Dxcap.exe

Commands

1. ExecuteUser T1127

   Local execution of a process as a subprocess of dxcap.exe

   Dxcap.exe -c {PATH_ABSOLUTE:.exe}

   Launch specified executable as a subprocess of dxcap.exe. Note that you should have write permissions in the current working directory for the command to succeed; alternatively, add ‘-file c:\path\to\writable\location.ext’ as first argument.

   os: Windows

   Execute: EXE

2. ExecuteUser T1127

   Execute an arbitrary executable via trusted system executable.

   dxcap.exe -usage

   Once executed, dxcap.exe will execute xperf.exe in the same folder. Thus, if dxcap.exe is copied to a folder and an arbitrary executable is renamed to xperf.exe, dxcap.exe will spawn it.

   os: Windows 10, Windows 11

   Execute: EXERequires: Rename

Detection

• Sigma https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/683b63f8184b93c9564c4310d10c571cbe367e1e/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_lolbin_susp_dxcap.yml
• IOCdxcap.exe executing from outside of System32/SysWOW64
• IOCdxcap.exe spawning Xperf.exe
• IOCXperf.exe executing from unusual directories (if not running from ADK path)

Code samples

• https://gist.github.com/ghosts621/1d0e0f43f7288c826035d5d011b6ca51

Resources

• https://twitter.com/harr0ey/status/992008180904419328