huntrule

Windows Service Control Manager: Obfuscated Environment Variable PowerShell via cmd /c set -f

Alerts on Service Control Manager event 7045 where a service ImagePath uses cmd /c|/r with "set" and -f formatting.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
system
Author
Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-10-15
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 services that use the Service Control Manager (EventID 7045) to start a process whose ImagePath indicates an obfuscated cmd-based PowerShell launcher. Attackers often hide execution by combining cmd /c or /r with Environment Variable operations (set and format-style -f usage) to conceal commands from straightforward inspection. The detection relies on System telemetry from Service Control Manager, matching patterns in the ImagePath field for cmd execution and the presence of obfuscation-related string fragments.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1027 — drag to rearrange
Malicious FIN7 Powertrash Loader Execution via Obfuscated PowerShell (via process_creation)
Suspicious XOR Obfuscated PowerShell from ClickFix Distribution
Suspicious PowerShell Executing Code from Environment Variable (via process_creation)
Suspicious In-Memory Runspace Execution via PowerShell Script Block
Suspicious Encoded PowerShell Using Base64 Stream Decompression Routines (via process_creation)
Suspicious PowerShell In-Memory Execution with AES Decryption
Suspicious Encoded PowerShell Command Execution
Suspicious PEAKLIGHT Memory-Only PowerShell Downloader Flags (via process_creation)
Obfuscated PowerShell Script: Indirect Cmdlet Execution via ExportedCommands Array Index
Windows Service Control Manager: Obfuscated Environment Variable PowerShell via cmd /c set -f
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.