Windows PowerShell: Silence EmpireDNSAgent script matches DNS tunnel and remote shutdown/restart activity

Flags PowerShell ScriptBlockText that combines Empire process-control indicators with dnscat DNS tunneling commands.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v2

Product: windows
Category: ps_script
Author: Alina Stepchenkova, Group-IB, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Impact

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
- T1071.004DNS
- T1572Protocol Tunneling
Exfiltration
Impact
- T1529System Shutdown/Reboot

What it detects

This rule flags PowerShell script block logging where the script contains both Empire-like process control indicators (e.g., Stop-Computer/Restart-Computer and exception handling) and DNS tunneling behavior associated with Dnscat2 (including nslookup command execution and specific tunnel/session fields). The combined pattern matters because it can indicate coordinated remote command/control and host impact using a DNS-based channel. It relies on Windows PowerShell Script Block Logging telemetry to capture ScriptBlockText content for matching.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

Malicious GS-Netcat Command and Control via Global Socket Relay Network (via dns_query)

Suspicious DNS Query to Dynamic DNS and Tunneling Providers Abused by RATs

Suspicious Script Download via Curl and PowerShell by Dohdoor

Malicious dnscat2 DNS Tunneling C2 Traffic

Malicious Metasploit Stager Delivery via mshta Remote HTA (via process_creation)

Suspicious Cloudflared Tunnel Persistence Installed via msiexec (via process_creation)

Suspicious PowerShell Download of Disguised Payload to ProgramData

Suspicious PowerShell WebClient Download of Executable Payload

Malicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell in Gootloader Chain

Windows PowerShell: Silence EmpireDNSAgent script matches DNS tunnel and remote shutdown/restart activity

Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-powershell-detect-silence-empire-eda-execution-and-dns-tunneling-script--3ceb2083

title: "Windows PowerShell: Silence EmpireDNSAgent script matches DNS tunnel and remote shutdown/restart activity"
id: 4b3cdd2c-db7a-492c-a439-8e5e45e19f2c
status: test
description: This rule flags PowerShell script block logging where the script contains both Empire-like process control indicators (e.g., Stop-Computer/Restart-Computer and exception handling) and DNS tunneling behavior associated with Dnscat2 (including nslookup command execution and specific tunnel/session fields). The combined pattern matters because it can indicate coordinated remote command/control and host impact using a DNS-based channel. It relies on Windows PowerShell Script Block Logging telemetry to capture ScriptBlockText content for matching.
references:
  - https://www.group-ib.com/resources/threat-research/silence_2.0.going_global.pdf
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_apt_silence_eda.yml
author: Alina Stepchenkova, Group-IB, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2019-11-01
modified: 2023-04-03
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1059.001
  - attack.command-and-control
  - attack.t1071.004
  - attack.t1572
  - attack.impact
  - attack.t1529
  - attack.g0091
  - attack.s0363
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: ps_script
  definition: "Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled"
detection:
  empire:
    ScriptBlockText|contains|all:
      - System.Diagnostics.Process
      - Stop-Computer
      - Restart-Computer
      - Exception in execution
      - $cmdargs
      - Close-Dnscat2Tunnel
  dnscat:
    ScriptBlockText|contains|all:
      - set type=$LookupType`nserver
      - $Command | nslookup 2>&1 | Out-String
      - New-RandomDNSField
      - "[Convert]::ToString($SYNOptions, 16)"
      - $Session.Dead = $True
      - $Session["Driver"] -eq
  condition: empire and dnscat
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 3ceb2083-a27f-449a-be33-14ec1b7cc973
    type: derived

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