huntrule

Windows System: Detects Service Control Manager spawning obfuscated PowerShell via VAR++ LAUNCHER

Flags newly created Windows services whose ImagePath contains cmd chaining and obfuscated PowerShell launcher indicators.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
system
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 identifies Windows Service Control Manager (Event ID 7045) creating a service whose ImagePath contains command-line patterns consistent with obfuscated PowerShell launcher behavior (VAR++ LAUNCHER). Attackers often use obfuscation and staged command execution (e.g., cmd /c with string formatting) to evade detection while executing PowerShell. The detection relies on System logs capturing Service Control Manager service-install events and matches specific substrings in the ImagePath.

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 System: Detects Service Control Manager spawning obfuscated PowerShell 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.