Malicious PDF Editor Update Script Execution via PowerShell (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects PowerShell executing the named update scripts used by the trojanized PDF editor cluster (ConvertMate and PDFClick) that infiltrated environments through malicious ads. Adversaries run these scripts to register scheduled tasks and pull further payloads, making execution of the specific update script names a direct campaign indicator.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious node.exe Execution Spawned by PowerShell

Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by mshta.exe in FakeSG Chain (via process_creation)

Suspicious Encoded PowerShell Using Base64 Stream Decompression Routines (via process_creation)

Malicious IIS Worker Process Spawning Command Shell for Webshell Reconnaissance (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by Windows Script Host during Scarlet Goldfinch Infection (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell Launched by MSIX StartingScriptWrapper From WindowsApps via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Malicious Command Shell or PowerShell Spawned by Tomcat via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell Download Cradle via IEX and DownloadString (via process_creation)

Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Spawned by MSHTA for Boot Persistence (via process_creation)

Malicious PDF Editor Update Script Execution via PowerShell (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →