Suspicious OpenSSH Reverse Tunnel Creation via Process Creation
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- HuntRule
- Published
- 2026-10-14
- Updated
- 2026-10-14
ATT&CK techniques
Lateral Movement → C2Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule detects the Windows OpenSSH client creating a reverse port-forwarding tunnel, a technique used after Quick Assist abuse to establish covert remote access into compromised environments. Operators tunnel traffic to maintain access and move laterally, so an interactive ssh reverse tunnel from an endpoint is worth reviewing.
Reporting behind it
- microsoft.comhttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/05/15/threat-actors-misusing-quick-assist-in-social-engineering-attacks-leading-to-ransomware/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1572/
- thedfirreport.comhttps://thedfirreport.com/2025/08/05/from-bing-search-to-ransomware-bumblebee-and-adaptixc2-deliver-akira-2/
- sentinelone.comhttps://www.sentinelone.com/labs/fin7-reboot-cybercrime-gang-enhances-ops-with-new-edr-bypasses-and-automated-attacks/
- attack.mitre.orghttps://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/004/
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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