Elevated System Shell Spawned From Unusual Parent Location (via process_creation)

title: Elevated System Shell Spawned From Unusual Parent Location (via process_creation)
id: 4c7d5661-a6c4-5a9f-9592-d823ab158be3
status: stable
description: This rule detects when a shell program such as the Windows command prompt or PowerShell is launched with system privileges from a uncommon parent location.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/
    - https://github.com/Wh04m1001/SysmonEoP
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-02-20
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: process_creation
detection:
    selection_shell:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\powershell_ise.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\cmd.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'powershell_ise.EXE'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
              - 'Cmd.Exe'
    selection_user:
        User|contains:
            - 'AUTHORI'
            - 'AUTORI'
        LogonId: '0x3e7'
    filter_main_generic:
        ParentImage|contains:
            - ':\Program Files (x86)\'
            - ':\Program Files\'
            - ':\ProgramData\'
            - ':\Windows\System32\'
            - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\'
            - ':\Windows\Temp\'
            - ':\Windows\WinSxS\'
    filter_optional_manageengine:
        ParentImage|endswith: ':\ManageEngine\ADManager Plus\pgsql\bin\postgres.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    filter_optional_asgard:
        CommandLine|contains: ':\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /c "'
        CurrentDirectory|contains: ':\WINDOWS\Temp\asgard2-agent\'
    filter_optional_ibm_spectrumprotect:
        ParentImage|contains: ':\IBM\SpectrumProtect\webserver\scripts\'
        CommandLine|contains: ':\IBM\SpectrumProtect\webserver\scripts\'
    filter_main_parent_null:
        ParentImage:
    filter_main_parent_empty:
        ParentImage:
            - ''
            - '-'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium