CyberStack

MITRE ATT&CK / Techniques / T1574.008

Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking

ID
T1574.008
Tactics
TA0002 Execution, TA0005 Stealth
Sub-technique of
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow
Platforms
Windows
Data sources
File Creation, File Metadata, Process Creation
Source
attack.mitre.org
MITRE last modified
12 May 2026

Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the search order used to load other programs. Because some programs do not call other programs using the full path, adversaries may place their own file in the directory where the calling program is located, causing the operating system to launch their malicious software at the request of the calling program.

Search order hijacking occurs when an adversary abuses the order in which Windows searches for programs that are not given a path. Unlike DLL search order hijacking, the search order differs depending on the method that is used to execute the program. [7] [10] [11] However, it is common for Windows to search in the directory of the initiating program before searching through the Windows system directory. An adversary who finds a program vulnerable to search order hijacking (i.e., a program that does not specify the path to an executable) may take advantage of this vulnerability by creating a program named after the improperly specified program and placing it within the initiating program's directory.

For example, "example.exe" runs "cmd.exe" with the command-line argument net user. An adversary may place a program called "net.exe" within the same directory as example.exe, "net.exe" will be run instead of the Windows system utility net. In addition, if an adversary places a program called "net.com" in the same directory as "net.exe", then cmd.exe /C net user will execute "net.com" instead of "net.exe" due to the order of executable extensions defined under PATHEXT. [12]

Search order hijacking is also a common practice for hijacking DLL loads and is covered in DLL.

Detection

Mitigations (3)

M1022 Restrict File and Directory Permissions

Ensure that proper permissions and directory access control are set to deny users the ability to write files to the top-level directory C: and system directories, such as C:\Windows\, to reduce places where malicious files could be placed for execution. Require that all executables be placed in write-protected directories.

M1038 Execution Prevention

Adversaries will likely need to place new binaries in locations to be executed through this weakness. Identify and block potentially malicious software executed path interception by using application control tools, like Windows Defender Application Control, AppLocker, or Software Restriction Policies where appropriate.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

M1047 Audit

Find and eliminate path interception weaknesses in program configuration files, scripts, the PATH environment variable, services, and in shortcuts by surrounding PATH variables with quotation marks when functions allow for them. Be aware of the search order Windows uses for executing or loading binaries and use fully qualified paths wherever appropriate.

Clean up old Windows Registry keys when software is uninstalled to avoid keys with no associated legitimate binaries. Periodically search for and correct or report path interception weaknesses on systems that may have been introduced using custom or available tools that report software using insecure path configurations.[7][8][9]

Software (2)

References

  1. SANS Application Whitelisting
  2. Microsoft Windows Defender Application Control
  3. Windows Commands JPCERT
  4. NSA MS AppLocker
  5. Microsoft Application Lockdown
  6. Microsoft Using Software Restriction
  7. Microsoft CreateProcess
  8. Microsoft Dynamic-Link Library Security
  9. Vulnerability and Exploit Detector
  10. Windows NT Command Shell
  11. Microsoft WinExec
  12. Microsoft Environment Property