attrib.exe
Sources: 300M+ executions observed in the wild.
Summary
Windows Attribute utility - displays or changes file attributes (read-only, hidden, system, archive).
attrib.exe is the 984th most commonly executed Windows program in EchoTrail's dataset, observed 2,153 times across enterprise environments. It typically runs from C:\Windows\System32 and it is most often launched by cmd.exe.
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Behavior
Top Paths
- C:\Windows\System3290.72%
- C:\Windows\SysWOW649.28%
Top Hashes (SHA256)
- ebe94e294d86c714bed13ef018e70f75c37f8d8259144c0c847637edc0222ecb33.81%
- e17685417ff4d982d9fd1ddbbcb2f4aadb3c6e8b4865ecbf786113feb8d96c1d16.58%
- ff8600a444a3f086f17a24293e0172e6033d62c3766d4497997b882d663f822115.95%
- b101350bceeb773b7e77759613bb33c28fbf1d79a13c2cb783575a9d893d52e67.85%
- 96f9a8bdfe0dc0452e64313a77a82c9460d31f5dd59c7ec676a9f83bd0ea8cd97.65%
- b132aa2ba57dcfd3571f127f223ddce93f1f15bf4ce5c9bd99b7756c2f11e65b6.48%
- c8ee140e1c7908d7fded57d33d5edb0f43366a00df027abfbeb04032604e5dcc3.58%
- b8b639cc15ff931c0041be21aa9a5ee0303dc94ea0ac156b52adee59843242402.31%
- 9c0378382f4606e3709675cd9e28c43525156b174d0a5cecb68ec4398c31ef1c1.08%
- f4d77c1928bba3dc70b3d8e706666eb1c0a268bc3301d9c0b670c332e709ba010.93%
Process Ancestry
Top Grandparents
- igfxCUIService.exe86.36%
- msiexec.exe7.18%
- explorer.exe0.79%
Top Parents
- cmd.exe98.52%
- msiexec.exe0.51%
- LTClient.exe0.46%
- Update.exe0.09%
- javaw.exe0.05%
Top Children
- conhost.exe100%
Security Analysis
What does attrib.exe normally do?
Used in scripts to manage file attributes. Common in deployment and backup workflows.
When is attrib.exe suspicious?
Setting hidden and system attributes on files in user directories. Hiding executables or scripts. Bulk attribute changes across directories.
How do attackers abuse attrib.exe?
Attackers use "attrib +h +s" to hide malicious files and directories from casual inspection. Commonly used by malware droppers to conceal payloads after writing them to disk.
Detection guidance
Monitor for attrib.exe setting +h (hidden) or +s (system) attributes on executables, scripts, or files in temp/user directories.
False positive notes
Installers and deployment scripts legitimately set file attributes. Focus on attribute changes to executables in user-writable paths.
MITRE ATT&CK techniques
Related Processes
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