Windows System Service Control: Obfuscated cmd Launching clip.exe for PowerShell

Flags service creation (Event 7045) with obfuscated cmd ImagePath using clip.exe/clipboard PowerShell execution patterns.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: system
Author: Jonathan Cheong, 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

Identifies Windows Service Control Manager events where the service ImagePath contains command execution patterns including cmd, an inline command separator (&&), and PowerShell clipboard access (clipboard]::), consistent with obfuscated invocation via clip.exe. Attackers may use this approach to conceal PowerShell payload execution and stage commands through built-in utilities. The detection relies on System channel telemetry capturing Service Control Manager event 7045 and matching the ImagePath string for these specific obfuscation indicators.

Reporting behind it

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Windows System Service Control: Obfuscated cmd Launching clip.exe for PowerShell

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-launches-cmd-with-obfuscated-clip-exe-to--f7385ee2

title: "Windows System Service Control: Obfuscated cmd Launching clip.exe for PowerShell"
id: 22b58464-129c-4a9c-bf84-843673dd15ac
status: test
description: Identifies Windows Service Control Manager events where the service ImagePath contains command execution patterns including cmd, an inline command separator (&&), and PowerShell clipboard access (clipboard]::), consistent with obfuscated invocation via clip.exe. Attackers may use this approach to conceal PowerShell payload execution and stage commands through built-in utilities. The detection relies on System channel telemetry capturing Service Control Manager event 7045 and matching the ImagePath string for these specific obfuscation indicators.
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_clip_services.yml
author: Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-13
modified: 2023-02-20
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
      - "&&"
      - "clipboard]::"
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: f7385ee2-0e0c-11eb-adc1-0242ac120002
    type: derived

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