Windows PowerShell DNS TXT Download Cradle via nslookup (Process Creation)

title: Windows PowerShell DNS TXT Download Cradle via nslookup (Process Creation)
id: f34be208-c22a-4de7-adf2-92b737f3a78a
related:
  - id: 72671447-4352-4413-bb91-b85569687135
    type: obsolete
  - id: 999bff6d-dc15-44c9-9f5c-e1051bfc86e1
    type: similar
  - id: 1b3b01c7-84e9-4072-86e5-fc285a41ff23
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation where PowerShell (powershell.exe/pwsh.exe) starts nslookup.exe and uses DNS TXT queries to retrieve data. Attackers can abuse DNS to stage or fetch payload content from DNS records while blending into common name-resolution activity. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, including parent process image path and the command line arguments indicating a TXT query via nslookup.
references:
  - https://twitter.com/Alh4zr3d/status/1566489367232651264
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_nslookup_poweshell_download.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-09-05
modified: 2022-12-19
tags:
  - attack.stealth
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|contains: \nslookup.exe
    - OriginalFileName: \nslookup.exe
  selection_cmd:
    ParentImage|endswith:
      - \powershell.exe
      - \pwsh.exe
    CommandLine|contains:
      - " -q=txt "
      - " -querytype=txt "
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1