Windows process creation: flag suspicious program names and PowerShell script indicators

Alerts on suspicious Windows process image names and PowerShell command-line script/tool patterns commonly used in malicious tooling.

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title: "Windows process creation: flag suspicious program names and PowerShell script indicators"
id: 09aae642-9146-4f29-8abe-c8d30cd16a4b
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation events where the process image path contains known exploit/CVE-like strings, specific hacktool-style executable name suffixes (e.g., poc.exe, artifact*.exe, meterpreter), or suspicious script/tool names in the command line. It matters because attackers frequently use recognizable, reusable filenames and PowerShell script names to stage payloads, run post-exploitation, and execute tool-based tradecraft. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the Image and CommandLine fields.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1560.001/T1560.001.md
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_progname.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-02-11
modified: 2023-03-22
tags:
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1059
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_image:
    - Image|contains:
        - \CVE-202
        - \CVE202
    - Image|endswith:
        - \poc.exe
        - \artifact.exe
        - \artifact64.exe
        - \artifact_protected.exe
        - \artifact32.exe
        - \artifact32big.exe
        - obfuscated.exe
        - obfusc.exe
        - \meterpreter
  selection_commandline:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - inject.ps1
      - Invoke-CVE
      - pupy.ps1
      - payload.ps1
      - beacon.ps1
      - PowerView.ps1
      - bypass.ps1
      - obfuscated.ps1
      - obfusc.ps1
      - obfus.ps1
      - obfs.ps1
      - evil.ps1
      - MiniDogz.ps1
      - _enc.ps1
      - \shell.ps1
      - \rshell.ps1
      - revshell.ps1
      - \av.ps1
      - \av_test.ps1
      - adrecon.ps1
      - mimikatz.ps1
      - \PowerUp_
      - powerup.ps1
      - \Temp\a.ps1
      - \Temp\p.ps1
      - \Temp\1.ps1
      - Hound.ps1
      - encode.ps1
      - powercat.ps1
  condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate tools that accidentally match on the searched patterns
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: efdd8dd5-cee8-4e59-9390-7d4d5e4dd6f6
    type: derived

What it detects

This rule flags Windows process creation events where the process image path contains known exploit/CVE-like strings, specific hacktool-style executable name suffixes (e.g., poc.exe, artifact*.exe, meterpreter), or suspicious script/tool names in the command line. It matters because attackers frequently use recognizable, reusable filenames and PowerShell script names to stage payloads, run post-exploitation, and execute tool-based tradecraft. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the Image and CommandLine fields.

Known false positives

Legitimate tools that accidentally match on the searched patterns

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.