huntrule

Windows PowerShell: Match Known Malicious PoshModule Cmdlets and Framework Functions

Alerts on PowerShell module payloads containing commandlet/function names from known malicious exploitation and post-exploitation frameworks.

FreeUnreviewedSigmahighv1
title: "Windows PowerShell: Match Known Malicious PoshModule Cmdlets and Framework Functions"
id: 7736e571-6a47-4ff9-a23b-44c195134f8f
related:
  - id: 89819aa4-bbd6-46bc-88ec-c7f7fe30efa6
    type: similar
  - id: 02030f2f-6199-49ec-b258-ea71b07e03dc
    type: similar
  - id: 7d0d0329-0ef1-4e84-a9f5-49500f9d7c6c
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags PowerShell module activity when the payload contains commandlet or function names associated with well-known offensive PowerShell toolsets. Attackers commonly use these cmdlets to perform actions such as discovery, credential theft, persistence, backdoor installation, and command execution within PowerShell. The detection relies on Windows PowerShell module telemetry that records the module payload content containing these specific commandlet/function names.
references:
  - https://adsecurity.org/?p=2921
  - https://github.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/PowerSharpPack/tree/master/PowerSharpBinaries
  - https://github.com/BC-SECURITY/Invoke-ZeroLogon/blob/111d17c7fec486d9bb23387e2e828b09a26075e4/Invoke-ZeroLogon.ps1
  - https://github.com/xorrior/RandomPS-Scripts/blob/848c919bfce4e2d67b626cbcf4404341cfe3d3b6/Get-DXWebcamVideo.ps1
  - https://github.com/rvrsh3ll/Misc-Powershell-Scripts/blob/6f23bb41f9675d7e2d32bacccff75e931ae00554/OfficeMemScraper.ps1
  - https://github.com/dafthack/DomainPasswordSpray/blob/b13d64a5834694aa73fd2aea9911a83027c465a7/DomainPasswordSpray.ps1
  - https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/threat-assessment-black-basta-ransomware/
  - https://research.nccgroup.com/2022/06/06/shining-the-light-on-black-basta/
  - https://github.com/calebstewart/CVE-2021-1675
  - https://github.com/BloodHoundAD/BloodHound/blob/0927441f67161cc6dc08a53c63ceb8e333f55874/Collectors/AzureHound.ps1
  - https://bloodhound.readthedocs.io/en/latest/data-collection/azurehound.html
  - https://github.com/HarmJ0y/DAMP
  - https://github.com/samratashok/nishang
  - https://github.com/DarkCoderSc/PowerRunAsSystem/
  - https://github.com/besimorhino/powercat
  - https://github.com/Kevin-Robertson/Powermad
  - https://github.com/adrecon/ADRecon
  - https://github.com/adrecon/AzureADRecon
  - https://github.com/sadshade/veeam-creds/blob/6010eaf31ba41011b58d6af3950cffbf6f5cea32/Veeam-Get-Creds.ps1
  - https://github.com/The-Viper-One/Invoke-PowerDPAPI/
  - https://github.com/Arno0x/DNSExfiltrator/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_module/posh_pm_malicious_commandlets.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-01-20
modified: 2025-12-10
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.discovery
  - attack.t1482
  - attack.t1087
  - attack.t1087.001
  - attack.t1087.002
  - attack.t1069.001
  - attack.t1069.002
  - attack.t1069
  - attack.t1059.001
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: ps_module
  definition: 0ad03ef1-f21b-4a79-8ce8-e6900c54b65b
detection:
  selection:
    Payload|contains:
      - Add-Exfiltration
      - Add-Persistence
      - Add-RegBackdoor
      - Add-RemoteRegBackdoor
      - Add-ScrnSaveBackdoor
      - BadSuccessor
      - Check-VM
      - ConvertTo-Rc4ByteStream
      - Decrypt-Hash
      - Disable-ADIDNSNode
      - Disable-MachineAccount
      - Do-Exfiltration
      - Enable-ADIDNSNode
      - Enable-MachineAccount
      - Enabled-DuplicateToken
      - Exploit-Jboss
      - Export-ADR
      - Export-ADRCSV
      - Export-ADRExcel
      - Export-ADRHTML
      - Export-ADRJSON
      - Export-ADRXML
      - Find-Fruit
      - Find-GPOLocation
      - Find-TrustedDocuments
      - Get-ADIDNS
      - Get-ApplicationHost
      - Get-ChromeDump
      - Get-ClipboardContents
      - Get-FoxDump
      - Get-GPPPassword
      - Get-IndexedItem
      - Get-KerberosAESKey
      - Get-Keystrokes
      - Get-LSASecret
      - Get-MachineAccountAttribute
      - Get-MachineAccountCreator
      - Get-PassHashes
      - Get-RegAlwaysInstallElevated
      - Get-RegAutoLogon
      - Get-RemoteBootKey
      - Get-RemoteCachedCredential
      - Get-RemoteLocalAccountHash
      - Get-RemoteLSAKey
      - Get-RemoteMachineAccountHash
      - Get-RemoteNLKMKey
      - Get-RickAstley
      - Get-Screenshot
      - Get-SecurityPackages
      - Get-ServiceFilePermission
      - Get-ServicePermission
      - Get-ServiceUnquoted
      - Get-SiteListPassword
      - Get-System
      - Get-TimedScreenshot
      - Get-UnattendedInstallFile
      - Get-Unconstrained
      - Get-USBKeystrokes
      - Get-VaultCredential
      - Get-VulnAutoRun
      - Get-VulnSchTask
      - Grant-ADIDNSPermission
      - Gupt-Backdoor
      - HTTP-Login
      - Install-ServiceBinary
      - Install-SSP
      - Invoke-ACLScanner
      - Invoke-ADRecon
      - Invoke-ADSBackdoor
      - Invoke-AgentSmith
      - Invoke-AllChecks
      - Invoke-ARPScan
      - Invoke-AzureHound
      - Invoke-BackdoorLNK
      - Invoke-BadPotato
      - Invoke-BetterSafetyKatz
      - Invoke-BypassUAC
      - Invoke-Carbuncle
      - Invoke-Certify
      - Invoke-ConPtyShell
      - Invoke-CredentialInjection
      - Invoke-DAFT
      - Invoke-DCSync
      - Invoke-DinvokeKatz
      - Invoke-DllInjection
      - Invoke-DNSUpdate
      - Invoke-DNSExfiltrator
      - Invoke-DomainPasswordSpray
      - Invoke-DowngradeAccount
      - Invoke-EgressCheck
      - Invoke-Eyewitness
      - Invoke-FakeLogonScreen
      - Invoke-Farmer
      - Invoke-Get-RBCD-Threaded
      - Invoke-Gopher
      - Invoke-Grouper
      - Invoke-HandleKatz
      - Invoke-ImpersonatedProcess
      - Invoke-ImpersonateSystem
      - Invoke-InteractiveSystemPowerShell
      - Invoke-Internalmonologue
      - Invoke-Inveigh
      - Invoke-InveighRelay
      - Invoke-KrbRelay
      - Invoke-LdapSignCheck
      - Invoke-Lockless
      - Invoke-MalSCCM
      - Invoke-Mimikatz
      - Invoke-Mimikittenz
      - Invoke-MITM6
      - Invoke-NanoDump
      - Invoke-NetRipper
      - Invoke-Nightmare
      - Invoke-NinjaCopy
      - Invoke-OfficeScrape
      - Invoke-OxidResolver
      - Invoke-P0wnedshell
      - Invoke-Paranoia
      - Invoke-PortScan
      - Invoke-PoshRatHttp
      - Invoke-PostExfil
      - Invoke-PowerDump
      - Invoke-PowerDPAPI
      - Invoke-PowerShellTCP
      - Invoke-PowerShellWMI
      - Invoke-PPLDump
      - Invoke-PsExec
      - Invoke-PSInject
      - Invoke-PsUaCme
      - Invoke-ReflectivePEInjection
      - Invoke-ReverseDNSLookup
      - Invoke-Rubeus
      - Invoke-RunAs
      - Invoke-SafetyKatz
      - Invoke-SauronEye
      - Invoke-SCShell
      - Invoke-Seatbelt
      - Invoke-ServiceAbuse
      - Invoke-ShadowSpray
      - Invoke-Sharp
      - Invoke-Shellcode
      - Invoke-SMBScanner
      - Invoke-Snaffler
      - Invoke-Spoolsample
      - Invoke-SpraySinglePassword
      - Invoke-SSHCommand
      - Invoke-StandIn
      - Invoke-StickyNotesExtract
      - Invoke-SystemCommand
      - Invoke-Tasksbackdoor
      - Invoke-Tater
      - Invoke-Thunderfox
      - Invoke-ThunderStruck
      - Invoke-TokenManipulation
      - Invoke-Tokenvator
      - Invoke-TotalExec
      - Invoke-UrbanBishop
      - Invoke-UserHunter
      - Invoke-VoiceTroll
      - Invoke-Whisker
      - Invoke-WinEnum
      - Invoke-winPEAS
      - Invoke-WireTap
      - Invoke-WmiCommand
      - Invoke-WMIExec
      - Invoke-WScriptBypassUAC
      - Invoke-Zerologon
      - MailRaider
      - New-ADIDNSNode
      - New-DNSRecordArray
      - New-HoneyHash
      - New-InMemoryModule
      - New-MachineAccount
      - New-SOASerialNumberArray
      - Out-Minidump
      - Port-Scan
      - PowerBreach
      - "powercat "
      - PowerUp
      - PowerView
      - Remove-ADIDNSNode
      - Remove-MachineAccount
      - Remove-Update
      - Rename-ADIDNSNode
      - Revoke-ADIDNSPermission
      - Set-ADIDNSNode
      - Set-MacAttribute
      - Set-MachineAccountAttribute
      - Set-Wallpaper
      - Show-TargetScreen
      - Start-CaptureServer
      - Start-Dnscat2
      - Start-WebcamRecorder
      - Veeam-Get-Creds
      - VolumeShadowCopyTools
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

What it detects

This rule flags PowerShell module activity when the payload contains commandlet or function names associated with well-known offensive PowerShell toolsets. Attackers commonly use these cmdlets to perform actions such as discovery, credential theft, persistence, backdoor installation, and command execution within PowerShell. The detection relies on Windows PowerShell module telemetry that records the module payload content containing these specific commandlet/function names.

Known false positives

  • Unknown

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.