Suspicious Renamed PowerShell Copied from System32 via Batch Loader

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-10-24
Updated
2026-10-24

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Persistence

  5. Priv Esc

  6. Cred Access

  7. Discovery

  8. Lateral Movement

  9. Collection

  10. C2

  11. Exfiltration

  12. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a command that copies the legitimate PowerShell executable from System32 to a new filename ending in exe. A multi payload batch loader clones powershell.exe under an attacker chosen name so its hidden execution of embedded base64 payloads evades name based detection.

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious PowerShell Download Cradle with Spoofed User-Agent via MSIX
Possible DarkGate Process Injection via iTunesHelper Spawning vbc.exe
Malicious PowerShell In-Memory Download Cradle via Script Block (via ps_script)
Suspicious node.exe Execution Spawned by PowerShell
Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by mshta.exe in FakeSG Chain (via process_creation)
Suspicious Encoded PowerShell Using Base64 Stream Decompression Routines (via process_creation)
Malicious IIS Worker Process Spawning Command Shell for Webshell Reconnaissance (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by Windows Script Host during Scarlet Goldfinch Infection (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell Launched by MSIX StartingScriptWrapper From WindowsApps via Process Creation (via process_creation)
Suspicious Renamed PowerShell Copied from System32 via Batch Loader
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.