Windows Process: SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe Executes PowerShell via PowerShell-encoded command

Alerts when SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe is launched with a command-line pattern indicative of PowerShell code execution.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2021-07-12
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1218System Binary Proxy Execution
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags process creation events where SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe is launched with a command line containing the PowerShell-encoded pattern "n; ". Attackers may use this signed Windows binary to run arbitrary PowerShell commands under a trusted process context. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, including Image/OriginalFileName and CommandLine content matching.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Process: SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe Executes PowerShell via PowerShell-encoded command

Pivot detection · T1218 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-process-execution-syncappvpublishingserver-exe-with-powershell-injection-fbd7c32d

title: "Windows Process: SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe Executes PowerShell via PowerShell-encoded command"
id: fba39b26-a16b-444a-aa78-8dae9cd323b5
related:
  - id: fde7929d-8beb-4a4c-b922-be9974671667
    type: obsolete
  - id: fbd7c32d-db2a-4418-b92c-566eb8911133
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation events where SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe is launched with a command line containing the PowerShell-encoded pattern "n; ". Attackers may use this signed Windows binary to run arbitrary PowerShell commands under a trusted process context. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, including Image/OriginalFileName and CommandLine content matching.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1218/T1218.md
  - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Syncappvpublishingserver/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_lolbin_syncappvpublishingserver_execute_psh.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-07-12
modified: 2022-10-04
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1218
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: \SyncAppvPublishingServer.exe
    - OriginalFileName: syncappvpublishingserver.exe
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: '"n; '
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - App-V clients
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1

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