Suspicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell Or Cmd via Gootloader

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.007JavaScript
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects wscript.exe or cscript.exe launching PowerShell or cmd, matching the Gootloader chain where a malicious .JS extracted from a ZIP hands off to a shell. Gootloader delivers this JavaScript through SEO-poisoned search results posing as document templates. A Windows script host spawning a command interpreter is rarely benign on endpoints.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.007 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by Windows Script Host during Scarlet Goldfinch Infection (via process_creation)

Suspicious Windows Script Host Execution of JavaScript from Temporary Archive Extraction Folder (via process_creation)

Suspicious Whoami Discovery Spawned by Windows Script Host via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Suspicious Node.js Execution from User AppData Directory (via process_creation)

Malicious Shai-Hulud npm Worm Marker via SHA1HULUD Process Name (via process_creation)

Suspicious Script Host Downloader via MSXML and WScript Shell

Malicious VVS Discord Stealer Script Drop via injection-obf.js (via file_event)

Suspicious npm Postinstall node Execution of setup.cjs with Warnings Suppressed

Suspicious node.exe Executing Compiled JavaScript Bytecode File

Suspicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell Or Cmd via Gootloader

Pivot detection · T1059.007 · 9 related

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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