Windows PowerShell: Suspicious Process Discovery Using Get-Process

Alerts when PowerShell script blocks contain Get-Process, indicating local process discovery activity.

FreeReviewedSigma · Low · v2

Product: windows
Category: ps_script
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-03-17
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Discovery

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
- T1057Process Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags PowerShell activity where the executed script block text contains the Get-Process cmdlet, indicating local process discovery. Attackers commonly enumerate running processes to map the host state, identify security tooling, or prepare subsequent actions. It relies on Script Block Logging telemetry that records the script block content executed by PowerShell.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1057 — drag to rearrange

Antivirus Software Discovery via tasklist and findstr

Suspicious Security Software Discovery via tasklist and findstr (via process_creation)

Suspicious Security Process Enumeration via Tasklist And Findstr

Suspicious ESXi Virtual Machine Enumeration via esxcli Process List

Linux sysinfo Syscall for System Information Discovery

Windows: Recon command output piped to findstr.exe

Windows Process Execution of PCHunter (PCHunter64.exe or PCHunter32.exe)

Windows WMIC Process Flag Execution Indicating Process Reconnaissance

Windows Process Discovery via tasklist Command Execution

Windows PowerShell: Suspicious Process Discovery Using Get-Process

Pivot detection · T1057 · 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-script-block-logs-get-process-process-discovery-af4c87ce

title: "Windows PowerShell: Suspicious Process Discovery Using Get-Process"
id: 1a0087cc-3262-45ed-8412-96c7ecd6b92d
status: test
description: This rule flags PowerShell activity where the executed script block text contains the Get-Process cmdlet, indicating local process discovery. Attackers commonly enumerate running processes to map the host state, identify security tooling, or prepare subsequent actions. It relies on Script Block Logging telemetry that records the script block content executed by PowerShell.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1057/T1057.md#atomic-test-3---process-discovery---get-process
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-process?view=powershell-7.4
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_susp_get_process.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2022-03-17
tags:
  - attack.discovery
  - attack.t1057
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: ps_script
  definition: "Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled"
detection:
  selection:
    ScriptBlockText|contains: Get-Process
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate PowerShell scripts
level: low
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: af4c87ce-bdda-4215-b998-15220772e993
    type: derived

Convert

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

SplunkSPL