huntrule

PowerShell Execution via sqlps.exe (Windows Process Creation)

Flags sqlps.exe process launches consistent with PowerShell execution on Windows, excluding common sqlagent.exe-driven cases.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Agro (@agro_sev) oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-10-10
Updated
2026-07-30
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 identifies PowerShell execution activity that uses sqlps.exe, a utility shipped with MSSQL Server. Attackers may use sqlps.exe to run PowerShell in a context where script-block logging is not captured, helping bypass defenses that rely on those logs. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching sqlps.exe by image and parent process name, and excluding cases where sqlps.exe is spawned by sqlagent.exe.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
Windows PowerShell via sqltoolsps.exe (sqltoolsps.exe child process exclusion)
Malicious Metasploit Stager Delivery via mshta Remote HTA (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell Download of Disguised Payload to ProgramData
Suspicious PowerShell WebClient Download of Executable Payload
Malicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell in Gootloader Chain
Suspicious PsExec Service Launching Encoded PowerShell Payload
Suspicious PowerShell Remote Script Execution via IEX DownloadString
Malicious SharePoint ToolShell Post-Exploitation via Encoded PowerShell (via process_creation)
Suspicious In-Memory PowerShell Execution from Web Server via Automation Assembly (via image_load)
PowerShell Execution via sqlps.exe (Windows 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.