Suspicious Node.js Spawning PowerShell Archive Download to Temp

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access → Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
- T1195.002Compromise Software Supply Chain
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a Node.js process spawning PowerShell to download a compressed archive into the user temp directory, a chain seen when a malicious npm postinstall hook stages a payload. In the MUT-4831 campaign node.exe launched PowerShell to retrieve a zip that unpacked the Vidar infostealer. This process lineage is unusual for legitimate development workflows and points to supply chain compromise.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

Malicious PowerShell Download from bullethost.cloud Staging Server

Suspicious Scheduled Task Running PowerShell Every Minute (via process_creation)

Malicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell With Invoke-Expression (via process_creation)

Hidden PowerShell Archive Extraction via ExtractToDirectory

CastleLoader ClickFix PowerShell Hex Decode and Re-Execution

Malicious Non-Interactive Encoded PowerShell Stager (via process_creation)

Malicious ActiveMQ Exploitation Java Spawning PowerShell Downloader (via process_creation)

Suspicious Cleo Autorun Health Check File Drop (via file_event)

Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by VBScript for RMM Delivery

Suspicious Node.js Spawning PowerShell Archive Download to Temp

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.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →