huntrule

PowerShell Encoded or Download-Cradle Command Line (via process_creation)

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-09-01
Updated
2026-09-01
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects PowerShell launched with an encoded command or an in-memory download-and-execute cradle on its command line, such as base64-encoded payloads or remote content pulled through Net.WebClient and piped into Invoke-Expression. PowerShell abuse is the single most prevalent technique in the Red Canary Threat Detection Report, used to stage and run payloads while evading disk-based controls. Flagging these command-line patterns catches the execution stage before follow-on activity.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Executing Substring of Dropped File
Obfuscated Encoded PowerShell Payload Deployed - PowerShell (via powershell)
Suspicious PowerShell AES Decryption and Reflective Method Invocation in SolarMarker
Suspicious PowerShell Invoking Remote HTA via Environment Variable Masquerading (via process_creation)
Malicious Fileless PowerShell Registry Payload Execution via Process Creation
Suspicious Hidden Encoded PowerShell Launching Node.js Runtime
Windows PowerShell Base64-Encoded WMI Class Invocation
PowerShell script alias obfuscation via -Value (-join(...))
PowerShell Encoded or Download-Cradle Command Line (via process_creation)
Pivot detection · T1027 · 9 related

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