Sysmon Event ID 27: FileBlockExecutable
- Applicable version
- Sysmon with this event enabled
- Last reviewed
- 2026-07-22
Quick summary
Sysmon Event ID 27 records that Sysmon detected and blocked creation of a PE-format executable file.
Technical Metadata
| Event ID | 27 |
|---|---|
| Provider | Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon |
| Channel | Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational |
| Level | Informational |
| MITRE ATT&CK | TA0011 Command and Control / T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer |
| Key fields to watch | TargetFilename, Image / ProcessGuid, Hashes |
Trigger Scenarios
Microsoft documents that this event is generated when Sysmon detects and blocks creation of executable files in PE format.
Key Fields
TargetFilename
The attempted executable path. User-writable locations are higher risk than managed installer directories.
Image / ProcessGuid
The process that attempted to create the executable and the join key to Event ID 1.
Hashes
Use hash values, when present, to identify the blocked executable and compare against malware intelligence.
Threat Hunting Queries
Event
| where EventLog == "Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" and EventID == 27
| project TimeGenerated, Computer, EventID, RenderedDescription
| order by TimeGenerated desc- Data source
- Microsoft Sentinel Event table
- Assumptions
- The Sysmon Operational channel is collected into Event. Map raw XML fields to the event-specific fields described on this page.
index=sysmon source="WinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" EventCode=27
| table _time, host, EventCode, Message- Data source
- Splunk Sysmon event data
- Assumptions
- Index, source, and parsed field names vary by deployment. Apply the documented field conditions after validating local field extraction.
dataset = microsoft_windows_raw
| filter edr_event_id = 27- Data source
- Cortex XDR microsoft_windows_raw
- Assumptions
- Confirm Provider is Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon because event IDs are not globally unique. Inspect raw provider fields because parsed names vary by collection path.
title: Sysmon Event ID 27
status: experimental
logsource:
product: windows
service: sysmon
detection:
selection:
EventID: 27
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate administrative or system activity
level: informational- Data source
- Sigma Windows Sysmon log source
- Assumptions
- This rule retrieves the event and is not a standalone malicious-behavior detection. Add the event-specific conditions and correlations documented on this page.
Documented Values and Codes
| Field | Value | Meaning | Security relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| EventID | 27 | Sysmon detected and blocked creation of a PE-format executable. | Interpret EventID with the other documented fields and correlated events; this value alone is not proof of compromise. Source |
| TargetFilename | .exe | The blocked executable path; validate actual file type and source process. | Interpret TargetFilename with the other documented fields and correlated events; this value alone is not proof of compromise. Source |
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
- T1105Ingress Tool Transfer
Detection Notes
Alert when TargetFilename is a PE file under C:\Users\, C:\ProgramData\, C:\Windows\Temp, or AppData and Image is a browser, archive utility, PowerShell, or script host. Microsoft documents Event 27 as blocked PE-format executable creation; this supports T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer when the attempted file is a transferred tool or payload. Correlate ProcessGuid to Event 1 and look for alternate staging through Event 15 ADS or Event 29 executable detection.
Common False Positives
- Software installers, developer tools, and Windows updates can legitimately create PE files.
- Blocking rules must be tuned carefully to avoid interrupting approved update and build workflows.
Related Events
Sample Log
UtcTime: 2026-07-13 03:06:00.000
Image: C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe
TargetFilename: C:\ProgramData\stage.exe
Hashes: SHA256=REDACTED
ProcessGuid: {REDACTED}Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sysmon Event ID 27 mean?
Sysmon blocked creation of a PE-format executable file.
Does Event ID 27 always indicate malicious activity?
No. An approved policy can block legitimate installers or software delivery.
How should Event ID 27 be investigated?
Review TargetFilename, source Image and ProcessGuid, hash context, and the applicable FileBlockExecutable rule.
Sources
- 27: FileBlockExecutable
Microsoft Sysinternals · vendor
- Ingress Tool Transfer (T1105)
MITRE ATT&CK · attack
- XDR Collector datasets
Palo Alto Networks · vendor
- Sigma Rules Specification
SigmaHQ · detection rule