wuauclt.exe

  • File Path: C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe
  • Description: Windows Update

Hashes

Type Hash
MD5 11F337850E397E473B3666AFB7AC1D44
SHA1 C2CDB95CB70A1C9D6908A286A61B3A3E01A6C7DE
SHA256 3BF0C76DD0B3FA97C14E765E5B0C02EB4FC6BCD539EA382B8A70E994749A5DD7
SHA384 B6C879EC0F11542CD47DA8D386EF9AC6DD60AA863370E1095F7741898E049D0C7F925F0F8A145F3654A4569F8EFAB23D
SHA512 6703CD49A5090E176F178F1A8B6FDFBAAD8D644DA4BD577C0B6EE4718A31F54A2C2747B38F303316478EB828924384ACFD602D243F285775BAFCF5752D3C719A
SSDEEP 1536:OK0TzC8tY6HAqCsd56ncymh7TpkwsZYZ6PD3:OKE+8tY6H/FPRkLYZ67

Signature

  • Status: Signature verified.
  • Serial: 3300000266BD1580EFA75CD6D3000000000266
  • Thumbprint: A4341B9FD50FB9964283220A36A1EF6F6FAA7840
  • Issuer: CN=Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US
  • Subject: CN=Microsoft Windows, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US

File Metadata

  • Original Filename: wuauclt.exe
  • Product Name: Microsoft Windows Operating System
  • Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
  • File Version: 10.0.19041.329 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
  • Product Version: 10.0.19041.329
  • Language: Language Neutral
  • Legal Copyright: Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

File Similarity (ssdeep match)

File Score
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe 66
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe 88
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe 66
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe 88

Possible Misuse

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

Source Source File Example License
sigma net_connection_win_wuauclt_network_connection.yml title: Wuauclt Network Connection DRL 1.0
sigma net_connection_win_wuauclt_network_connection.yml description: Detects the use of the Windows Update Client binary (wuauclt.exe) to proxy execute code and making a network connections. One could easily make the DLL spawn a new process and inject to it to proxy the network connection and bypass this rule. DRL 1.0
sigma net_connection_win_wuauclt_network_connection.yml - https://dtm.uk/wuauclt/ DRL 1.0
sigma net_connection_win_wuauclt_network_connection.yml Image\|contains: wuauclt DRL 1.0
sigma net_connection_win_wuauclt_network_connection.yml - Legitimate use of wuauclt.exe over the network. DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_lolbas_execution_of_wuauclt.yml title: Monitoring Wuauclt.exe For Lolbas Execution Of DLL DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_lolbas_execution_of_wuauclt.yml description: Adversaries can abuse wuauclt.exe (Windows Update client) to run code execution by specifying an arbitrary DLL. DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_lolbas_execution_of_wuauclt.yml - https://dtm.uk/wuauclt/ DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_lolbas_execution_of_wuauclt.yml CommandLine\|re: '(?i)wuauclt\.exe.*\/UpdateDeploymentProvider.*\/Runhandlercomserver' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_proxy_execution_wuauclt.yml title: Proxy Execution via Wuauclt DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_proxy_execution_wuauclt.yml description: Detects the use of the Windows Update Client binary (wuauclt.exe) to proxy execute code. DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_proxy_execution_wuauclt.yml - https://dtm.uk/wuauclt/ DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_proxy_execution_wuauclt.yml - Image\|contains: wuauclt DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_proxy_execution_wuauclt.yml - OriginalFileName: wuauclt.exe DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_spoolsv_child_processes.yml - \wuauclt.exe DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt.yml description: Detects code execution via the Windows Update client (wuauclt) DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt.yml - https://dtm.uk/wuauclt/ DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt.yml - '\wuauclt.exe' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt_cmdline.yml description: Detects suspicious Windows Update Agent activity in which a wuauclt.exe process command line doesn't contain any command line flags DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt_cmdline.yml Image\|endswith: '\Wuauclt.exe' DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_wuauclt_cmdline.yml CommandLine\|endswith: '\Wuauclt.exe' DRL 1.0
sigma registry_event_persistence_search_order.yml - C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe DRL 1.0
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml Name: wuauclt.exe  
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml - Command: wuauclt.exe /UpdateDeploymentProvider Full_Path_To_DLL /RunHandlerComServer  
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml - Path: C:\Windows\System32\wuauclt.exe  
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml - IOC: wuauclt run with a parameter of a DLL path  
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml - IOC: Suspicious wuauclt Internet/network connections  
LOLBAS Wuauclt.yml - Link: https://dtm.uk/wuauclt/  
signature-base apt_putterpanda.yar $x0 = “WUAUCLT.EXE” fullword wide /* PEStudio Blacklist: strings / / score: ‘20.01’ */ CC BY-NC 4.0

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