Windows PowerShell Remote Thread Creation Into Uncommon Target Processes

Alerts on PowerShell creating remote threads in rundll32.exe or regsvr32.exe on Windows.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Category: create_remote_thread
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1218.011Rundll32
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags when a PowerShell process (powershell.exe or pwsh.exe) creates a remote thread where the target process is one of a small set of uncommon binaries (rundll32.exe or regsvr32.exe). Remote thread creation can be used to execute code in another process and may support stealthy execution. The detection relies on Windows telemetry that records remote thread creation events with SourceImage and TargetImage paths ending in the specified executables.

Reporting behind it

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Windows PowerShell Remote Thread Creation Into Uncommon Target Processes

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-remote-thread-creation-into-rundll32-exe-or-regsvr32-exe-99b97608

title: Windows PowerShell Remote Thread Creation Into Uncommon Target Processes
id: dfe4e599-1525-4838-8b57-873b895238cb
related:
  - id: eeb2e3dc-c1f4-40dd-9bd5-149ee465ad50
    type: similar
  - id: 99b97608-3e21-4bfe-8217-2a127c396a0e
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags when a PowerShell process (powershell.exe or pwsh.exe) creates a remote thread where the target process is one of a small set of uncommon binaries (rundll32.exe or regsvr32.exe). Remote thread creation can be used to execute code in another process and may support stealthy execution. The detection relies on Windows telemetry that records remote thread creation events with SourceImage and TargetImage paths ending in the specified executables.
references:
  - https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/06/bring-your-own-land-novel-red-teaming-technique.html
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/create_remote_thread/create_remote_thread_win_powershell_susp_targets.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2018-06-25
modified: 2023-11-10
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1218.011
  - attack.t1059.001
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: create_remote_thread
detection:
  selection:
    SourceImage|endswith:
      - \powershell.exe
      - \pwsh.exe
    TargetImage|endswith:
      - \rundll32.exe
      - \regsvr32.exe
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1

Convert

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