Windows Network Connections Initiated by PowerShell (powershell.exe or pwsh.exe)

Flags outbound network connections initiated by PowerShell on Windows, excluding common local and private IP ranges.

FreeReviewedSigma · Low · v5

Product: windows
Category: network_connection
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies network connections with Initiated set to true where the process image ends with powershell.exe or pwsh.exe. Such behavior is commonly used by malicious scripts to retrieve additional payloads or communicate with command and control over external IPs and uncommon network paths. It relies on Windows network connection telemetry that includes the initiating process image and destination IP, and it applies exclusions for local/private address ranges and specific IP CIDR ranges to reduce noise.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange

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Suspicious PsExec Service Launching Encoded PowerShell Payload

Suspicious PowerShell Remote Script Execution via IEX DownloadString

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)

Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Spawned by Script Host via process_creation

Suspicious Run Key Persistence Referencing PowerShell Script via registry_set

Malicious FIN7 Powertrash Loader Execution via Obfuscated PowerShell (via process_creation)

Windows Network Connections Initiated by PowerShell (powershell.exe or pwsh.exe)

Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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-initiated-network-connections-1f21ec3f

title: Windows Network Connections Initiated by PowerShell (powershell.exe or pwsh.exe)
id: b4f7c92c-e724-4182-bc2a-401745f07f57
status: test
description: This rule identifies network connections with Initiated set to true where the process image ends with powershell.exe or pwsh.exe. Such behavior is commonly used by malicious scripts to retrieve additional payloads or communicate with command and control over external IPs and uncommon network paths. It relies on Windows network connection telemetry that includes the initiating process image and destination IP, and it applies exclusions for local/private address ranges and specific IP CIDR ranges to reduce noise.
references:
  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLtJTxMWZ2o
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/network_connection/net_connection_win_powershell_network_connection.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2017-03-13
modified: 2024-03-13
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1059.001
  - detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
  category: network_connection
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith:
      - \powershell.exe
      - \pwsh.exe
    Initiated: "true"
  filter_main_local_ip:
    DestinationIp|cidr:
      - 127.0.0.0/8
      - 10.0.0.0/8
      - 169.254.0.0/16
      - 172.16.0.0/12
      - 192.168.0.0/16
      - ::1/128
      - fe80::/10
      - fc00::/7
    User|contains:
      - AUTHORI
      - AUTORI
  filter_main_msrange:
    DestinationIp|cidr:
      - 20.184.0.0/13
      - 51.103.210.0/23
  condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
  - Administrative scripts
  - Microsoft IP range
  - Additional filters are required. Adjust to your environment (e.g. extend filters with company's ip range')
level: low
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 1f21ec3f-810d-4b0e-8045-322202e22b4b
    type: derived

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

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