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

Analysis Detection

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 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

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Malicious Non-Interactive Encoded PowerShell Stager (via process_creation)

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

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-detects-var-obfuscated-powershell-in-serv-14bcba49

title: "Windows System: Detects Service Control Manager spawning obfuscated PowerShell via VAR++ LAUNCHER"
id: f1455476-060e-4648-a0e6-20b2945f0e6d
status: test
description: 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.
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_via_var_services.yml
author: Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-13
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:
      - "&&set"
      - cmd
      - /c
      - -f
    ImagePath|contains:
      - "{0}"
      - "{1}"
      - "{2}"
      - "{3}"
      - "{4}"
      - "{5}"
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 14bcba49-a428-42d9-b943-e2ce0f0f7ae6
    type: derived

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