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Windows PowerShell Script Block Contains Exploitation Framework and Credential Theft Keywords

Alerts on PowerShell script block text containing known exploitation, token, and memory-related keywords.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Category
ps_script
Author
Sean Metcalf (source), Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2017-03-05
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 script block content that includes specific strings commonly used by exploitation and post-exploitation tooling. Attackers rely on these APIs, memory operations, and token manipulation patterns to elevate privileges, access sensitive process memory, or execute actions associated with credential theft. Detection depends on Script Block Logging telemetry that records the PowerShell script block text for keyword matching.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
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Malicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell in Gootloader Chain
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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)
Windows PowerShell Script Block Contains Exploitation Framework and Credential Theft Keywords
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.