Masquerading: Rename System Utilities
Adversaries may rename legitimate system utilities to try to evade security mechanisms concerning the usage of those utilities. Security monitoring and control mechanisms may be in place for system utilities adversaries are capable of abusing. It may be possible to bypass those security mechanisms by renaming the utility prior to utilization (ex: rename rundll32.exe). An alternative case occurs when a legitimate utility is copied or moved to a different directory and renamed to avoid detections based on system utilities executing from non-standard paths.
Technique Identifier
Technique Tags
Defense Evasion rename legitimate file APT32 replace legitimate system file
Evasion Categories
![Defense Evasion [Mitre] icon](/media/2024/04/08/icons8-burglar.svg){kind=small}
Additional Resources
External Links
The resources provided below are associated links that will give you even more detailed information and research on current evasion technique. It is important to note that, while these resources may be helpful, it is important to exercise caution when following external links. As always, be careful when clicking on links from unknown sources, as they may lead to malicious content.Created
February 10, 2023
Last Revised
March 24, 2026