Suspicious Mshta Remote HTA Execution via process_creation
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-06-14
- Updated
- 2026-08-28
ATT&CK techniques
Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule detects mshta.exe executing a command line that contains a web URL which indicates it is fetching and running a remote HTML Application. SideWinder used mshta.exe to pull a remote HTA that ran JavaScript through mshtml RunHTMLApplication and WScript Shell. Remote HTA execution is a well known proxy execution technique used to bypass application controls.
Reporting behind it
- securelist.comhttps://securelist.com/sidewinder-apt-updates-its-toolset-and-targets-nuclear-sector/115847/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/
- unit42.paloaltonetworks.comhttps://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/silent-skimmer-latest-campaign/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218.005/
- sekoia.comhttps://www.sekoia.com/blog/clickfix-tactic-the-phantom-meet
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/004/
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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