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Windows: CrackMapExec PowerShell obfuscation via join/split static patterns

Flags Windows PowerShell executions with command-line obfuscation strings associated with CrackMapExec behavior.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Thomas Patzke (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-05-22
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

  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 identifies PowerShell or pwsh process executions whose image paths and command-line content match static obfuscation patterns associated with CrackMapExec. Attackers may obfuscate PowerShell to hinder content inspection and signature-based detections. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry capturing the process image name/path and the full command line.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
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Suspicious PsExec Service Launching Encoded PowerShell Payload
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Malicious SharePoint ToolShell Post-Exploitation via Encoded PowerShell (via process_creation)
Suspicious In-Memory PowerShell Execution from Web Server via Automation Assembly (via image_load)
Malicious Qilin Chrome Credential Harvesting Script Execution via IPScanner (via process_creation)
Windows: CrackMapExec PowerShell obfuscation via join/split static patterns
Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 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.