YARA · Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron)
SIGNATURE_BASE_APT_IIS_Config_Proxyshell_Artifacts
Detects virtual directory configured in IIS pointing to a ProgramData folder (as found in attacks against Exchange servers in August 2021)
- Author
- Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
- Date
- 2021-08-25
- Modified
- 2025-11-03
- Score / Quality
- 90 / 85
What this rule detects
Detects virtual directory configured in IIS pointing to a ProgramData folder (as found in attacks against Exchange servers in August 2021)
It defines 10 patterns (10 text, 0 hex, 0 regex).
Summary generated from the rule's metadata and condition.
Rule source
rule SIGNATURE_BASE_APT_IIS_Config_Proxyshell_Artifacts : FILE
{
meta:
= "Detects virtual directory configured in IIS pointing to a ProgramData folder (as found in attacks against Exchange servers in August 2021)"
= "Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)"
= "21888fc0-82c6-555a-9320-9cbb8332a843"
= "2021-08-25"
= "2025-11-03"
= "https://www.huntress.com/blog/rapid-response-microsoft-exchange-servers-still-vulnerable-to-proxyshell-exploit"
= "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/yara/expl_proxyshell.yar#L82-L105"
= "https://github.com/Neo23x0/signature-base/blob/94a1c48d7ab499879287ff611dfe7f9c56376030/LICENSE"
= "a4557694629448d258b8b2fefc278e059217560e7a0ec3279863a16fb9b3989c"
= 90
= 85
= "FILE"
strings:
$a1 = "<site name=" ascii
$a2 = "<sectionGroup name=\"system.webServer\">" ascii
$sa1 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\COM" ascii
$sa2 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\WHO" ascii
$sa3 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\ZING" ascii
$sa4 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\ZOO" ascii
$sa5 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\XYZ" ascii
$sa6 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\AUX" ascii
$sa7 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\CON\\" ascii
$sb1 = " physicalPath=\"C:\\Users\\All Users\\" ascii
condition:
filesize < 500KB and all of ( $a* ) and 1 of ( $s* )
}
Strings (10 patterns)
| Identifier | Type | Value | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| $a1 | text | "<site name=" | ascii |
| $a2 | text | "<sectionGroup name=\"system.webServer\">" | ascii |
| $sa1 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\COM" | ascii |
| $sa2 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\WHO" | ascii |
| $sa3 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\ZING" | ascii |
| $sa4 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\ZOO" | ascii |
| $sa5 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\XYZ" | ascii |
| $sa6 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\AUX" | ascii |
| $sa7 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\ProgramData\\CON\\" | ascii |
| $sb1 | text | " physicalPath=\"C:\\Users\\All Users\\" | ascii |
Condition
filesize < 500KB and all of ( $a* ) and 1 of ( $s* )In plain words (Heuristic)
- The file must be smaller than 500KB (a cheap guard that skips large files).
- All patterns in ( $a* ) must match.
- At least 1 patterns in ( $s* ) must match.
Test this rule in your browser
Drop a file to scan it with this rule using YARA-X compiled to WebAssembly. Nothing is uploaded.
Licence & attribution
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
Source repository: Signature Base (Florian Roth / Nextron) @ 94a1c48d7a
Licence: Detection Rule License 1.1 (repository licence)
Mirrored via YARA Forge 20260927, which prefixes rule names with the source and adds normalised meta fields.
Rule id: 21888fc0-82c6-555a-9320-9cbb8332a843
Tags:FILE
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