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Windows Process Creation: Obfuscated Cmd Uses clip.exe to Execute PowerShell

Alerts when cmd.exe uses obfuscated Clip.exe/clipboard calls to launch PowerShell.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-10-13
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 command-line executions that invoke clip.exe in combination with obfuscated PowerShell activity. Attackers often use living-off-the-land binaries and command obfuscation to download or execute PowerShell while reducing detection clarity. The detection relies on process creation telemetry and matches on command-line strings containing cmd switches, clipboard/clip.exe usage, and PowerShell-style formatting markers.

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)
Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Executing Substring of Dropped File
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: Obfuscated Cmd Uses clip.exe to Execute PowerShell
Pivot detection · T1027 · 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.