Adversaries may abuse control.exe to proxy execution of malicious payloads. The Windows Control Panel process binary (control.exe) handles execution of Control Panel items, which are utilities that allow users to view and adjust computer settings.
Control Panel items are registered executable (.exe) or Control Panel (.cpl) files, the latter are actually renamed dynamic-link library (.dll) files that export a CPlApplet function.[1][2] For ease of use, Control Panel items typically include graphical menus available to users after being registered and loaded into the Control Panel.[1] Control Panel items can be executed directly from the command line, programmatically via an application programming interface (API) call, or by simply double-clicking the file.[1] [2][3]
Malicious Control Panel items can be delivered via Phishing campaigns[2][3] or executed as part of multi-stage malware.[4] Control Panel items, specifically CPL files, may also bypass application and/or file extension allow lists.
Adversaries may also rename malicious DLL files (.dll) with Control Panel file extensions (.cpl) and register them to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Cpls. Even when these registered DLLs do not comply with the CPL file specification and do not export CPlApplet functions, they are loaded and executed through its DllEntryPoint when Control Panel is executed. CPL files not exporting CPlApplet are not directly executable.[5]
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0260 | InvisiMole |
InvisiMole can register itself for execution and persistence via the Control Panel.[5] |
| S0172 | Reaver |
Reaver drops and executes a malicious CPL file as its payload.[4] |
| ID | Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1038 | Execution Prevention |
Identify and block potentially malicious and unknown .cpl files by using application control [6] tools, like Windows Defender Application Control[7], AppLocker, [8] [9] or Software Restriction Policies [10] where appropriate. [11] |
| M1022 | Restrict File and Directory Permissions |
Restrict storage and execution of Control Panel items to protected directories, such as |
| ID | Name | Analytic ID | Analytic Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET0194 | Detection of Malicious Control Panel Item Execution via control.exe or Rundll32 | AN0558 |
Execution of control.exe or rundll32.exe with parameters pointing to CPL files, especially from non-standard directories or newly created files, followed by suspicious child process execution or registry modifications registering new Control Panel items. |