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
signature-base apt_blackenergy.yar $s1 = “system32\icacls.exe” fullword wide CC BY-NC 4.0
signature-base apt_keyboys.yar $s5 = “icacls %s /grant administrators:F” fullword ascii CC BY-NC 4.0
signature-base crime_wannacry.yar $x1 = “icacls . /grant Everyone:F /T /C /Q” fullword ascii CC BY-NC 4.0
signature-base crime_wannacry.yar $x9 = “icacls . /grant Everyone:F /T /C /Q” fullword ascii CC BY-NC 4.0

Additional Info*

*The information below is copied from MicrosoftDocs, which is maintained by Microsoft. Available under CC BY 4.0 license.

icacls

Displays or modifies discretionary access control lists (DACLs) on specified files, and applies stored DACLs to files in specified directories.

[!NOTE] This command replaces the deprecated cacls command.

Syntax

icacls <filename> [/grant[:r] <sid>:<perm>[...]] [/deny <sid>:<perm>[...]] [/remove[:g|:d]] <sid>[...]] [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q] [/setintegritylevel <Level>:<policy>[...]]
icacls <directory> [/substitute <sidold> <sidnew> [...]] [/restore <aclfile> [/c] [/l] [/q]]

Parameters

Parameter Description
<filename> Specifies the file for which to display DACLs.
<directory> Specifies the directory for which to display DACLs.
/t Performs the operation on all specified files in the current directory and its subdirectories.
/c Continues the operation despite any file errors. Error messages will still be displayed.
/l Performs the operation on a symbolic link instead of its destination.
/q Suppresses success messages.
[/save <ACLfile> [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q]] Stores DACLs for all matching files into ACLfile for later use with /restore.
[/setowner <username> [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q]] Changes the owner of all matching files to the specified user.
[/findsid <sid> [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q]] Finds all matching files that contain a DACL explicitly mentioning the specified security identifier (SID).
[/verify [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q]] Finds all files with ACLs that are not canonical or have lengths inconsistent with ACE (access control entry) counts.
[/reset [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q]] Replaces ACLs with default inherited ACLs for all matching files.
[/grant[:r] <sid>:<perm>[…]] Grants specified user access rights. Permissions replace previously granted explicit permissions.<p>Not adding the :r, means that permissions are added to any previously granted explicit permissions.
[/deny <sid>:<perm>[…]] Explicitly denies specified user access rights. An explicit deny ACE is added for the stated permissions and the same permissions in any explicit grant are removed.
[/remove[:g | :d]] <sid>[…] [/t] [/c] [/l] [/q] Removes all occurrences of the specified SID from the DACL. This command can also use:<ul><li>:g - Removes all occurrences of granted rights to the specified SID.</li><li>:d - Removes all occurrences of denied rights to the specified SID.
[/setintegritylevel [(CI)(OI)] <Level>:<Policy>[…]] Explicitly adds an integrity ACE to all matching files. The level can be specified as:<ul><li>l - Low</li><li>m- Medium</li><li>h - High</li></ul>Inheritance options for the integrity ACE may precede the level and are applied only to directories.
[/substitute <sidold><sidnew> […]] Replaces an existing SID (sidold) with a new SID (sidnew). Requires using with the <directory> parameter.
/restore <ACLfile> [/c] [/l] [/q] Applies stored DACLs from <ACLfile> to files in the specified directory. Requires using with the <directory> parameter.
/inheritancelevel: [e | d | r] Sets the inheritance level, which can be:<ul><li>e - Enables inheritance</li><li>d - Disables inheritance and copies the ACEs</li><li>r - Removes all inherited ACEs</li></ul>

Remarks

  • SIDs may be in either numerical or friendly name form. If you use a numerical form, affix the wildcard character * to the beginning of the SID.

  • This command preserves the canonical order of ACE entries as:

    • Explicit denials

    • Explicit grants

    • Inherited denials

    • Inherited grants

  • The <perm> option is a permission mask that can be specified in one of the following forms:

    • A sequence of simple rights:

      • F - Full access

      • M- Modify access

      • RX - Read and execute access

      • R - Read-only access

      • W - Write-only access

    • A comma-separated list in parenthesis of specific rights:

      • D - Delete

      • RC - Read control

      • WDAC - Write DAC

      • WO - Write owner

      • S - Synchronize

      • AS - Access system security

      • MA - Maximum allowed

      • GR - Generic read

      • GW - Generic write

      • GE - Generic execute

      • GA - Generic all

      • RD - Read data/list directory

      • WD - Write data/add file

      • AD - Append data/add subdirectory

      • REA - Read extended attributes

      • WEA - Write extended attributes

      • X - Execute/traverse

      • DC - Delete child

      • RA - Read attributes

      • WA - Write attributes

    • Inheritance rights may precede either <perm> form, and they are applied only to directories:

      • (OI) - Object inherit

      • (CI) - Container inherit

      • (IO) - Inherit only

      • (NP) - Do not propagate inherit

Examples

To save the DACLs for all files in the C:\Windows directory and its subdirectories to the ACLFile file, type:

icacls c:\windows\* /save aclfile /t

To restore the DACLs for every file within ACLFile that exists in the C:\Windows directory and its subdirectories, type:

icacls c:\windows\ /restore aclfile

To grant the user User1 Delete and Write DAC permissions to a file named Test1, type:

icacls test1 /grant User1:(d,wdac)

To grant the user defined by SID S-1-1-0 Delete and Write DAC permissions to a file, named Test2, type:

icacls test2 /grant *S-1-1-0:(d,wdac)

Additional References

MIT License. Copyright (c) 2020-2021 Strontic.