SocGholish Fake Browser Update Script Execution (via process_creation)

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-09-03
Updated
2026-09-03

ATT&CK techniques

Execution
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Persistence

  5. Priv Esc

  6. Defense Evasion

  7. Cred Access

  8. Discovery

  9. Lateral Movement

  10. Collection

  11. C2

  12. Exfiltration

  13. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the Windows Script Host running a JavaScript file whose name impersonates a browser update, the delivery-and-execution behavior behind SocGholish drive-by fake-update lures. SocGholish is a prevalent initial-access threat profiled in the Red Canary Threat Detection Report that uses malicious JScript to stage follow-on payloads. Detecting the fake-update script surfaces the intrusion at the execution stage before hands-on-keyboard activity.

Related detections9 linkedT1059.007 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Script Host Execution of JavaScript From a User-Writable Directory (via process_creation)
Linux process execution indicators for TanStack preinstall supply-chain payloads
Windows Execution of tanstack_runner.js via bun.exe
Windows AppLocker Audit-Mode Events Indicate Files Would Have Been Blocked
Windows AppLocker Blocked Application, Script, MSI, or Packaged-App Execution
Possible React2Shell CVE-2025-55182 Prototype Pollution Exploitation
Suspicious Node.js Script Execution from AppData Roaming
Possible Reflected XSS via cPanel cpanelwebcall Endpoint CVE-2023-29489
Suspicious Interlock Fake Updater Executable Execution
SocGholish Fake Browser Update Script Execution (via process_creation)
Pivot detection · T1059.007 · 9 related

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