Suspicious IIS Configuration Reconnaissance via Appcmd (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1505.003Web Shell
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects enumeration of IIS sites, virtual directories, and application pools using appcmd, a discovery behavior used by the CL-UNK-1068 cluster during long-running operations against high-value sectors. Attackers use this reconnaissance to map web application deployment for webshell placement and lateral movement, making it an early indicator of hands-on-keyboard activity.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1505.003 — drag to rearrange

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Malicious China Chopper Web Shell Command Pattern in IIS Worker Process (via process_creation)

Malicious IIS Worker Process Spawning Command Shell after ASP.NET ViewState Injection (via process_creation)

Suspicious IIS Configuration Reconnaissance via Appcmd (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1505.003 · 9 related

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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