huntrule

Windows Process Creation: Empire PowerShell UAC Bypass CommandLine Pattern

Flags Windows process creation events running Empire-style PowerShell UAC bypass command fragments.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Ecco (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2019-08-30
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → 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 matches PowerShell command lines that include a specific pattern used to set a variable from the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Update\Update registry value, consistent with some Empire PowerShell UAC bypass methods. Attackers use UAC bypass techniques to elevate privileges and execute subsequent actions with higher integrity. The detection relies on process creation telemetry and command-line contents containing the exact substrings defined in the rule.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1548.002 — drag to rearrange
Malicious FodHelper UAC Bypass via ms-settings Shell Command Hijack (via registry_set)
Suspicious Banana RAT UAC Skip Environment Variable in PowerShell
Malicious UAC Bypass via sdclt Handler Hijack (via registry_set)
Malicious UAC Bypass via ms-settings Handler Hijack (via registry_set)
Malicious DBatLoader DLL Sideloading via easinvoker.exe Loading netutils.dll (via image_load)
Suspicious dllhost.exe Spawned with CLSID and Anomalous Parent (via process_creation)
Malicious ms-settings DelegateExecute UAC Bypass Registry Change
Malicious User Account Control Bypass via Auto-Elevating Binary Hijack (via process_creation)
Suspicious Mock Trusted Directory with Trailing Space (via process_creation)
Windows Process Creation: Empire PowerShell UAC Bypass CommandLine Pattern
Pivot detection · T1548.002 · 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.