huntrule

Windows: Detect Named Pipe Creation with Koh Default Names

Alerts on Windows named pipe creation with Koh default identifiers in the pipe name.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v2
Product
windows
Category
pipe_created
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-07-08
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Cred Access

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects creation of named pipes whose names contain the Koh default substrings '\imposecost' and '\imposingcost'. Named pipes can be used by offensive tooling to establish stealthy inter-process communication, including for post-exploitation actions. Telemetry required is Windows named pipe creation events (e.g., Sysmon named pipe events) that include the PipeName field.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1528 — drag to rearrange
Malicious Potato Family Privilege Escalation Tool Execution (via process_creation)
Malicious OAuth Application Granted Full Mailbox and EWS Permissions (via m365)
Suspicious GAM OAuth Token Enumeration via Process Creation
Suspicious Entra ID Device Code Flow Authentication
Suspicious Delegated Permission Grant to Entra Agent Access Scope via Azure Audit Logs
Masquerading Cobalt Strike GetSystem Named-Pipe Impersonation Pattern (via process_creation)
Suspicious OAuth Application Registration with Localhost Reply URL via Azure AD
Malicious Named Pipe kesknq for Token Impersonation (via pipe_created)
Malicious PRT Token Forging via AADInternals (via ps_script)
Windows: Detect Named Pipe Creation with Koh Default Names
Pivot detection · T1528 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No 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.