Windows Process Proxying: explorer.exe Spawned from cmd.exe or PowerShell
Flags cmd.exe/powershell.exe launching explorer.exe, indicating possible proxy-based execution on Windows.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Furkan CALISKAN, @caliskanfurkan_, @oscd_initiative (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2020-10-05
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags process creation events where a shell host such as cmd.exe or PowerShell spawns explorer.exe. Proxying execution through explorer.exe can help attackers blend in with normal user processes or evade monitoring by launching payloads via a trusted GUI executable. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry including parent image, child image, and the child command line.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Windows Process Proxying: explorer.exe Spawned from cmd.exe or PowerShell"
id: efbbd8c5-84c9-41b2-aecb-2a8d9b3258e3
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation events where a shell host such as cmd.exe or PowerShell spawns explorer.exe. Proxying execution through explorer.exe can help attackers blend in with normal user processes or evade monitoring by launching payloads via a trusted GUI executable. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry including parent image, child image, and the child command line.
references:
- https://twitter.com/CyberRaiju/status/1273597319322058752
- https://app.any.run/tasks/9a8fd563-4c54-4d0a-9ad8-1fe08339cbc3/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_explorer_child_of_shell_process.yml
author: Furkan CALISKAN, @caliskanfurkan_, @oscd_initiative, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-05
modified: 2024-06-21
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
ParentImage|endswith:
- \cmd.exe
- \powershell.exe
- \pwsh.exe
Image|endswith: \explorer.exe
CommandLine|contains: explorer.exe
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate explorer.exe run from a shell host like "cmd.exe" or "powershell.exe"
level: low
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 9eb271b9-24ae-4cd4-9465-19cfc1047f3e
type: derived