Suspicious Python Inline Exec Execution in STARKVEIL Chain

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
- T1204.002Malicious File
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the Python interpreter executing an inline exec statement passed on the command line, matching the STARKVEIL dropper chain that pivots through py.exe to decode and run staged code from fake AI-themed websites. Attackers use this living-off-the-land step to run obfuscated loaders and deploy the XWORM and FROSTRIFT backdoors.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

Malicious Web Browser Spawning Command or Script Interpreter

Malicious TELEPUZ ClickFix Stager via Hidden PowerShell Grab Endpoint

Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Retrieving VBScript from mcdir.me by Millenium RAT (via process_creation)

Suspicious Command in RunMRU Registry Indicating ClickFix Execution (via registry_set)

Suspicious Edge Update Setup Spawning PowerShell via ClearFake

Suspicious PowerShell Locating and Running MSBuild Project (via process_creation)

Malicious Excel Macro Spawning Scripting Interpreter Downloader (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell ReadAllBytes and Expand-Archive Payload Staging (via process_creation)

Suspicious Script Interpreter Command Recorded in Explorer RunMRU History (via registry_set)

Suspicious Python Inline Exec Execution in STARKVEIL Chain

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 →