huntrule

Windows Process Creation: Emotet-like Command-Line Patterns

Alerts on Windows process executions with command-line indicators consistent with Emotet-like staging and encoded payload usage.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2019-09-30
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

  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 Windows process executions whose command lines contain specific encoded and obfuscated patterns associated with Emotet-like behavior. Attackers may use these markers for stealthy scripting, staging, and execution, making command-line content a useful signal for early compromise detection. It relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the CommandLine field, and excludes events matching known benign substrings provided by the rule’s filter.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1027 — drag to rearrange
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Suspicious Python Interpreter Launching Encoded PowerShell via subprocess
Suspicious PS1Bot PowerShell Payload Written to ProgramData (via file_event)
Malicious Non-Interactive Encoded PowerShell Stager (via process_creation)
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PowerShell Encoded or Download-Cradle Command Line (via process_creation)
Obfuscated Encoded PowerShell Payload Deployed - PowerShell (via powershell)
Suspicious PowerShell AES Decryption and Reflective Method Invocation in SolarMarker
Windows Process Creation: Emotet-like Command-Line Patterns
Pivot detection · T1027 · 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.