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PowerShell ScriptBlock Launching wscript.exe via PowerHold-like Code Patterns on Windows

Flags PowerShell ScriptBlock text that writes staged bytes in APPDATA and launches wscript.exe.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5
Product
windows
Category
ps_script
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2023-05-04
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 identifies PowerShell script block content that includes specific indicators related to writing payload bytes, locating APPDATA, defining a MainPayload function, and invoking wscript.exe. Attackers commonly use PowerShell to stage and execute secondary payloads, and wscript.exe can be leveraged to run scripts outside of PowerShell’s primary context. The detection relies on telemetry that captures PowerShell ScriptBlockText content on Windows and matches all listed substrings within the same script block.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1059.001 — drag to rearrange
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Suspicious PowerShell Download of Disguised Payload to ProgramData
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Malicious Script Host Spawning PowerShell in Gootloader Chain
Suspicious PsExec Service Launching Encoded PowerShell Payload
Suspicious PowerShell Remote Script Execution via IEX DownloadString
PowerShell ScriptBlock Launching wscript.exe via PowerHold-like Code Patterns on Windows
Pivot detection · T1059.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
  1. v5
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v4
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  3. v3
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  4. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  5. 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.