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Windows Security 4697 Alert for Obfuscated PowerShell Invoke via VAR++ LAUNCHER

Alerts on obfuscated PowerShell launcher patterns in Windows service creation events (EID 4697) consistent with VAR++ LAUNCHER.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
security
Author
Timur Zinniatullin, 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 Security event ID 4697 where the recorded ServiceFileName contains patterns indicative of obfuscated PowerShell execution using VAR++ LAUNCHER techniques. Attackers may use this obfuscation to hinder detection and analysis while launching PowerShell payloads. The detection relies on Security audit telemetry that logs event 4697 along with the ServiceFileName string content for matching substrings.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1027 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious PowerShell Invoke-Expression with Replace Obfuscation
Malicious Emmenhtal JavaScript Loader Spawning Encoded PowerShell
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 Security 4697 Alert for Obfuscated PowerShell Invoke via VAR++ LAUNCHER
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.