huntrule

Windows AgentExecutor.exe PowerShell Execution (ExecutionPolicy Bypass) Process Creation

Alerts on AgentExecutor.exe launches that pass -powershell/-remediationScript to run PowerShell (including bypass execution policy).

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), memory-shards (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-12-24
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

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 process creation where AgentExecutor.exe is executed with command-line arguments indicating embedded PowerShell execution (e.g., -powershell or -remediationScript) and where PowerShell is invoked via the provided path argument. Attackers may abuse AgentExecutor.exe as an LOLBIN to run PowerShell with a lowered or bypassed execution policy, enabling stealthy script execution. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching the AgentExecutor.exe image and specific command-line substrings, with an exclusion for Intune Windows agent parent processes.

Reporting behind it

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Malicious ViPNet Backdoor Loader via lumpdiag.exe Path Substitution
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Windows AgentExecutor.exe PowerShell Execution (ExecutionPolicy Bypass) Process Creation
Pivot detection · T1218 · 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.