Suspicious Script Interpreter Spawned by Explorer via ClickFix Run Dialog (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

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

What it detects

This rule detects mshta.exe or powershell.exe launched directly by explorer.exe with an embedded URL, matching the ClickFix technique where victims paste an attacker command into the Windows Run dialog. Interactive launches of these interpreters with remote URLs from Explorer are unusual.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

Malicious ClickFix Clipboard Command Execution via PowerShell

ClickFix Pastejacking via Script Interpreter Command in Run Dialog MRU (via registry_set)

Malicious Qilin Chrome Credential Harvesting Script Execution via IPScanner (via process_creation)

Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Spawned by Script Host via process_creation

Suspicious Run Key Persistence Referencing PowerShell Script via registry_set

Malicious FIN7 Powertrash Loader Execution via Obfuscated PowerShell (via process_creation)

Suspicious XOR Obfuscated PowerShell from ClickFix Distribution

Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Web Download via ClickFix Tactic

Malicious MuddyRot Implant Execution From ProgramData SoftwareMemory Path

Suspicious Script Interpreter Spawned by Explorer via ClickFix Run Dialog (via process_creation)

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 →