Windows Process: curl Download with HTTP Output Redirect and Command Chaining
Flags Windows commands where curl downloads over HTTP with -o and then executes via command chaining with '&'.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Sreeman, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2020-01-13
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Defense Evasion → C2Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule identifies Windows process executions where the command line contains curl usage over HTTP, redirects output to a file (via -o), and then chains additional commands using an ampersand. Attackers often use curl in this pattern to retrieve a remote payload and immediately act on it within the same command context. It relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the process command line contents that include the relevant flags and delimiters.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: "Windows Process: curl Download with HTTP Output Redirect and Command Chaining"
id: bfd33ec1-f188-44f6-b5e9-b9b5d305d2d7
status: test
description: This rule identifies Windows process executions where the command line contains curl usage over HTTP, redirects output to a file (via -o), and then chains additional commands using an ampersand. Attackers often use curl in this pattern to retrieve a remote payload and immediately act on it within the same command context. It relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the process command line contents that include the relevant flags and delimiters.
references:
- https://medium.com/@reegun/curl-exe-is-the-new-rundll32-exe-lolbin-3f79c5f35983
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_cmd_curl_download_exec_combo.yml
author: Sreeman, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2020-01-13
modified: 2024-03-05
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218
- attack.command-and-control
- attack.t1105
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
CommandLine|contains|windash: " -c "
CommandLine|contains|all:
- "curl "
- http
- -o
- "&"
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 21dd6d38-2b18-4453-9404-a0fe4a0cc288
type: derived