Malicious MS-SQL Server Spawning Command Shell via Mallox
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-10-26
- Updated
- 2026-10-26
ATT&CK techniques
Initial Access → ExecutionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule detects the MS-SQL service process sqlservr.exe spawning cmd.exe or PowerShell. Mallox affiliates abuse xp_cmdshell and OLE automation after compromising weak SQL Server instances, so a shell child of the database engine strongly indicates SQL exploitation.
Reporting behind it
- sekoia.comhttps://www.sekoia.com/blog/mallox-ransomware-affiliate-leverages-purecrypter-in-microsoft-sql-exploitation-campaigns
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001/
- huntress.comhttps://www.huntress.com/blog/sql-injection-attacker-persistence
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
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