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

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1027Obfuscated Files or Information
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
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

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

Pivot detection · T1027 · 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-system-service-control-manager-cmd-c-r-setting-variables-with-f-in-image-8ca7004b

title: "Windows Service Control Manager: Obfuscated Environment Variable PowerShell via cmd /c set -f"
id: 069fbc6b-c17b-4f4a-abee-eb91ce26252d
status: test
description: 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.
references:
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/issues/1009
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/system/service_control_manager/win_system_invoke_obfuscation_var_services.yml
author: Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-15
modified: 2022-11-29
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1027
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1059.001
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: system
detection:
  selection:
    Provider_Name: Service Control Manager
    EventID: 7045
    ImagePath|contains|all:
      - cmd
      - '"set'
      - -f
    ImagePath|contains:
      - /c
      - /r
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 8ca7004b-e620-4ecb-870e-86129b5b8e75
    type: derived

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