huntrule

Windows PowerShell: Detect Suspicious Opsec Artifacts in Script Module Content

Identifies PowerShell module content containing frequent offensive payload string markers associated with poor operational security.

FreeReviewedSigma · Critical · v2
Product
windows
Category
ps_module
Author
ok @securonix invrep_de, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-10-09
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule flags PowerShell module content that contains specific byte-pattern strings commonly seen in offensive PowerShell payload variants. Attackers sometimes leave these trivial identifiers intact across multiple payloads when making minimal changes, making them useful for behavioral triage. The detection relies on Windows PowerShell module telemetry where the script/module payload text is available and matched for the listed substrings.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Script Host Spawning Hidden PowerShell (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell Reflective Assembly Load With GZip Decompression (via process_creation)
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Suspicious PowerShell Archive Extraction to AppData Roaming
Malicious PowerShell Spawned by Masqueraded NVIDIA GeForce Experience Binary
Suspicious PowerShell Hidden Unrestricted Execution via ClickFix
Suspicious PowerShell Spawned by cscript in Script Chain
Suspicious Script Interpreter Spawned by Explorer via ClickFix Run Dialog (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell Download Cradle via ClickFix Fake CAPTCHA (via process_creation)
Windows PowerShell: Detect Suspicious Opsec Artifacts in Script Module Content
Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. 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.