Windows: Suspicious Kerberos Ticket Requests from PowerShell Using KerberosRequestorSecurityToken

Flags PowerShell command lines that reference KerberosRequestorSecurityToken and .GetRequest() for suspicious Kerberos ticket requests.

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title: "Windows: Suspicious Kerberos Ticket Requests from PowerShell Using KerberosRequestorSecurityToken"
id: 24c83b83-37c1-4532-9352-06662a59a605
related:
  - id: a861d835-af37-4930-bcd6-5b178bfb54df
    type: similar
  - id: caa9a802-8bd8-4b9e-a5cd-4d6221670219
    type: derived
status: experimental
description: This rule identifies process executions from PowerShell (powershell.exe/pwsh.exe) that call System.IdentityModel.Tokens.KerberosRequestorSecurityToken and invoke .GetRequest(). Such scripted Kerberos ticket request activity can indicate Kerberos ticket abuse, including techniques aimed at service ticket extraction. The detection relies on process creation telemetry and command-line content indicating the .NET KerberosRequestorSecurityToken request pattern.
references:
  - https://www.huntress.com/blog/gootloader-threat-detection-woff2-obfuscation
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1558.003/T1558.003.md#atomic-test-4---request-a-single-ticket-via-powershell
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.identitymodel.tokens.kerberosrequestorsecuritytoken?view=netframework-4.8.1
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_powershell_kerberos_kerberos_ticket_request_via_cli.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-11-18
tags:
  - attack.credential-access
  - attack.t1558.003
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith:
        - \powershell.exe
        - \pwsh.exe
    - OriginalFileName:
        - powershell.exe
        - pwsh.dll
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - System.IdentityModel.Tokens.KerberosRequestorSecurityToken
      - .GetRequest()
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate command line usage by administrators or security tools.
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

What it detects

This rule identifies process executions from PowerShell (powershell.exe/pwsh.exe) that call System.IdentityModel.Tokens.KerberosRequestorSecurityToken and invoke .GetRequest(). Such scripted Kerberos ticket request activity can indicate Kerberos ticket abuse, including techniques aimed at service ticket extraction. The detection relies on process creation telemetry and command-line content indicating the .NET KerberosRequestorSecurityToken request pattern.

Known false positives

Legitimate command line usage by administrators or security tools.

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.